§ 9-5 Suit for rent due — judgment.
Published by the Baltimore City Department of Legislative Reference.
Balt., Md., Pub. Local Laws § 9-5 (2026)
§ 9-5 Suit for rent due — judgment.LinkCopy Citation
(a)In general.
If, at the trial aforesaid, the judge shall be satisfied the interest of justice will be better served by an adjournment, he may adjourn the trial for a period not exceeding seven days, except by consent of the parties, and if at said trial or due adjournment, as aforesaid, it shall appear to the satisfaction of the judge before whom said complaint has been tried as aforesaid, that the rent or any part of the rent for said premises is actually due and unpaid, then the said judge shall give judgment in favor of said lessor for the amount of rent found due, with costs of suit, and shall order that said tenant and all persons claiming or holding by or under said tenant shall yield and render up possession of said premises unto said lessor, or unto his duly qualified agent or attorney within 4 days thereafter; provided, however, that upon presentation of certificate signed by a practicing physician certifying that surrender of said premises within said period of 4 days would endanger the health or life of any occupant thereof, said judge may, at the trial or subsequent thereto, extend the time for such surrender of the premises upon such terms and for such period or periods as he shall deem necessary and just.
If the interval between the filing of the landlord’s complaint and the trial of the cause shall be more than three days, any order or judgment of said court with respect to the payment of rent shall include all rent due and unpaid up to and including the day of trial; and the proceedings amended to set forth the basis of said judgment or order.
(b)Tenant’s right of redemption.
(1)Redemption on payment before eviction.
In any action of summary ejectment for failure to pay rent where the landlord is awarded a judgment giving him restitution of the leased premises, the tenant has the right to redemption of the leased premises by tendering in cash, certified check or money order to the landlord or his agent all past due rent and late fees, plus all court awarded costs and fees, at any time before actual execution of the eviction order.
(2)Not available to certain tenants.
The right of redemption is not available to a tenant if the landlord alleges and shows that more than three judgments of restitution were issued against the tenant in the 12 months preceding the filing of the landlord’s complaint.
(3)Tenant may raise other defenses.
Nothing in <cite data-path="9|§9-5">this section</cite> shall preclude a tenant in any summary ejectment action from raising any defense available under <cite>the Public Local Laws of Baltimore City</cite>. If a tenant prevails on any of these defenses, the judgment, whether or not it includes a judgment of restitution against the tenant, shall not be considered a judgment of restitution for purposes of paragraph (2) of this subsection.