# Right of Redemption in Maryland: A Landlord's 2026 Guide to the Tender Rule, the NRR Exception, and Eviction-Day Mechanics Maryland's right of redemption under § 8-401(h) lets a tenant stop the eviction by paying past-due rent, late fees, and court costs — in cash, certified check, or money order — at any moment up to actual execution. This is the statute-cited walkthrough for landlords: what must be tendered, what payment forms count, when the right ends, and how the No Right of Redemption (NRR) exception works differently in Baltimore City than the rest of Maryland. - Published: 2026-05-08 (updated 2026-05-13) - Author: Jordan Walsh - Canonical: https://www.evictpro.us/blog/right-of-redemption-maryland-tenant --- Maryland's right of redemption is the most misunderstood part of a Failure to Pay Rent case. Landlords frequently assume the right ends when the warrant is filed, or when the sheriff is scheduled, or some fixed number of days after judgment. None of those are correct. The right runs up to the **moment of actual execution** of the eviction order — and it can be exercised in cash at the door while the sheriff is unlocking the unit. This is the statute-cited walkthrough, for landlords who want to know exactly what the rule is and where the practical edges are. - **Until execution**: when redemption ends (§ 8-401(h)(1)) - **3 forms only**: acceptable payment (cash / certified / money order) - **3 vs 4**: prior judgments for NRR (MD default vs Baltimore PLL) > The redemption right is broader than most landlords expect and narrower than most tenants expect. It runs to the moment of execution — but only in three specific payment forms, and only for the amounts the court has actually awarded. **The short version:** The redemption right runs to actual execution. Acceptable forms are cash, certified check, or money order — not personal check. Amount is the court-determined judgment ledger (rent + late fees + costs). The NRR exception eliminates the right but only on filings where the tenant has 3 prior judgments statewide (or 4 in Baltimore City) and NRR was elected on the original DC-CV-082. Section 8 tenders cover only the tenant's share. Document every tender attempt and every refusal. The right of redemption is codified at [Md. Code, Real Property § 8-401(h)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-401&enactments=false). The exception — No Right of Redemption (NRR) — appears at § 8-401(h)(3) with a statewide default that Baltimore City overrides with a stricter local rule under its Public Local Laws. For the upstream judgment process see [The Maryland FTPR Process, Step by Step](/blog/ftpr-maryland-process-step-by-step). For the warrant timeline the redemption right runs against, see [Maryland Warrant of Restitution Timeline](/blog/maryland-warrant-of-restitution-timeline). ## The Statutory Right — Plain English Section 8-401(h)(1) gives the tenant the right to redeem the tenancy by tendering, "in cash, certified check, or money order to the landlord or the landlord's agent," all of the following: - **Past-due rent**, as determined by the court - **All late fees** the court has determined to be due and unpaid - **All court-awarded costs and fees** If the tender is valid and accepted (or otherwise meets the statutory requirements), the complaint is entered as **satisfied**. The judgment for possession is discharged. The tenancy continues as if the case had not been filed. This is not a discretionary right. It is statutory. A landlord who refuses a properly-formed tender of the full amount has rejected a valid redemption and exposed themselves to a defective-execution claim. ## What Must Be Tendered — The Four Components A redemption tender that satisfies § 8-401(h)(1) must cover **all four** components below. Anything less is partial tender (covered later) and does not satisfy the right. ### 1. Past-due rent (court-determined) The amount on the judgment, not the amount the landlord originally demanded on the notice or the complaint. If the court reduced the claim from $3,000 to $2,400 because of a partial payment during the notice period, $2,400 is what must be tendered. Always work from the judgment ledger, not the filing ledger. ### 2. Late fees (court-determined, ≤ 5% of monthly rent) Maryland's 2025 Tenants' Bill of Rights caps late fees at **5% of monthly rent** statewide. A judgment that included late fees in excess of 5% will have had those fees reduced by the court. The tendered amount must match the post-reduction figure. For the TBOR late-fee cap detail see [Maryland's Tenants' Bill of Rights: Landlord Compliance Guide](/blog/maryland-tenants-bill-of-rights-landlord). ### 3. Court costs The filing fee for DC-CV-082 ($50-$60 depending on jurisdiction; $51 in Baltimore City with the service surcharge), plus any other costs the court awarded. The DC-CV-081 filing fee ($40-$50) is generally included if the warrant has already been filed. ### 4. Any other fees the court awarded Some cases include sheriff fees, witness fees, or specifically ordered service costs. The judgment will itemize them. If it's in the judgment, it must be in the tender. **If the judgment lists it, the tender includes it:** Build a single composite figure from the judgment ledger. That's the only number that satisfies the redemption right. Anything short is partial tender — which the landlord may decline. ## Acceptable Payment Forms — And What You Don't Have to Take The statute is specific. **Cash, certified check, or money order.** That's the closed list. What this means in practice: - **Cash** — full face value of the tender, in the currency. Document with a written receipt, ideally co-signed by the tenant. - **Certified check** — drawn on a bank, with funds verified by the issuing bank. Different from a cashier's check; a certified check is the tenant's check with the bank's certification that the funds are available. The statute uses "certified check" — cashier's checks are generally accepted in practice, but technically optional under a strict reading. - **Money order** — issued by a bank, post office, Western Union, MoneyGram, or similar. Verify the amount matches the tender requirement before accepting. What you don't have to accept: - **Personal check** — even if the tenant insists it will clear. The statute does not list personal checks. - **Promise to pay** — verbal or written assurances of future payment. Not a tender. - **Partial cash with promise for the rest** — not a complete tender (see "Partial Tender" below). - **Credit card, ACH, Venmo, Zelle, or other digital payment** — not on the statutory list. Some landlords accept them as a business courtesy but are not required to. **Document every offer and every refusal:** If a tenant offers a personal check on eviction day and the landlord declines, document the offer, the form (personal check), and the time. If the tenant later claims a valid tender was refused, the documentation defeats the claim. ## When the Right Ends — Actual Execution This is the single most important fact about the redemption right, and the one most landlords get wrong: > **The right of redemption extends up to the moment of actual > execution of the eviction order.** It does not end when: - The warrant of restitution is filed - The judge signs the warrant - The sheriff schedules the eviction - The sheriff arrives at the property - The locksmith arrives - The tenant is asked to leave It ends when the sheriff has physically restored possession to the landlord — typically when the locks have been changed and the landlord has control of the unit. A tenant who walks up to the landlord on the front lawn with a certified check for the full amount, while the sheriff is still on-site and possession has not yet fully transferred, has presented a valid tender. In practice, sheriffs in Baltimore City and most Maryland jurisdictions will pause the execution if the tenant is actively producing the tendered amount and the landlord is on-site to verify. This is not a courtesy; it is a recognition that the statutory right has not yet expired. ## The 5-Business-Day Post-Trial Wait Separate from the tenant's redemption right, Maryland practice imposes a wait on the **landlord** before the warrant can be filed. DC-CV-081 cannot be filed until **at least the seventh business day after trial.** The wait gives the tenant time to exercise the redemption right at a less-pressured moment than the eviction-day door, and it also accommodates appeal rights. The two clocks run independently: - **Landlord clock:** must wait 7 business days post-trial before filing the warrant - **Tenant clock:** may redeem at any time before actual execution So even after the warrant is filed and signed and the sheriff is scheduled, the tenant's redemption right continues to run. For the two 60-day clocks that govern the warrant itself, see [Maryland Warrant of Restitution Timeline](/blog/maryland-warrant-of-restitution-timeline). ## Partial Tender, Payment Plans, and the Risk of Implied Acceptance A tenant offering less than the full tender amount creates a landlord-side risk: accepting partial cash without a written understanding can be argued later as implied acceptance of redemption. Two clean handling patterns: **Option A — Refuse outright.** Document the partial tender offer, the amount, the form, and the time. Decline and proceed with execution. Keep the documentation in the case file. **Option B — Formalize as a written consent or court order.** If you'd rather negotiate a payment plan than evict, memorialize the arrangement in writing — ideally as a consent order entered on the court record. The court order is enforceable; a verbal payment plan is not. The consent order can include terms such as: tenant pays $X by date Y, default triggers immediate execution without further notice, etc. What to avoid: - Accepting partial cash "to be helpful" without documentation - Accepting a partial tender and intending to proceed with execution anyway - Relying on a verbal "the tenant will pay the rest by Friday" arrangement Either path you choose — full refusal or formal plan — is defensible. The middle ground (informal partial acceptance) is the risk zone. ## The NRR Exception — State Default vs Baltimore City Local Rule The right of redemption can be eliminated entirely on filings where the tenant has accumulated prior judgments. But the threshold differs depending on jurisdiction: ### Statewide default — § 8-401(h)(3) The right of redemption does **not** apply to a tenant against whom **three judgments of possession** for rent due and unpaid have already been entered in the 12 months immediately prior to the current filing. Practically: a tenant with 3 priors gets NRR on the **fourth** FTPR filing within a rolling 12-month window. Most Maryland counties operate on this rule. ### Baltimore City — Public Local Laws §§ 9-1 to 9-8 Baltimore City applies a stricter local threshold: **four judgments** of possession in the prior 12 months are required before NRR can be requested. So in Baltimore City, NRR is available on the **fifth** FTPR filing within the 12-month window — not the fourth. The Baltimore rule is more tenant-friendly than the state default. It is a local override permitted under Maryland's general rule that local jurisdictions may add tenant protections beyond the state floor (though not below it). **Run the 12-month count carefully:** The threshold is measured from the date the current case is filed, looking back 12 months. Prior judgments must be for rent due and unpaid (FTPR judgments) — judgments for Tenant Holding Over, Breach of Lease, or Wrongful Detainer do not count toward the threshold. Verify the count before checking the NRR box. ### NRR Must Be Requested on the Original DC-CV-082 NRR is not something you can add after the case is filed or after judgment. It must be checked or requested **on the original DC-CV-082** when the case is filed. If you forget, the redemption right runs in the current case regardless of how many priors exist. To get NRR you'd have to dismiss and refile — which restarts the timeline. For DC-CV-082 prep including the NRR election, see [How to Fill Out DC-CV-082](/blog/dc-cv-082-how-to-fill-out). ## Eviction Day — How the Mechanics Actually Work On the scheduled eviction date, three parties show up at the unit: - **The landlord** (or agent), with the warrant and a locksmith - **The sheriff**, with statutory authority to restore possession - **Sometimes the tenant**, with either an attempt to redeem or the intent to vacate If the tenant produces a certified check or money order for the full court-determined amount: 1. The sheriff will typically pause execution to allow the landlord to verify the tender amount and instrument. 2. The landlord (or agent) verifies the instrument is valid and the amount matches the judgment. 3. If valid, the tender is accepted, a receipt is issued, and the sheriff stands down. The complaint is entered as satisfied; the tenancy continues. 4. If invalid (wrong amount, personal check, unverifiable instrument), the landlord declines, documents the refusal, and the sheriff resumes execution. If the tender comes in cash, the landlord may count and verify on the spot. Many landlords carry a written receipt template for exactly this scenario. ## Section 8 Tenants and Redemption Section 8 tenants have the same redemption right as market-rate tenants — but the tender amount is computed differently. The tenant's obligation is **only their share** (typically 30 percent of household income); the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) covers the rest under the Housing Assistance Payment contract between the landlord and the Public Housing Authority. A redemption tender for a Section 8 tenant covers: - The tenant's past-due **share** of rent (not the full market rent) - All late fees the court determined to be due - All court-awarded costs and fees Demanding the full market rent — including HAP amounts the PHA paid or didn't pay — from a Section 8 tenant on redemption is incorrect and can be raised by tenant counsel as an improper tender demand. For the full Section 8 framework see our [Section 8 Eviction in Maryland guide](/blog/section-8-eviction-maryland). ## Common Redemption Errors **Five mistakes that cost landlords the case:** Every one of these is preventable. Each can hand the tenant a defense — either to vacate the judgment or to argue the execution was improper. 1. **Refusing a properly-formed certified check or money order** for the full court-determined amount. The right is statutory; refusal is rejection of a valid tender. 2. **Demanding the wrong amount.** Working from the filing-date ledger instead of the judgment ledger. The court may have reduced the claim; the redemption amount is the post-reduction judgment. 3. **Accepting partial cash without documentation.** Creates an implied-acceptance argument later. 4. **Treating warrant signing as the end of the redemption right.** The right continues until actual execution. 5. **Adding NRR after filing.** Cannot be done. NRR is a filing- time election on the DC-CV-082. ## How EvictPro Handles the Redemption Workflow EvictPro tracks redemption mechanics as a first-class part of the Maryland FTPR workflow — not an afterthought. The same platform that handles a single landlord's first redemption tender at the door handles an enterprise firm's portfolio-level redemption tracking across hundreds of cases. ### What's tracked and surfaced - **Per-case judgment ledger** showing the exact court-determined amount that must be tendered for valid redemption — including rent, court-determined late fees (capped at 5% of monthly rent per TBOR), and court costs. - **7-business-day post-trial wait timer** so the warrant petition isn't filed prematurely. - **NRR election captured on the DC-CV-082** at filing time, with prior-judgment count verification against the 3-statewide / 4-Baltimore-City threshold. - **Tender documentation** — built-in receipt templates for cash acceptance, refusal logs for invalid tender forms, and consent order templates for partial-tender payment plans. - **Section 8 tenant flagging** — when a case is tagged as Section 8, the redemption amount auto-computes only the tenant's share, not the full market rent. ### Stage-based pricing (court fees inclusive) - **Notice of Intent:** $0 — free, no account required - **Filing with Court:** $99 — DC-CV-082 prep, filing, and court fee, with NRR election workflow - **Court Hearing:** $249 — hearing representation via an experienced agent, document package - **Warrant of Restitution:** $199 — DC-CV-081 prep, filing, and court fee, with 7-business-day timer - **Sheriff Scheduling:** $75 — coordination with the sheriff's office - **Eviction Day:** $225 — on-site presence with tender-handling procedure built in Or bundle with **Full Eviction Service: $749** — every stage above included, end-to-end. The base court filing fee is inside each stage price. Maryland's $5-per-tenant filing service fee (DCA-109) is billed separately at cost. **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:** - [Maryland Warrant of Restitution Timeline](/blog/maryland-warrant-of-restitution-timeline) - [How to Fill Out DC-CV-082: A Field-by-Field Maryland Filing Guide](/blog/dc-cv-082-how-to-fill-out) - [The Maryland FTPR Process, Step by Step](/blog/ftpr-maryland-process-step-by-step) - [Section 8 Eviction in Maryland: A Landlord's 2026 Guide](/blog/section-8-eviction-maryland) - [Maryland's Tenants' Bill of Rights: Landlord Compliance Guide](/blog/maryland-tenants-bill-of-rights-landlord) - [Maryland's 10-Day Notice Requirement](/blog/maryland-10-day-notice) - [How to Evict a Tenant in Maryland — The Complete 2026 Guide](/blog/how-to-evict-tenant-maryland) Ready to file a case with NRR elected correctly, or to track redemption tenders without losing the eviction? Start with a clean Notice of Intent: **Generate your Maryland 10-day Notice of Intent now**: https://www.evictpro.us/notice-of-intent ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the right of redemption in a Maryland Failure to Pay Rent case? Under Md. Code, Real Property § 8-401(h)(1), a tenant who has had a judgment for possession entered against them in a Failure to Pay Rent case may 'redeem' the tenancy by tendering — in cash, certified check, or money order — all past-due rent, all late fees as determined by the court, and all court-awarded costs and fees. If the tender is accepted (or is otherwise valid), the complaint is entered as satisfied and the tenancy continues. The right runs up to the moment of actual execution of the eviction order — it is not a fixed window. ### What forms of payment must a Maryland landlord accept for redemption? Cash, certified check, or money order. Section 8-401(h)(1) is explicit on this. A landlord is NOT required to accept a personal check, a cashier's check from an unfamiliar bank, or any other form. If the tenant offers a personal check, the landlord may decline and the eviction proceeds. Document the refusal and the form offered, in case the tenant claims later that a valid tender was rejected. ### When does the right of redemption end? At the moment of actual execution of the eviction order — when the sheriff has restored possession to the landlord. Filing the warrant does not end the right. Signing the warrant does not end the right. The sheriff arriving at the door does not end the right. The right ends when the sheriff has physically completed the eviction and possession has changed hands. A tenant who shows up with a certified check while the sheriff is on-site has a valid tender. ### What is the 7-business-day wait before the warrant can be filed? After judgment for possession, Maryland landlords must wait until at least the seventh business day after trial before filing DC-CV-081, the petition for warrant of restitution. The wait gives the tenant time to attempt redemption or appeal. Filing before the seventh business day is a common procedural error and grounds for the petition to be rejected or vacated. The 7-day wait is independent of — and runs alongside — the right of redemption that extends until actual execution. ### What is the No Right of Redemption (NRR) exception, and how does it differ in Baltimore City? The NRR exception lets a landlord proceed without giving the tenant a redemption right. Under Md. Code, Real Property § 8-401(h)(3), the statewide default is: 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 prior to the current filing. So the fourth FTPR within a 12-month window can be filed with NRR. Baltimore City applies a stricter local rule under Baltimore City Public Local Laws §§ 9-1 to 9-8: four prior judgments are required, so NRR can only be requested on the fifth FTPR filing. The Baltimore City rule is more tenant-friendly than the state default. ### Can a landlord add NRR to a case after judgment is entered? No. NRR must be requested on the original DC-CV-082 at the time of filing. Once judgment is entered without NRR, the tenant has the redemption right, and the landlord cannot retroactively remove it. If a landlord wants NRR on the next filing, they must request it on the new DC-CV-082 at filing time — assuming the tenant has accumulated the required number of prior judgments (3 statewide, 4 in Baltimore City). ### Can a Section 8 tenant redeem with their full share of the rent? Yes — and only their share. In a Section 8 case, the tenant's contractual obligation is their portion (typically 30 percent of household income); the Public Housing Authority pays the rest via the Housing Assistance Payment. A valid redemption tender covers the tenant's past-due share plus late fees and court costs — not the full market rent. Demanding HAP amounts the PHA paid (or didn't pay) from the tenant on redemption is incorrect and can be raised as a defense. For the broader Section 8 framework see our Section 8 eviction guide. ### What if a tenant offers partial payment? Can the landlord accept it without losing the eviction? Partial tender does not satisfy the redemption right unless the landlord accepts it as full satisfaction. A landlord may negotiate a payment plan in lieu of execution — but that should be memorialized in writing and ideally on the court record (a consent order). Accepting partial cash 'off the record' creates risk: the tenant may later claim the partial acceptance was redemption. Either reject partial tender outright (document the refusal) or formalize the partial-plus-plan arrangement as a written consent.