Maryland Rent Relief Program: What Replaced It and Where to Get Help Now

How the Maryland rent relief program ended

During the pandemic, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) sent federal Emergency Rental Assistance money to counties and Baltimore City, which ran their own rent relief programs. Many people searched for it as the Maryland rent relief program. Those programs paid back rent and sometimes future rent and utilities for hundreds of thousands of households.

That money came from the U.S. Treasury, and it was always temporary. The second round of Emergency Rental Assistance had a spending period that ended on September 30, 2025, and no new federal rent relief has been approved since. The old state portal no longer works, and county pandemic programs have closed or spent their funds.

So when someone says “apply for Maryland rent relief” today, they usually mean one of the smaller programs below. None of them is as large as the pandemic program, and most pay only when there is a real emergency, such as a court case or a notice from your landlord. It helps to know that up front, so you can apply to several at once instead of waiting on one.

Rent help open to Maryland renters today

This table sorts the main options by what they do. Funding and rules change, so call before you count on any one source.

DHCD keeps a renter resources page that links to most of these, including the Renters’ Tax Credit, DHS financial help, and the voucher program.

Emergency cash from local social services

The Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) runs the closest thing to a standing state rent emergency program. It is called Emergency Assistance to Families with Children (EAFC), and you apply through your county’s local Department of Social Services.

According to the DHS Emergency Assistance page, EAFC helps families pay rent or utilities, or meet other emergencies. At least one related child under 21 must live in the home, you must show proof of the emergency, such as an eviction notice, and a household can get the help only once every 24 months. Each local department works within state rules on amounts, so ask the caseworker what your county can pay and whether it can be paired with a charity grant to cover the full balance. Payments usually go straight to the landlord.

DHS also lists homelessness prevention crisis grants and other short-term help through local offices. If you have no children at home, ask about those, and ask whether you qualify for Temporary Disability Assistance (TDAP) if you have a disability. Our guide to Maryland hardship relief covers these DHS programs, including the Welfare Avoidance Grant, in more detail.

County programs and charities

Since the pandemic, most rent help in Maryland has been run locally. Larger places such as Baltimore City and Montgomery, Prince George’s, Baltimore, and Anne Arundel counties have run eviction-prevention funds through their housing or social services departments. Smaller counties often work through a community action agency. What is open changes from month to month as funds come and go.

The fastest way to find what is open near you is to dial 211 and say you are behind on rent and have, or expect, a court date. A 211 specialist can check county funds, community action agencies, and charities in one call. Ask about:

• County eviction-prevention or emergency assistance funds, often run by the county’s housing or social services office.
• Community action agencies, which handle rent, utility, and other short-term help in many counties.
• Charities such as Catholic Charities, the Salvation Army, and St. Vincent de Paul, which may cover part of a balance.
• Churches and mutual aid groups, which sometimes add the last few hundred dollars.

Most of these programs want to see that the payment will actually keep you housed. That usually means the landlord must agree to accept the money and stop the case. Ask your landlord early whether they will take a payment from an agency. In a failure-to-pay-rent case, the Maryland Courts say a landlord must accept a check or electronic payment from a government agency, or an organization handing out government funds, to cover the amount owed. For a national charity option, see our guide to Catholic Charities rent assistance.

The failure-to-pay-rent process

Knowing how a rent case moves helps you use each step to get help. In Maryland, an eviction for unpaid rent is called a “failure to pay rent” case and is heard in District Court. Here is the usual order, based on Maryland Courts materials and Maryland Legal Aid’s tenant brochure:

1. The 10-day notice. Before filing, the landlord must give you a written Notice of Intent to File a Complaint for Summary Ejectment (form DC-CV-115). It must say how much rent is due and give you 10 days to pay. It can be mailed first class, taped to your door, or sent electronically if you agreed to that.
2. The court filing. If the rent is not paid, the landlord can file in District Court. You will get a summons with a trial date.
3. The trial. Go to court even if you have paid or think you do not owe the rent. Bring receipts, photos, and any letters from a rent program. A missing 10-day notice, rent already paid, or serious repair problems can all be defenses.
4. Judgment. If the judge rules for the landlord, the order is for possession of the home and, in some cases, a money amount.
5. Warrant and eviction. The landlord must ask the court for a warrant of restitution, and only a sheriff or constable can carry out the eviction. Changing the locks or cutting off utilities to force you out is illegal.

The 10-day window is your best chance to get help before there is a court record. Call 211 and your local DSS as soon as the notice arrives, and send the notice with any application, since many programs ask for it.

Paying to stop an eviction

Maryland gives renters in failure-to-pay-rent cases a right of redemption. In plain terms, you can stop the eviction by paying the full judgment plus court costs, and any warrant fee, before the eviction begins. Maryland Legal Aid says you have until the sheriff or constable arrives and the eviction starts, and the payment should be in cash, a certified check, or a money order. A partial payment does not have to be accepted.

There is a limit. If a landlord has had three rent judgments against you in the past 12 months (four in Baltimore City), the landlord can ask the judge on the next judgment to “foreclose” your right of redemption. If the judge agrees, you can be evicted even if you pay. You can avoid that by paying all rent, late fees, and court costs before the judge enters the judgment at trial. Different rules can apply in public and some subsidized housing, so get legal advice if this applies to you.

Free lawyers through Access to Counsel

Maryland was one of the first states to create a right to counsel for renters. Under the Access to Counsel in Evictions program, the General Assembly set out to give eligible tenants a lawyer in eviction cases, with services phased in county by county and a goal of statewide coverage by October 1, 2025, according to the program’s site.

The Maryland Courts housing page says you may qualify if you rent in Maryland and your household income is at or below 50% of the state median income. It covers failure-to-pay-rent, breach of lease, and tenant holding over cases, as well as voucher and other subsidy terminations. To get help, call 211 and say you need legal help with an eviction, or apply online at legalhelpmd.org.

Other free options include:

• Maryland Legal Aid, which takes calls statewide at 1-888-465-2468 and generally serves households below 125% of the federal poverty guideline, per its get help page.
• The Maryland Court Help Center, 410-260-1392, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., for people handling a case on their own.
• Mediation, which the Maryland Courts say is available both before and after a rent case is filed. A mediator can help you and your landlord agree on a payment plan.

A lawyer can check whether the notice was proper, whether late fees are legal, and whether a rent program payment should pause the case. Call as soon as you get the 10-day notice, not the day before court.

Renter rights worth knowing

Maryland passed the Renters’ Rights and Stabilization Act of 2024, which created the Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs inside DHCD. The office does not give rent money, legal advice, or mediation, but it explains renter rights, refers tenants to legal help, and points complaints to the right agency. You can reach DHCD at 301-429-7400 or toll free at 1-800-756-0119, as listed on the Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs page.

The office publishes a Tenants’ Bill of Rights each year, and landlords must attach the current one to every lease. The latest version is dated October 1, 2026. A few rules come up often in rent cases:

• Late fees: a lease can allow a late fee of no more than 5% of the rent owed, according to Maryland Legal Aid.
• No self-help evictions: a landlord may not lock you out, remove your things, or shut off utilities to force you out. Only a sheriff or constable can carry out an eviction after a court order.
• Retaliation: state law bars evictions or rent increases because you made a good-faith complaint about conditions, sued the landlord, or joined a tenants’ group, with some limits.
• Rent escrow: if serious repair problems threaten your health or safety, you may be able to pay rent into the court instead of to the landlord. Get advice before you withhold rent.

Longer-term help with rent

Emergency money fixes one month. If rent is more than you can afford every month, look at the steadier options too:

• Housing Choice Vouchers. Section 8 vouchers are run by local public housing authorities, and DHCD runs the program in some counties. Lists are often long or closed, so apply wherever a list is open. See DHCD’s voucher program page.
• Renters’ Tax Credit. DHCD describes it as a check of up to $1,000 a year for qualified renters. It is handled by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation, and it has its own income and age or family rules.
• Utility help. Lowering your electric and heating bills frees up money for rent. Maryland’s energy programs use an income limit of 200% of the poverty guideline. See our Maryland utility relief guide.
• Food help. SNAP covers groceries so more of your income can go to rent. Applying is free through the state.

If you own your home and are behind on the mortgage, the rules and programs are different. See our Maryland foreclosure assistance guide.

What documents do I need to apply?

Expect to show photo ID, Social Security numbers for the people applying, proof of income for the last 30 days, and proof of where you live, plus any paper that shows the emergency itself. Our document checklist explains what counts for each item and what to do if something is missing. If you don't have everything yet, apply anyway and ask the office how long you have to bring the rest.

What to do this week, step by step

1. Read every notice closely. Note the amount claimed and any dates. A 10-day notice gives you time to act before a case is filed.
2. Talk to your landlord. Ask, in writing if you can, whether they will accept a payment plan or a payment from an agency.
3. Dial 211. Ask for county rent funds, community action agencies, and charities near you.
4. Visit your local DSS. If you have a child under 21 at home, apply for Emergency Assistance to Families with Children and bring the notice.
5. Get a lawyer. If a case is filed or likely, ask 211 for Access to Counsel in Evictions or apply at legalhelpmd.org.
6. Go to court on your date. Bring receipts, letters from rent programs, and photos of any repair problems.
7. Plan ahead. Get on voucher waiting lists and apply for utility and food help to make the next months easier.

Related guides

• Maryland hardship relief
• Maryland foreclosure assistance
• Rent relief programs
• Salvation Army rental assistance

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Program rules and funding are set by each agency and can change. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with the State of Maryland, any county, or any government agency.