Did you know that the entire eviction process can take up to five months to complete? You may have a bad tenant but not enough time to dedicate yourself to this process.
Don't take on illegal eviction methods to get your property back. Instead, let a property management company in Columbia, Maryland, help.
Failing to follow the legal steps could lead to additional consequences. Keep reading to learn what you need to know about evictions.
Notice to Vacate
Like other states, Maryland requires landlords to provide tenants with a notice to vacate the premises. You can legally evict a tenant for these reasons:
- Nonpayment of rent
- Lease violations
- Criminal activities
The type of eviction notice will depend on the eviction reason. For example, landlords don't have to provide tenants with a written notice for failure to pay rent. They can start the eviction process right away.
A tenant can still pay their late rent before getting evicted to stay in the rental property.
If a tenant violates the lease, landlords provide a 60-Day Notice to Quit. This means the tenant has 60 days to leave the premises. If they are conducting dangerous or illegal activities, you can give them a 14-Day Notice to Quit.
Maryland eviction laws state that landlords don't have to allow tenants to fix the issue before the written notice.
Eviction Filing
After providing the tenant with a notice to vacate (if necessary), you can officially begin the eviction process. To file a complaint, visit your local justice court and pay the required fees.
Failure to pay rent eviction fees will cost landlords about $15. Other types of eviction fees can cost around $45.
Serve the Tenant
Maryland evictions must be served to the tenant. Local laws state that this step of the process must be done by the sheriff or constable.
They can either deliver the paperwork to the tenant in person or they can leave it on the door. Sending it via first-class mail is also a viable option. No matter what, landlords cannot serve a tenant.
The documents detail the court date for the eviction hearing. This commonly occurs within 15 days after the delivery of the documents.
Gain Possession of the Property
If the judge sides with the landlord, they will issue a Writ of Restitution. Receiving this takes about four days, but the tenant will have up to 60 days to leave the property.
While 60 days is the maximum, there is no minimum. A tenant may be removed much sooner than 60 days.
The landlord is responsible for any belongings left behind by the tenant. Give tenants time to claim their things before disposing of them.
Let Us Handle Rental Property Evictions
PMI Mason Dixon is your ideal property management team. Our full-service solutions include help with evictions.
On your behalf, a property manager can file an eviction lawsuit and go through the entire process. We offer eviction protection for all tenants we screen. We'll cover the costs up to $2,000 to keep money in your pocket.
We keep this program because we believe in our tenant screening process. For quality tenants and efficient property management, contact us today.
