# The Maryland FTPR Process, Step by Step: A 2026 Landlord Walkthrough Every step of the Maryland Failure to Pay Rent process — from 10-day notice through sheriff eviction — with statutory citations, real prices, and the procedural traps that dismiss cases. - Published: 2026-04-24 (updated 2026-05-13) - Author: Jordan Walsh - Canonical: https://www.evictpro.us/blog/ftpr-maryland-process-step-by-step --- A Maryland Failure to Pay Rent (FTPR) case has ten procedural steps between the moment a tenant falls behind and the moment the sheriff restores possession of the unit. Every one of those steps has a rule, a deadline, and a failure mode that will dismiss your case if you miss it. This is the full walkthrough — statute-cited, fee-itemized, and written for landlords running one property or a hundred. - **10**: procedural steps (notice to physical eviction) - **45-75 days**: typical timeline (uncontested, no continuances) - **Higher**: DIY dismissal rate (vs represented cases) > FTPR isn't complicated. It's procedural. Every step that dismisses a case dismisses it for the same small handful of reasons — and every one of them is preventable. **The short version:** FTPR is ten procedural steps. Serve a clean 10-day notice, verify prerequisites, file a correct DC-CV-082, show up to the hearing, wait at least seven business days after trial before filing DC-CV-081, file the warrant within 60 days of judgment under § 8-401(f)(1)(ii), execute within 60 days of signing under § 8-401(f)(1)(iii), and honor any tenant redemption tender that comes in before execution. Get those right and most cases resolve on time. Miss any of them and you're refiling. **Estimate the full cost before you start**: https://www.evictpro.us/tools/eviction-cost-calculator The FTPR process is governed by [Md. Code, Real Property § 8-401](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-401&enactments=false) and administered by Maryland District Court. Court fees are published at [mdcourts.gov/courts/feeschedules](https://www.mdcourts.gov/courts/feeschedules). Every step below maps to those two sources. ## Step 0 — Verify Your Prerequisites Before You Start Two compliance requirements must be current at the moment you file DC-CV-082 or the court dismisses the case. These are the top two Baltimore City dismissal causes after defective notices: - **Rental registration** — current at filing. Baltimore City landlords register through the Department of Housing & Community Development. Expired registration equals automatic dismissal. - **Lead paint certification** — required for any pre-1978 Baltimore rental property. Also must be current at filing. You also need: - **Signed lease** (or evidence of tenancy in holdover situations) - **Rent ledger** showing payments received, amounts owed, and the accounting period claimed - **Property address** including unit, matching the lease exactly - **Tenant's full legal name** as it appears on the lease Pull every document before you serve the notice. Chasing paperwork after you've started the clock is how landlords end up refiling. **Baltimore City is strict — rest of Maryland is stricter than most landlords expect:** Baltimore City gets most of the attention for rental registration enforcement, but every Maryland jurisdiction now checks prerequisite compliance at the bench. If a prerequisite is expired, judges dismiss — they do not continue for you to fix it. ## Step 1 — Serve a Legally Compliant 10-Day Notice of Intent Effective October 1, 2021, Maryland requires a **10-day** Notice of Intent before you can file an FTPR complaint. The rule is codified at [Md. Code, Real Property § 8-401(c)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-401&enactments=false). Your notice must include: - Tenant's full legal name exactly as on the lease - Property address including unit - Total rent owed, broken down by month - Cure deadline — 10 calendar days from the date of service - Statement that a court complaint will follow on non-payment - Landlord or agent contact information Three service methods satisfy the statute: 1. **Personal hand-delivery** to the tenant 2. **Posting** in a conspicuous place on the property (typically the front door) 3. **Certified mail** with return receipt requested Keep proof of whichever method you use. Photos of posted notices, signed return receipts, or witness statements all work — the judge will ask. **Generate a compliant 10-day notice in 10 minutes**: https://www.evictpro.us/notice-of-intent For a deeper dive on the 10-day notice specifically, see [Maryland's 10-Day Notice Requirement: What Landlords Need to Know in 2026](/blog/maryland-10-day-notice). ## Step 2 — Wait the Notice Period The clock runs on **calendar days** from the date of service, not the date the tenant actually received the document. If the tenth day lands on a weekend or holiday, you may file on the next business day — but you may not file earlier. Filing on day 9 is a bench dismissal. During the 10 days, roughly **36% of notices resolve the matter without a court filing** — the tenant pays, partially cures, or moves out. Notice is the cheapest collection tool you have. Don't skip it mentally. If the tenant makes a partial payment during the window, update your rent ledger immediately. When you file DC-CV-082, the amount claimed must match the amount actually outstanding on the filing date — not the amount that was outstanding when you served the notice. ## Step 3 — File DC-CV-082 in District Court Once the 10-day window expires, you file **[DC-CV-082](https://www.mdcourts.gov/sites/default/files/import/district/forms/civil/dccv082.pdf)** — the Complaint for Summary Ejectment — in the District Court serving the property's municipality. Baltimore City cases are filed at the Rent Court Division at 500 N. Calvert Street (the courthouse relocated from 501 E. Fayette Street effective October 14, 2025). Baltimore County goes to Towson District Court. Other counties follow the same pattern. ### Filing fee - **Baltimore City:** **$60** (DCA-109 schedule, Rev. 03/2026) - **Rest of Maryland:** **$50** statewide, plus a $5 service fee per tenant of record ### What you need at filing - Completed DC-CV-082 (form fields: landlord, tenant, property, rent owed, filing period) - Signed lease - Rent ledger - Proof of notice service - Current rental registration (Baltimore City) - Current lead paint certification (pre-1978 properties) ### Amount claimed on the form Claim only rent actually outstanding on the filing date. If you claim $3,000 but the tenant paid $500 during the notice period, the judge will reduce or dismiss. Late fees may be included only up to **5% of monthly rent** under the 2025 Tenants' Bill of Rights — see [Maryland's Tenants' Bill of Rights: Landlord Compliance Guide](/blog/maryland-tenants-bill-of-rights-landlord). ## Step 4 — Service of the Complaint on the Tenant After filing, the court serves the tenant with a summons that includes the hearing date. Service is generally handled by the sheriff's office or the court's designated process server — you don't serve this yourself the way you served the 10-day notice. Hearings are typically set **2-4 weeks out** from the filing date, depending on the county's docket. Baltimore City rent court runs five days a week and sets hearings faster than most jurisdictions; outlying counties may push out to 4 weeks. ## Step 5 — The Rent Court Hearing You appear at the scheduled hearing with your documents in hand. Bring: - **Original signed lease** - **Rent ledger** (updated through filing date) - **Proof of notice service** (photo, return receipt, witness statement) - **Rental registration** and **lead paint certificate** (Baltimore City) - Any communication with the tenant relevant to the arrears ### Four possible outcomes 1. **Judgment for possession** — the most common outcome when the tenant doesn't appear or cannot contest the debt. 2. **Dismissal** — for procedural error (defective notice, expired license, wrong amount). You refile from step 1. 3. **Continuance** — tenant requests additional time for a legitimate reason (sickness, attorney of record, payment arrangement). Judge reschedules 2-6 weeks out. 4. **Settlement on the record** — tenant agrees to a payment plan or an agreed-upon move-out date, memorialized as a court order. ### Common tenant defenses - **Habitability** — the unit has uncured code violations - **Partial payment** — the landlord over-claimed - **Retaliation** — the filing followed a protected tenant complaint - **Non-compliance with TBOR** — missing Bill of Rights attachment, late fee over 5%, improper notice service Experienced landlords bring the lease ledger, property inspection records, and a clean notice service log to counter the first three. Compliance with the Tenants' Bill of Rights is documented before filing — see the TBOR guide linked above for the full compliance list. ## Step 6 — Judgment, the 5-Business-Day Wait, and the Right of Redemption If the court enters a judgment for possession, Maryland places two distinct timing rules between you and the warrant of restitution: 1. **The landlord's 7-business-day wait.** You must wait at least until the seventh business day after trial before filing DC-CV-081. The wait gives the tenant time to appeal (if any right exists) or attempt redemption. 2. **The tenant's right of redemption — running until execution.** Under [Md. Code, Real Property § 8-401(h)(1)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-401&enactments=false), the tenant may redeem the tenancy by tendering — in cash, certified check, or money order — all past-due rent, late fees, court costs, and other awarded fees. The right runs up to the moment of actual execution of the eviction. It is not a fixed window that closes after the warrant is filed or signed. The redemption right can be denied only under the No Right of Redemption (NRR) rule, and the threshold differs between Baltimore City and the rest of Maryland: - **Statewide default —** under [§ 8-401(h)(3)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-401&enactments=false), the redemption right does not apply to a tenant against whom **three judgments of possession** for unpaid rent have already been entered in the 12 months before the current case was filed. So the **fourth FTPR filing** within a 12-month window can be filed with NRR requested. - **Baltimore City —** the local Public Local Laws (§§ 9-1 to 9-8) apply a stricter threshold of **four prior judgments** in 12 months, meaning NRR can be requested on the **fifth FTPR filing.** The local rule is tenant-friendlier than the state default. NRR must be requested on the **original DC-CV-082** when the case is filed — it cannot be added after judgment. NRR is rare on first filings. For the full warrant-stage timeline including the two 60-day clocks that follow, see [Maryland Warrant of Restitution Timeline](/blog/maryland-warrant-of-restitution-timeline). ## Step 7 — File DC-CV-081 Warrant of Restitution After the 7-business-day post-trial wait expires (and assuming no redemption), you file **[DC-CV-081](https://www.mdcourts.gov/sites/default/files/import/district/forms/civil/dccv081.pdf)** — the Warrant of Restitution — in the same District Court that entered the judgment. - **Filing fee:** $40-$50 - **First 60-day clock —** under [§ 8-401(f)(1)(ii)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-401&enactments=false), the warrant must be **filed** within 60 days of the later of the judgment date or the expiration of any stay of execution. Miss this and the judgment for possession is stricken — full refile from Step 1. - **Second 60-day clock —** under § 8-401(f)(1)(iii), once the warrant is signed by the judge, it must be **executed** within 60 days. Miss this and the warrant expires AND the judgment is stricken — same full refile. - **Both clocks apply only to FTPR.** Tenant Holding Over, Breach of Lease, and Wrongful Detainer cases are not subject to the same time limits. The July 2026 revision of DC-CV-081 added language on the form to clarify this. The warrant is the court order authorizing the sheriff to physically restore possession of the unit to you. Nothing happens on the eviction front until the warrant is signed and on file. Tenant redemption remains available until actual execution, even after filing and signing. ## Step 8 — Sheriff Scheduling Once DC-CV-081 is filed, the sheriff's office schedules the physical eviction. Sheriff fees run **$40-$75** depending on jurisdiction and whether rescheduling is required. Typical wait from warrant filing to sheriff execution: **1-2 weeks** in Baltimore City, 2-3 weeks in outlying counties. You'll receive the date and time directly from the sheriff's office — put it on your calendar and confirm the day before. ## Step 9 — Day of Eviction The sheriff meets you at the property at the scheduled time. You are responsible for: - Having a locksmith on-site to change the locks immediately after the sheriff restores possession - Removing or securing the tenant's property per local rules (Baltimore City requires specific handling of left-behind belongings; other counties vary) - Documenting unit condition on entry (photos, video, written notes) The sheriff's role is to secure possession and confirm the tenant has vacated. Once the sheriff leaves, the unit is legally yours to re-take. ## Step 10 — Post-Eviction Cleanup and Judgment Collection After the eviction, two tracks run in parallel: ### Turnover and re-leasing Expect 2-6 weeks of cleanup, any needed repairs, marketing, and tenant placement before the unit is producing rent again. Budget $500-$3,000 for typical cleanup + repairs; significantly more for damaged units. ### Judgment collection The money judgment against the tenant is a separate enforcement track. Collection rates are low — most landlords recover only when the tenant cures before or at the hearing. If you want to pursue, options include wage garnishment, bank levy, and reporting to collections. Many landlords write off the money judgment and focus on the next tenancy. ## Common Failure Modes — The Five That Actually Dismiss Cases **Every preventable dismissal costs you $50-$60 in filing fee + 2-4 weeks of additional lost rent:** In a $1,600/mo Baltimore market, one dismissal is typically a $900-$1,500 economic hit beyond the filing fee itself. Compliance isn't overhead — it's the cheapest insurance in the process. 1. **Defective 10-day notice** — missing tenant name, wrong address, wrong amount, no cure deadline, or improper service. The top dismissal cause statewide. 2. **Expired rental registration at filing** (Baltimore City). Second most common Baltimore dismissal. 3. **Expired lead paint certificate at filing** (pre-1978 properties). Third most common Baltimore dismissal. 4. **Wrong amount on DC-CV-082** — claiming notice-period amount instead of filing-date amount, or including a late fee over the 5% cap. 5. **Missed warrant 60-day clocks** — either failing to file DC-CV-081 within 60 days of judgment under § 8-401(f)(1)(ii), or failing to execute within 60 days of warrant signing under § 8-401(f)(1)(iii). Both strike the judgment. Every one of these is a compliance-layer problem, not a legal-argument problem. They dismiss because a form field was wrong or a date was missed — not because the landlord lacked a meritorious claim. ## How EvictPro Runs the Process End-to-End EvictPro is built specifically for the Maryland FTPR workflow — every stage, every form, every deadline, Maryland-specific. The same platform serves a single-unit landlord's first case and an enterprise landlord's hundredth. ### Stage-based pricing (all court fees inclusive) - **Notice of Intent:** $0 — free tool, no account required - **Filing with Court:** $99 — DC-CV-082 prep, filing, and court fee - **Court Hearing:** $249 — hearing representation via an experienced agent, document package - **Warrant of Restitution:** $199 — DC-CV-081 prep, filing, and court fee - **Sheriff Scheduling:** $75 — coordination with the sheriff's office - **Eviction Day:** $225 — on-site presence for the physical eviction Or bundle with **Full Eviction Service: $749** — every stage above included, one price, end-to-end. ### What you're actually buying at each stage - **Compliance checks at every step.** Rental registration validation, lead paint certificate verification, notice element enforcement, amount-owed reconciliation — caught before filing, not after a dismissed hearing. - **Deadline enforcement.** The 10-day notice clock, the 7-business-day post-trial wait, the two independent 60-day warrant clocks (filing and execution under § 8-401(f)(1)(ii) and (iii)), and the redemption right that runs until actual execution under § 8-401(h)(1) — all tracked per case, surfaced when action is needed. - **End-to-end case management.** Every notice, filing, receipt, court notice, and tenant communication lives in the case file. When a tenant claims they never received service, the proof is one click away. - **Portfolio-ready.** Role-based access for firm members, portfolio-level financial rollups, and shared case visibility — the same workflow at one property or fifty. The base court fees you'd pay regardless are already inside the stage price (Maryland's $5-per-tenant filing service fee is shown at checkout, at cost). The value on top is the compliance layer that prevents the $900-$1,500 dismissal hit — one prevented dismissal typically covers the entire stage cost on that case. **See stage-by-stage pricing**: https://www.evictpro.us/pricing **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) - [What Does a Baltimore Eviction Actually Cost in 2026?](/blog/baltimore-eviction-cost) - [Maryland's Tenants' Bill of Rights: Landlord Compliance Guide](/blog/maryland-tenants-bill-of-rights-landlord) - [Maryland Warrant of Restitution Timeline — From Judgment to Sheriff Eviction](/blog/maryland-warrant-of-restitution-timeline) **See the live data:** - [Maryland Eviction Data Dashboard](/tools/maryland-eviction-data) — 700,000+ warrant-of-restitution records across all 24 Maryland jurisdictions, refreshed daily. See actual filing volumes and execution rates for any county. Ready to start the process? The Notice of Intent is free and takes ten minutes: **Generate your Maryland 10-day notice now**: https://www.evictpro.us/notice-of-intent ## Frequently asked questions ### What does FTPR stand for in Maryland? FTPR stands for Failure to Pay Rent. It's the Maryland District Court case type landlords file when a tenant has stopped paying rent. The governing statute is Md. Code, Real Property § 8-401, and the filing form is DC-CV-082. Every Maryland county uses the same form and process. ### How many steps are in the Maryland FTPR process? Ten procedural steps from prerequisites to physical eviction — (1) verify prerequisites, (2) serve 10-day notice, (3) wait the notice period, (4) file DC-CV-082, (5) service of complaint, (6) rent court hearing, (7) judgment and right of redemption, (8) file DC-CV-081 warrant of restitution, (9) sheriff scheduling, (10) day of eviction. Uncontested cases move linearly through all ten in 45-75 days. ### How long does an FTPR case take in Maryland? From 10-day notice to physical eviction, a typical Maryland FTPR case runs 45-75 days. The 10-day notice period, 2-4 week court docket wait, 7-business-day post-trial wait before the warrant can be filed, and 1-2 week sheriff scheduling are the main time components. Contested cases or continuances add 2-6 weeks each. ### What is the right of redemption in Maryland FTPR cases? Under Md. Code, Real Property § 8-401(h)(1), a Maryland tenant has the right to redeem the tenancy by tendering — in cash, certified check, or money order — all past-due rent, late fees, court costs, and other awarded fees. The right runs up to the moment of actual execution of the eviction; it is not a fixed window. Separately, the landlord must wait at least until the seventh business day after trial to file the warrant of restitution. Under § 8-401(h)(3), the redemption right does not apply to a tenant against whom three judgments of possession have already been entered in the prior 12 months — the statewide rule. Baltimore City applies a stricter local threshold under its Public Local Laws (§§ 9-1 to 9-8): four prior judgments in 12 months. NRR must be requested on the original DC-CV-082, not added later. ### Can I do the Maryland FTPR process myself without a lawyer? Yes — Maryland District Court allows landlords to self-represent in rent cases. Self-filed cases see materially higher dismissal rates than represented cases, driven by defective notices, expired rental registration, and wrong amounts on DC-CV-082. Getting the forms and timelines right is the main challenge. Platforms like EvictPro handle the procedural compliance end-to-end at stage-based pricing, starting at $0 for the Notice of Intent and $99 once you file with the court. ### What happens if the tenant doesn't show up to the rent court hearing? If the tenant fails to appear and you (the landlord) do appear with proof of service and the required documents, the judge typically enters a default judgment for possession plus the rent owed. You then wait at least until the seventh business day after trial before filing DC-CV-081. Note that the tenant's right of redemption under § 8-401(h)(1) continues to run up to the moment of actual execution — even after the warrant is filed and signed. ### Do I need to pay court fees separately from EvictPro's stage pricing? EvictPro's stage pricing includes the base court fees. The $99 Filing with Court stage covers the DC-CV-082 base fee, and the $199 Warrant of Restitution stage covers the DC-CV-081 fee. The one separate charge is Maryland's $5 service fee per tenant of record at filing (a state requirement under cost schedule DCA-109), shown at checkout and billed at cost. Every other stage price is all-in.