Cal. Civ. Code § 8-5A-02

Md. Code Ann., Real Property Art. Title 8 — Landlord and Tenant

In Force
Verified 10/26/2026 · Next check 11/2/2026
effective 10/12/2026MarylandState Survivor Laws

Operative Text

Cal. Civ. Code § 8-5A-02
(a) Subject to the requirements of subsections (b) and (c) of this section, a tenant may terminate the tenant’s future liability under a residential lease if the tenant or legal occupant is a victim of abuse.

(b) If a tenant or legal occupant is a victim of abuse, the tenant may provide to the landlord the written notice required under § 8–5A–03 of this subtitle and, if the written notice is provided, the tenant shall have 30 days to vacate the leased premises from the date of providing the written notice.

(c) (1) A tenant who vacates leased premises under this section is responsible for rent only for the time following the tenant providing notice of an intent to vacate until the tenant vacates the leased premises, up to a maximum of 30 days.

(2) (i) If a tenant vacates the leased premises earlier than 30 days after the date the tenant provides written notice of an intent to vacate, the tenant shall provide the landlord with written notice, signed by the tenant and notarized, by first–class mail or hand delivery stating that the tenant has vacated the leased premises.

(ii) On receiving a notice identified in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, a landlord shall inspect the leased premises and, if the tenant has vacated the leased premises, provide the tenant with a written statement that:

1. Confirms the tenant has vacated the leased premises;

2. States the rent that the tenant is responsible for under this subsection; and

3. States the amount of rent still owed by the tenant or the amount of any overpayment of rent to be refunded.

(iii) For the purpose of calculating the rent that a tenant is responsible for under this subsection, the tenant shall be deemed to have vacated the leased premises:

1. If notice is delivered by first–class mail, on the date the notice was postmarked; or

2. If notice is hand delivered, on the date the notice was hand delivered to the landlord.

(iv) A tenant who vacates the leased premises earlier than 30 days after the date the tenant provided written notice of an intent to vacate and who fails to provide the written notice required under this paragraph shall be responsible for the maximum rent required under paragraph (1) of this subsection.

(d) If a tenant does not vacate the leased premises within 30 days of providing to the landlord the written notice required under § 8–5A–03 of this subtitle, the landlord is, at the landlord’s option and with written notice to the tenant, entitled to:

(1) All legal remedies against a tenant holding over available under § 8–402 of this title; or

(2) Deem the tenant’s notice of an intent to vacate to have been rescinded and the terms of the original lease to be in full force and effect.

(e) The termination of a tenant’s future liability under a residential lease under this section does not terminate or in any other way impact the future liability of a tenant who is the respondent in the action that results in:

(1) A protective order issued for the benefit of the victim tenant or victim legal occupant under § 4–506 of the Family Law Article; or

(2) A peace order issued for the benefit of the victim tenant or victim legal occupant under § 3–1505 of the Courts Article for which the underlying act was an act of abuse.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under Md. Code Ann., Real Prop. § 8-5A-02, a tenant who is a victim of abuse may end their future lease obligations by providing the landlord with the required written notice and vacating within 30 days. Rent liability is limited to the period between giving notice and actually vacating, capped at 30 days. A co-tenant who is the abuser named in a protective or peace order does not benefit from this early-termination right.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 14, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under § 8-5A-02, a compliant landlord who receives a qualifying abuse-victim notice generally inspects the premises when the tenant vacates early, then provides a written statement confirming the move-out date, the rent owed, and any refund due. If the tenant does not vacate within 30 days of notice, the landlord may pursue holdover remedies under § 8-402 or treat the notice as rescinded and reinstate the original lease terms. Operators typically document all notices and inspection dates carefully to establish the correct rent calculation period.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Section 8-5A-02 of the Maryland Real Property Code gives abuse victims the right to terminate future lease liability by delivering the written notice described in § 8-5A-03 and vacating within 30 days, with rent owed only for the days actually remaining in the premises up to that cap. If you vacate before the 30-day window closes, providing a signed, notarized written notice of your actual move-out date—by first-class mail or hand delivery—can limit the rent you owe to that shorter period. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid offices familiar with Maryland housing law can explain the documentation process and available enforcement paths under this provision.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 12, 2026
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

Md. Code Ann. § 8-5A-03
Not yet ingested
Md. Code Ann. § 8-402
Not yet ingested
Md. Code Ann., Fam. Law Art. § 4-506
Not yet ingested
Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art. § 3-1505
Not yet ingested

References In

No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.

Related Rules

§ 23
Definitions applicable to Secs. 23 to 29
§ 24
Termination of rental agreement or tenancy by victim of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault or stalking
§ 29
Owner immunity from liability

Source Information