Q: Can I get out of paying?
My lease ended 8/31/19. My landlord sent me a list of damages that we owe for, the letter was stamped 10/15/19, we received it 10/16/19. MD law gives them “within 45 days”, was this within the time frame? They held my security deposit and sent bill for damages. Also, I believe they are supposed to include the damages we owe for and ALSO a list of what they paid. They only included a list of what we owe. I’m not sure on that law though. Friend pursuing a law degree told me this. This is for the state of Maryland.
A:
30 days have September... The statute doesn't say the list of damages has to be received within 45 days. If the landlord actually paid for repairs, they would reasonably need to list that (as opposed to an earlier higher estimate). But if the damages are estimates, the statute merely requires they send the tenant a list of estimated damages in order to reasonably withhold a corresponding amount of some or all from the security deposit- pending consummation of the repairs.
Assuming arguendo that there's a technical violation, note that the 45 day statute in question only relates to withholding from and return of security deposits- not whether a tenant "owes" for damages.
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