Baltimore Rent Court Steps 2026–27: The 10-Day Notice, Your Trial Date, Paying to Stay and Free ACE Lawyers
In Baltimore, most evictions start in rent court, a Failure to Pay Rent case in the District Court of Maryland. These cases move quickly. A trial can be set as soon as five days after the landlord files, and you have just four days to appeal if you lose.
Maryland also gives tenants an important right: in most rent cases you can stop the eviction by paying what the court says you owe, plus court costs, right up until the eviction happens. Low-income tenants can get a free lawyer through the state's Access to Counsel in Evictions (ACE) program. This guide walks through each step. It isn't legal advice.
Last checked October 2026. Sources: the Maryland Courts' Housing Cases page; the Maryland People's Law Library's "Rent Court and Eviction Cases" guide; and the court form DC-CV-115, Notice of Intent to File a Complaint for Summary Ejectment.
The Short Version
Step 1, the notice: before filing, the landlord must give you a 10-day Notice of Intent to File (form DC-CV-115) stating how much rent is due.
Step 2, the summons: you should get a court notice within 3 days of filing, by mail and a yellow copy posted on your door. The trial can be as soon as 5 days after filing.
Step 3, trial: go. If you don't, the landlord usually wins.
Step 4, after judgment: the eviction process can't start until 7 business days after judgment. You have 4 days to appeal. You must get at least 6 days' notice of the eviction date.
Paying to stay: in most cases, you can pay the judgment amount and court costs any time before the eviction.
Free lawyer: call 211 for ACE. The Maryland Court Help Center is at 410-260-1392.
Step 1: The 10-Day Notice
Maryland landlords can't file a rent case right away. According to the Maryland Courts, they first have to give you a Notice of Intent to File a Complaint for Summary Ejectment (Failure to Pay Rent), form DC-CV-115. It must say how much rent is due and give you 10 days to pay.
The People's Law Library says the notice counts as delivered when it's mailed first-class with a certificate of mailing, posted on your door, or, if you chose this option, sent electronically by email, text or a tenant portal.
The form says at the top: "This is not a notice of eviction." It also tells you:
you have a legal right to dispute the charges; and
if you ask, the landlord must promptly give you a rental ledger, an itemized list of charges and payments that shows how they reached the amount.
What to do in those 10 days
If you can pay, pay, and keep proof.
Ask for the ledger if the number looks wrong.
Try mediation. The DC-CV-115 form says free mediation through the District Court's ADR Office is available before and after a case is filed. You can talk about how much is owed, a payment plan, a move-out date or lease changes.
Look for rental help. The form points to mdcourts.gov/legalhelp/housing.
Get legal advice from ACE (211) or the Court Help Center (410-260-1392).
Step 2: The Summons
If you don't pay within 10 days, the landlord can file a Failure to Pay Rent complaint in District Court.
The People's Law Library says you should get a "summary ejectment proceeding" notice within three days of filing. One copy comes by mail, and a yellow copy is posted on your door. It may also be handed to you. The notice lists your trial date and time in the upper right-hand corner, and the trial can be as soon as five days after the landlord filed.
Need a postponement? The Maryland Courts say to send a letter to the clerk's office before the trial date and mail a copy to the landlord. Don't assume it was granted. Check with the clerk.
Step 3: Get a Free Lawyer
Under Maryland's Access to Counsel in Evictions law, income-qualified tenants have access to an attorney. According to the Maryland Courts, you qualify if:
you're a tenant living in Maryland; and
your household income is at or below 50% of Maryland's median income.
ACE lawyers handle rent court, breach of lease and holding over cases, and can also help when a housing voucher or subsidy is being ended. To get one, call 211 or visit the ACE website.
Baltimore City also has its own right-to-counsel ordinance. It says covered tenants should be offered a lawyer as soon as practicable, and if possible, by their first court date. That depends on city funding, so call early.
Other free help: the Maryland Court Help Center offers free legal advice, help with forms, and referrals to rental assistance at 410-260-1392 or mdcourts.gov/helpcenter.
Step 4: The Trial
The court notes that rent court can be fast-paced. Your case is set for a time, such as 9 a.m., but you'll wait in the courtroom until it's called. If you don't show up, the court can enter judgment against you.
You can pay the landlord at any time before or at trial.
Common defenses
The People's Law Library describes several:
The amount is wrong. Bring receipts and the ledger. The landlord's complaint must state the rent and late fees due and subtract any utilities or security deposit you've paid.
Dangerous conditions (rent escrow). If you told the landlord about a serious safety problem more than a month before the hearing and it wasn't fixed, you may be able to argue you don't owe rent to the landlord. Examples include no heat, broken toilets, rats or mice, major problems with walls, floors or ceilings, lead paint, or fire hazards. If the judge agrees the problem is a substantial threat to your life, health or safety, you may be ordered to pay the rent to the court instead, until repairs are made.
Retaliation. If the landlord is evicting you because you complained, sued or joined a tenant organization, and you're current on rent, you may get damages of up to 3 months' rent plus attorney fees and court costs.
If the judge decides you owe the rent and have no defense, the court enters a judgment for possession and a money judgment for the rent, late fees and court costs.
Step 5: After a Judgment
Your right to pay and stay ("redemption")
This is the most important rule in Maryland rent court. In a Failure to Pay Rent case, you can avoid eviction by paying the amount the court found due, plus court costs, any time before the eviction takes place.
Pay with cash, a certified check or a money order.
If a government agency or a group distributing government funds is paying for you, the landlord must accept its check or electronic payment.
The exception: if you've had four or more rent judgments in Baltimore City (three elsewhere in Maryland) in the 12 months before this case, the landlord can ask the court to deny your right to redeem. If the judge agrees, you can be evicted even if you pay.
The timeline
Appeal: you have 4 days after judgment, and you'll have to post a bond.
Warrant: the landlord can't start the eviction process until 7 business days after judgment. They must ask for a Warrant of Restitution within 60 days.
Notice: you must get at least 6 days' written notice of the eviction date, by mail with a certificate of mailing, posting on the property, and text or email if the landlord has them. Baltimore City has extra notice rules for rent cases.
Eviction day: a sheriff must be present. Evictions can't happen on a Sunday or holiday. Baltimore City also has special rules on removing your belongings.
The People's Law Library says that if the sheriff believes you weren't properly notified or have already paid, the sheriff must tell the court and stop the eviction.
What we couldn't confirm: Baltimore City's special eviction-date notice and property-removal rules weren't on the pages we fetched. Rent court's street address and the Baltimore City Sheriff's legal-aid list weren't available. ACE's 50% income limit wasn't converted to dollar amounts.
A Quick Checklist
Got a DC-CV-115? You have 10 days. Ask for the ledger, and call 211 for ACE.
Got a yellow court notice? Find the trial date in the upper right corner and go.
Bring receipts, photos and repair requests.
Lost? You have 4 days to appeal, and you can still pay to stay before the eviction.
Got rent help? The landlord must accept a government-funded payment.
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