Working For Justice In Housing

RETALIATORY ACTIONS PROHIBITED
(Public Local Laws Of Baltimore City, Sec. 9-10) 

A landlord may not evict, may not increase rent, and may not decrease services to which a tenant is entitled, for any of the following reasons:

1) Solely because tenant or his agent had filed a written complaint with the landlord or with a public agency against the landlord;

2) Solely because tenant or his agent had filed a lawsuit against the landlord;

3) Solely because tenant is member or organizer of a tenant’s organization.

If landlord brings an eviction proceeding against a tenant and judgments is for the tenant on the basis of one of the above defenses, tenant may be awarded reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs.

The protection provided by this law is not available to the following tenants:

1) In month-to-month tenancies or tenancies measured by periods of more than one month, there have been 4 or more judgments of possession for rent due entered against the tenant in the 12 months preceding the filing of the action.

2) In weekly tenancies, there have been 6 or more judgments for possession for rent due entered against the tenant in the preceding 12 months, or, where the tenant has lived in the dwelling for more than 6 months or less, there have been 3 or more judgments of possession for rent due entered against the tenant.

The protection against “retaliatory eviction” as defined by this law lasts for 6 months after the determination of the original case by a court or administrative agency. This law does not affect either landlord’s or tenant’s rights arising from breach of the lease, or either party’s right to terminate or not renew a lease in accordance with the terms of the lease or other provisions of law.

If any county enacts an ordinance comparable to this section in subject matter, the local ordinance will supersede this state law.

Click here to see what Maryland law says about this issue 

Legally Reviewed - BNI. Last Update - March 2001

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