The threat of eviction is enough to make anyone’s blood run cold. Fortunately, there are plenty of laws in place that stop landlords from having the power to evict anyone for any reason.
Thus, it is important for tenants to understand what landlords can and cannot evict them for.
Reasons a landlord can evict you
Maryland’s Attorney General discusses the facts about eviction in the state. First, there are some valid reasons for a landlord to take legal action and start the eviction process.
Most commonly, these activities involve money. For example, not paying rent or attempting to withhold rent as a threat can both result in eviction. The latter sometimes happens when renters attempt to levy the weight of their rent payments to spur a landlord into action, such as making faster repairs.
They also have the legal right to evict anyone who breaches their lease. Typically speaking, everyone who rents will sign a lease with particular terms and conditions for that landlord. Failure to uphold these terms and conditions can result in eviction.
Illegal reasons for eviction
A landlord cannot evict a tenant because they joined a tenant’s association. They also cannot evict a tenant just because the tenant filed a complaint or a lawsuit. This is retaliatory eviction and it is illegal.
Note also that eviction is, in fact, a legal process. A landlord cannot simply remove items from a tenant’s home or force them to leave. They must go to the District Court and get a court order, at which point a sheriff will carry it out.