Subject
title
Adoption of an Ordinance to Amend Sec. 18-176 of Chapter 18 of the Rockville City Code, entitled “Rental Facilities and Landlord-Tenant Relations,” to Update Notice Requirements for Evictions in Accordance with Current State Law
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Department
Housing and Community Development
Recommendation
Staff recommend that the Mayor and Council review and adopt the ordinance as drafted.
Change in Law or Policy
Amend City Code Chapter 18, Rental Facilities and Landlord-Tenant Relations, to set the amount of time a tenant is notified for an eviction to 14 days, in accordance with Section 8-407 of the Real Property Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland.
Discussion
A tenant who has received an eviction judgement is given seven days to comply with any requirements of the judgement. After those seven days, if the tenant has not moved out, “the landlord may request the court issue a warrant of restitution directing the sheriff to allow the landlord to repossess the property and move the tenant’s belongings out of the premises.” Once the landlord receives the warrant of restitution from the court, the landlord contacts the sheriff to arrange a date and time for the eviction. The Montgomery County Sherriff’s Office carries out evictions in the City of Rockville.
Prior to recent changes in state law, once the eviction was scheduled, the sheriff would typically post a “red and white notice” on the door of the rental property, which indicated that the tenant had 10 days before they are evicted. Eviction could occur any time after this 10-day period expired, but the Sheriff's Office would not provide a specific date or time for the eviction itself.
Effective October 1, 2025, state law requires a landlord to notify tenants of a scheduled eviction at least six days prior to the eviction date. The notice must be provided in written form through multiple methods, including by posting on the premises, a first-class mailing, and, if available, an email or text. Additionally, the law allows local jurisdictions to increase the requirement of the six-day notice to a 14-day notice.
In most cases, an eviction for failure to pay rent can be stopped at any time before the actual carrying out of the eviction order by paying all past due rent and late fees, plus any court-awarded costs and fees. Knowing further ahead of time for when the eviction is scheduled would allow tenants the best opportunity to seek financial assistance from programs like the Rockville Emergency Assistance Program to stop the eviction. Even if the eviction cannot be avoided, a 14-day period allows tenants more time to secure new housing and/or storage for their belongings - both of which can take time to arrange.
Furthermore, eviction is a mentally and emotionally draining experience, which was previously exacerbated by not knowing precisely when the eviction would occur. Providing tenants with an actual date to expect eviction allows them to better prepare and make alternative housing arrangements so that they do not end up homeless and/or lose their belongings.
Impact Statements
Equity
Staff anticipates the action would positively impact racial equity and social justice in the city due to the disproportionate number of renters, particularly renters who experience significant housing cost burden, who are part of historically excluded populations. In Rockville, renters who are Hispanic or Latino, “Some Other Race,” and Black or African American are more likely to be severely housing cost burdened than white, Asian, and mixed-race renters, with between 24% to 39% of such households paying more than half of their income to rent. Experiencing significant housing cost burden increases the likelihood of households missing rental payments and thus experiencing eviction for failure to pay rent.
Although local data does not breakdown evictions by race, income, or other demographic factors, doctoral student research from the University of Maryland, College Park using 2023 eviction data found strong support that “in Maryland, higher shares of a neighborhood population that is Black, Hispanic, and Asian were all associated with higher neighborhood eviction filing rates even while controlling for housing markets, socioeconomic status, and neighborhood decline.” This is supported by national studies, which have found that filings and evictions rates are, on average, significantly higher for Black renters than for white renters, as well as particularly higher for Black and Latina women.
When considering equity impacts on landlords, small landlords, who tend to be less well-resourced than large landlords, may not be as readily able to adopt to new requirements, and as such could incur costs from non-compliance. For similar reasons, tenants of small landlords may not be as likely to receive notices in the required amount of time.
Environment
The action item does not directly impact the natural environment or relate to the city’s Climate Action Plan.
Economy
The action item is expected to have a minimally positive impact on local economic health and economic wellbeing, should it result in improved housing stability for more households. Housing stability would be achieved through households either locating funds to prevent the eviction or avoiding homelessness by finding alternative housing accommodations that they otherwise would not have been able to find due without the additional eight-day notification prior to the scheduled eviction. A vast body of research shows that housing stability improves economic well-being; physical, emotional, and mental health; and educational outcomes for students.
Since landlords must already comply with the six-day notice requirement, staff do not anticipate increasing the notice requirement to 14 days will add noticeable administrative or cost burden. However, this action may slightly reduce the amount of time where a rent-paying tenant is occupying the unit and correspondingly decrease landlords’ revenue.
Mayor and Council History
During Old/New Business at the October 20, 2025 Mayor and Council meeting, the body directed staff to expedite the passage of an ordinance amendment to maximize the amount of time a tenant is notified for an eviction to 14 days. This is the first time the draft ordinance has been brought before the Mayor and Council.
Next Steps
Upon the adoption of the draft ordinance, the ordinance will be incorporated into city code, effective immediately, and landlords will be required to adhere to the 14-day notice requirement for evictions.