# What Does a Baltimore Eviction Actually Cost in 2026? A Real, Itemized Breakdown

The real cost of a Baltimore eviction in 2026 — court fees, warrant fees, sheriff fees, attorney retainers, platform services, and the hidden costs most landlords miss.

- Published: 2026-04-18 (updated 2026-05-13)
- Author: Jordan Walsh
- Canonical: https://www.evictpro.us/blog/baltimore-eviction-cost

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Evicting a tenant in Baltimore is not free — but it's also not the
catastrophic "six-figure attorney bill" horror story you see floated in
landlord Facebook groups. The real number, for a standard uncontested
Failure to Pay Rent case handled competently, lands somewhere between
**$200 and $3,500 in out-of-pocket expense** depending on whether you
self-file, use a platform, or retain an attorney.

> The explicit legal costs are small. The lost rent, turnover costs, and vacancy time are what actually make evictions expensive.

**Want a real number for your specific case?**: https://www.evictpro.us/tools/eviction-cost-calculator

This is the itemized breakdown most articles skip: every specific fee
Baltimore City charges in 2026, what attorneys really quote, what
platform services deliver for the money, and the hidden costs landlords
miss when they're only looking at the courthouse receipts.

  - **$86-115**: Baltimore court fees total (FTPR + warrant, typical)
  - **$1,500-2,500**: Attorney retainer (Uncontested case)
  - **45-75 days**: Notice to physical eviction (If nothing goes wrong)

**The number to remember:**
  A competently-handled Baltimore eviction costs **$86-$175 total** if you DIY (court fees
  only, accepting the materially higher DIY dismissal risk), **free to start / $99 to file
  / $749 cap on EvictPro** (base court fee included; Maryland's $5-per-tenant service fee
  shown at checkout, at cost), or **$1,500-$2,500+ with an attorney**. Every path also
  carries $2,000-$4,500 in lost rent during the 45-75 day timeline. Total economic cost:
  **$3,500-$8,000** for a typical case. Cash-for-keys at $1,500 saves you the timeline
  cost — which is why negotiation is almost always worth trying first.

## The Short Answer — Three Paths, Three Price Points

In 2026, Baltimore landlords have three realistic paths to handle a
non-paying tenant. Each has a predictable cost shape:

1. **DIY (self-represent):** $86-$200 out of pocket. You eat the time
   cost, the research time, and the risk of procedural dismissal.
2. **Platform service (EvictPro):** **Free to start** (Notice of
   Intent is $0), **$99** once you file with the court, and capped at
   **$749** for the Full Eviction Service package on NRR cases —
   **base court filing fee already included** in every stage price.
   Maryland's $5-per-tenant filing service fee (DCA-109) is billed
   separately at cost. Predictable, transparent pricing. Handles forms,
   filing, and end-to-end case management without needing to retain
   counsel.
3. **Attorney representation:** $1,500-$2,500 retainer for an
   uncontested case. $3,500-$5,000+ if the tenant contests, raises
   counterclaims, or hires counsel of their own.

Each path lands the tenant in the same place if you win — the
differences are cost, speed, and how much of your time the process
consumes.

## Court Fees — Exactly What Baltimore City Charges

Maryland's District Court fee schedule is published at
[mdcourts.gov/courts/feeschedules](https://www.mdcourts.gov/courts/feeschedules).
In 2026 the fees that apply to a Baltimore City eviction are:

| Item                                                 | Form      |     Fee |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | --------- | ------: |
| Failure to Pay Rent complaint                        | DC-CV-082 |     $60 |
| Baltimore City service surcharge (typical)           | —         |      $5 |
| Warrant of Restitution                               | DC-CV-081 |     $40 |
| Sheriff service of warrant                           | —         | $40-$75 |
| Certificate of Lead Paint (MDE filing, if re-filing) | —         |  varies |
| Subpoena (if needed)                                 | DC-CV-024 |      $5 |
| Witness summons                                      | —         |     $40 |

**Rest-of-Maryland fees vary slightly:**
  Other Maryland counties charge filing fees between $36 and $56 for DC-CV-082 depending
  on county schedule. Baltimore City is on the higher end because of the service
  surcharge. The warrant fee is standardized statewide.

### What these court fees really cover

- **DC-CV-082 ($60 + $5/tenant):** the case itself. Funds the clerk's office
  processing, the hearing slot, the court reporter, and statutory
  administration.
- **DC-CV-081 ($40):** the warrant filing. You file this after you win
  the judgment — it's the order authorizing the sheriff to physically
  execute the eviction.
- **Sheriff fees ($40-$75):** paid separately to the Baltimore City
  Sheriff's Office for scheduling and executing the warrant. Varies by
  case complexity and whether rescheduling is required.

**You pay twice — once to file, once to enforce:**
  Landlords new to the process often budget only the $60 filing fee and are surprised by
  the additional $40 warrant fee plus sheriff costs. Budget **$115-$175** for court-system
  expense on a case that goes all the way to physical eviction.

## Attorney Fees — What Baltimore Eviction Attorneys Actually Charge

Retainer quotes from Baltimore-market landlord-tenant attorneys in 2026
cluster in a predictable band:

  - **$1,500**: Low end retainer (Single unit, uncontested)
  - **$2,500**: Mid-market retainer (Standard with warrant filing)
  - **$5,000+**: Contested case (Counterclaim, multiple hearings)

What the retainer typically includes:

- Reviewing your lease and notice for compliance
- Drafting or revising the 10-day notice
- Preparing and filing DC-CV-082
- Appearing at the hearing on your behalf
- Filing DC-CV-081 (warrant of restitution)
- Coordinating sheriff scheduling

What the retainer typically **doesn't** include:

- Tenant-filed counterclaims (habitability, retaliation, discrimination)
- Multiple continuances caused by tenant requests
- Appeals to Circuit Court
- Judgment-collection efforts after the eviction

If any of those show up, the retainer gets burned through fast and the
attorney moves to hourly billing at $250-$400/hr.

**Flat-fee vs retainer matters:**
  Some Baltimore firms quote a flat fee ($1,500-$1,800 is common) for a clean uncontested
  case and scope anything contested as hourly. Others quote a retainer and bill against
  it. Ask specifically: "what's the all-in cost if the tenant shows up with an attorney
  from the ACE program?" The answer tells you what you're really buying.

## Platform Services — What You Get for $99-$749

A platform service sits in the gap between DIY (free but high dismissal
risk) and an attorney (expensive and overkill for most uncontested
cases). EvictPro is built specifically for Maryland — every form, every
fee, every deadline is Maryland-specific, not a generic national product
retrofitted for the jurisdiction. One landlord or fifty, the workflow
is the same: stage-based, compliance-checked, end-to-end.

### What EvictPro delivers across the case lifecycle

- **Compliant notices, every time.** The Notice of Intent generator
  enforces every required element — tenant names, address, amount owed,
  late fee math that respects Maryland's 5% cap, proper service
  language, and the current 10-day clock under § 8-401(c) (effective
  October 1, 2021). Defective
  notices are the top dismissal cause in Baltimore; we don't let one
  leave the platform.
- **Filing without procedural errors.** DC-CV-082 preparation includes
  rental registration validation, lead paint certificate checks, and
  amount-owed reconciliation against your rent ledger. If any of those
  are out of compliance, we catch it before you file — not after a
  dismissed hearing.
- **Stage-by-stage case management.** One system tracks the case from
  notice through warrant of restitution through sheriff scheduling. No
  spreadsheets, no lost paperwork, no missed 60-day warrant deadline.
- **Document storage and tenant communication.** Every notice, filing,
  receipt, and court notice lives in the case file. When a tenant
  claims they never received service, the proof is one click away
  instead of buried in email.
- **Portfolio-ready from day one.** The same platform that runs a
  single-unit landlord's first case runs an enterprise landlord's
  hundredth — with role-based access, firm portfolio visibility, and
  financial rollups across every property in the book.
- **Transparent, stage-based pricing.** Pay only for the stages you
  actually use, in the order you need them. No retainer to commit to.
  No surprise billing when a case takes an unexpected turn.

**See stage-by-stage pricing**: https://www.evictpro.us/pricing

### Why the price is worth it

Court fees are $86-$115 either way — you pay those filing fees
regardless of channel. The $99-$749 on top buys the compliance layer,
the case management, the deadline enforcement, and the document trail
that prevent the $900-$1,500 dismissal hit covered in the next section.
**One prevented dismissal typically covers the entire platform cost on
that case** — and that's before you count the avoided weeks of lost
rent. Against the $1,500-$2,500 attorney retainer for an uncontested
case, EvictPro delivers the same end-to-end outcome — compliant filing,
warrant execution, sheriff coordination — at a fraction of the price,
without giving up case control to outside counsel.

## The Hidden Costs Landlords Always Miss

Here's where the napkin math gets real. Court fees and service fees are
maybe 20% of the actual economic cost of an eviction. The rest is
scattered across lost rent, turnover, and vacancy.

### Lost rent during the timeline

A Baltimore FTPR case takes **45-75 days** from notice to physical
eviction. At a typical city rent of $1,400-$1,800/mo, you're losing
**$2,100-$4,500 in rent** during the process — and the tenant already
owes you 1-2 months' back rent when you started.

### Turnover costs after the eviction

Post-eviction unit condition varies, but expect:

- **Minor cleanup:** $500-$1,000 (cleaning, trash removal, basic paint)
- **Typical damage:** $1,500-$3,000 (drywall repair, locksmith, deep
  cleaning, appliance repair)
- **Significant damage:** $5,000+ (flooring replacement, hoarding
  cleanout, structural repairs)

Most Baltimore evictions in the "typical damage" band.

### Re-leasing vacancy time

After cleanup and any repairs, marketing and filling the unit takes
**2-6 weeks** depending on season and market. At $1,400-$1,800/mo that's
another **$700-$2,700** in lost rent before you see a new tenant.

### All-in true economic cost

  - **$3,500-$4,500**: Best case total (DIY, tenant vacates, minor damage)
  - **$6,000-$8,500**: Median case total (Platform + typical damage)
  - **$12,000+**: Worst case total (Contested + significant damage)

The explicit legal-and-filing costs are the tip of the iceberg. The
timeline cost is the iceberg.

**Why cash-for-keys often wins:**
  A $1,500 cash-for-keys offer that gets the tenant out in 21 days saves you $3,000-$5,000
  in avoided lost rent, court fees, and timeline delay. That's why experienced Baltimore
  landlords lead with negotiation, reserve filing for cases where the tenant refuses to
  move.

## What Goes Wrong — And What It Adds

Every preventable error adds 2-6 weeks and $200-$800 in additional fees.
The most common Baltimore-specific failure modes:

### Rental registration expired at filing

Baltimore City requires a current rental license when you file. If it's
expired, the case is dismissed — you lose the filing fee, have to renew
the license (60-90 day delay), then refile ($60 again). Total loss:
$100-$200 direct + 4-8 weeks of additional lost rent.

### Lead paint certificate expired at filing

Same pattern — case dismissed, certificate renewal required before
refile. This is the **number two cause of Baltimore FTPR dismissals**
after defective notices.

### Defective 10-day notice

If any element is missing — tenant name, address, amount owed, deadline,
service method — the judge dismisses. Reissue notice, wait 10 days,
refile. Cost: $60 refile + 2-3 weeks delay.

### Wrong amount on DC-CV-082

If you claim $3,000 on the complaint but the tenant paid $500 between
notice and filing, the judge typically dismisses or reduces the
judgment. Fix: claim only the amount actually outstanding at filing.

### Missed warrant deadline

The warrant of restitution must be filed within **60 days of the
judgment**. If you blow the deadline, the judgment becomes stale and
you may need to refile the entire case. Rare but devastating.

**The dismissal trap:**
  Every dismissal costs the filing fee AND 2-3 weeks of avoidable lost rent. In a
  Baltimore market at $1,600/mo rent, one dismissal is typically a $900-$1,500 economic
  hit beyond just the $60 filing fee. Budget accordingly — or better, avoid them.

## How EvictPro's Pricing Compares

For a Baltimore landlord running 1-15 units, the cost question usually
comes down to: **DIY** (risk dismissal), **platform** (structured
defined-scope help), or **attorney** (full representation).

EvictPro's stage-based pricing is designed for the second bucket — you
pay only for the stages you need, in the order you need them, without
the commit-to-retainer structure of attorney representation.

**EvictPro pricing is base-fee inclusive:**
  The base court filing fee is **included in the platform price**. The $99 filing price
  covers the DC-CV-082 base filing fee and the agent work. Maryland's $5-per-tenant filing
  service fee (DCA-109) is the one statutory charge shown separately at checkout, billed
  at cost. No platform markup, no surprise agent fees.

EvictPro starts free — you pay for the stages you use, in the order
you use them:

- **Notice of Intent:** **Free** (generate and download the 10-day
  notice with no account, no fee)
- **Filing with Court (DC-CV-082):** **$99** — DC-CV-082 filing fee
  included
- **Court Hearing representation:** $249 — an agent appears with you
  (or for you) at rent court
- **Tenant Response review:** $149 — when the tenant contests
- **Warrant of Restitution (DC-CV-081):** $199 — warrant fee included
- **Sheriff scheduling & coordination:** $75 — sheriff fees included
- **Eviction day execution:** $225 — on-site confirmation and
  close-out

For landlords who'd rather not buy stages à la carte, three bundled
packages cover the common paths:

- **Court Filing & Appearance — $299** (Notice + Filing + Summons +
  Hearing). Save vs à la carte.
- **Warrant & Enforcement — $249** (Tenant Response + Warrant).
- **Sheriff & Eviction — $249** (Sheriff Scheduling + Eviction Day).
- **Full Eviction Service — $749** — all stages from Notice through
  Eviction Day in a single flat fee. NRR (No Right of Redemption)
  cases only; saves roughly $270 vs the same stages à la carte, all
  court fees still included.

### What a typical Baltimore case actually costs

- **Tenant cures after the notice** (roughly a third of cases):
  **$0** — you never needed to file.
- **Tenant cures after filing:** **$99** — Filing only; case over.
- **Through warrant, uncontested:** Filing + Warrant =
  **$298**.
- **Through physical eviction, à la carte:** Filing + Hearing +
  Warrant + Sheriff + Eviction Day ≈ **$821**.
- **Same full-eviction scope using packages:** Court Filing &
  Appearance + Warrant & Enforcement + Sheriff & Eviction =
  **$797**.
- **Full Eviction Service package:** **$749** (NRR cases only).

Compared to alternatives:

- **DIY:** $86-$115 in court fees, but materially higher dismissal
  rates than represented cases (defective notices, expired prerequisites,
  wrong amounts on DC-CV-082). Each dismissal burns the filing fee
  and 2-3 weeks of additional lost rent.
- **EvictPro:** **Free to start. $99 once you file. $749 or less
  even for a full physical eviction on NRR cases.** Court fees
  included at every stage. Dismissal rate in the low single digits.
- **Attorney:** $1,500-$2,500 retainer for uncontested, $3,500-$5,000
  if contested. Plus court fees on top in most fee agreements.

One prevented dismissal typically covers the entire EvictPro cost on
that case.

**Compare stage-by-stage pricing**: https://www.evictpro.us/pricing

## Fee Waivers — If You Genuinely Can't Afford to File

Maryland offers a fee waiver for landlords who meet the income
threshold. File form
[DC-CV-080](https://mdcourts.gov/sites/default/files/court-forms/dccv080.pdf)
(Request to Waive Fees) with your complaint. The court reviews and
grants or denies on the spot.

Reality check: **most landlords don't qualify.** The income threshold is
set at 150% of federal poverty level. If you own rental property, you
probably don't hit it. But individual small landlords with one or two
units, low other income, and temporary financial hardship sometimes do —
especially after a period of non-payment that has already damaged their
own finances.

## The Quick Decision Matrix

| Your situation                                   | Likely best path                                                                                           |
| ------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1-2 units, simple FTPR, comfortable with forms   | DIY — budget $115 and 1 hour for research                                                                  |
| 1-15 units, want structure without retainer      | Platform service — free to start, $99 to file, $749 cap (Full Eviction Service, NRR). Court fees included. |
| Contested case, tenant has counsel, counterclaim | Attorney — budget $3,500-$5,000                                                                            |
| Multi-property portfolio, systemic filing volume | Platform + attorney for exceptions                                                                         |
| Tenant willing to negotiate                      | Cash-for-keys — budget $500-$2,500 payout                                                                  |

**Not legal advice**: This article is general educational information about Maryland landlord-tenant law and procedure. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws, court fees, and local rules change over time. For advice on your specific situation, consult a licensed Maryland attorney or a qualified housing counselor.

**Related reading:**

- [How to Evict a Tenant in Maryland — The Complete 2026 Guide](/blog/how-to-evict-tenant-maryland)
- [Maryland's 10-Day Notice Requirement: What Landlords Need to Know in 2026](/blog/maryland-10-day-notice)

**See the live data:**

- [Baltimore City Eviction Data Dashboard](/tools/maryland-eviction-data/baltimore-city) — Baltimore City warrant-of-restitution activity, refreshed daily from Open Data Maryland.
- [Baltimore County Eviction Data](/tools/maryland-eviction-data/baltimore-county) — Baltimore County's separate dashboard.
- [Statewide Maryland Dashboard](/tools/maryland-eviction-data) — see how Baltimore compares to all 24 jurisdictions.

Ready to start? Draft your Notice of Intent free in under ten minutes:

**Generate a compliant notice now**: https://www.evictpro.us/notice-of-intent

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does it cost to evict a tenant in Baltimore?

If you DIY, a straightforward Baltimore Failure to Pay Rent case runs $100-$110 in court filing fees alone — $60 to file DC-CV-082 (DCA-109 schedule, Rev. 03/2026) and an additional $40-$50 to file DC-CV-081 (warrant of restitution), plus $40-$75 in sheriff fees. Attorney representation typically runs $1,500-$2,500 all-in. EvictPro starts free (Notice of Intent is $0), $99 once you file with the court, and caps at $749 for the Full Eviction Service package. The base court filing fee is included in each stage price; Maryland's $5-per-tenant filing service fee (DCA-109) is billed separately at cost.

### What is the Baltimore City filing fee for an eviction in 2026?

Baltimore City District Court charges $60 to file a Failure to Pay Rent complaint (DC-CV-082) under the current cost schedule (DCA-109, Rev. 03/2026), plus a $5 service fee per tenant of record. The fee schedule is published at mdcourts.gov and updated periodically.

### Do I get my filing fees back if I win?

Yes. The court's judgment can include reimbursement for filing fees and service costs as part of the money judgment against the tenant. Collecting that judgment is a separate battle — most landlords recover fees only when the tenant cures before or at the hearing. For cases that proceed to warrant and sheriff execution, fee recovery rates drop significantly.

### How much does a Maryland eviction attorney cost?

Eviction-focused attorneys in the Baltimore market quote retainers between $1,500 and $2,500 for a standard uncontested Failure to Pay Rent case. Contested cases, tenant counterclaims, or multiple hearings push retainers to $3,500-$5,000. Hourly rates for additional work typically run $250-$400.

### What are the hidden costs of an eviction in Baltimore?

The explicit costs — court fees, attorney or platform fees — are typically 15-25% of total economic impact. Hidden costs include lost rent during the 45-75 day timeline ($2,000-$4,000 at Baltimore market rents), turnover repairs after the eviction ($1,500-$5,000 depending on condition), vacancy time for re-leasing (2-6 weeks), and the opportunity cost of your time if you self-represent.

### Is it cheaper to settle with the tenant than evict?

Often, yes. Cash-for-keys negotiations in Baltimore typically range $500-$2,500 for the tenant to vacate within 14-30 days. When you compare that to the full economic cost of a completed eviction — $3,500-$8,000+ in combined fees, lost rent, repairs, and vacancy — settlement is frequently the cheaper path, especially for cases where the tenant is likely to lose and has no ability to pay.

### Can I file without paying the fee if I can't afford it?

Yes. Maryland offers a fee waiver for landlords who meet the income threshold. File form DC-CV-080 (Request to Waive Fees) with your complaint. Most landlords don't qualify, but individual small landlords with one or two units and low income sometimes do. The court reviews on a case-by-case basis.