Apply for a Rental

Visit the  Rental Marketplace to search and view information about location, property-level rent levels and unit sizes. Renters can search for options within a range of rents, geography and type (e.g., senior housing, income-restricted, number of bedrooms). Tenants can contact individual rental properties to learn about current availability of units and rents.

Montgomery County's Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit (MPDU) Program offers affordable rents at several apartment properties located throughout the County. If you are interested in the MPDU rental program, you must apply directly to the MPDU apartment property. The management companies at these complexes will provide an application, verify income and credit history, and determine eligibility or ineligibility to rent an MPDU apartment. Here is a searchable list of MPDU rental complexes. For the most current information, or if you have questions, please call the apartment complex directly.

Housing Safety: Each landlord must reasonably provide for the maintenance of the health, safety, and welfare of all tenants and individuals properly on the premises of rental housing. For more information see: Housing and Building Code Enforcement Handbook and Housing and Building Maintenance Standards - Regulations. The DHCA Housing Code Enforcement team works to ensure that neighborhoods and housing in the County are safe and are maintained in good condition. DHCA conducts inspections of rental properties and cites property owners for any violations found. To learn about any housing code violations found at a particular rental property, visit E-Property or Troubled Properties Analysis. 

To check whether an apartment has or is required to have a rental license, visit: Rental License.

Landlords may not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, physical or mental disability, presence of children, ancestry, source of income, sexual orientation, or age. For more information about federal and state non-discrimination laws, see “ Laws Against Housing Discrimination” and  Landlord-Tenant Handbook p. 6-7.

• Income and Credit History

  During the application process, a landlord considering your application may check your income and your credit history.

• Reusable Tenant Screening Report

  To provide your credit information to each of your prospective landlords, you may get a Reusable Tenant Screening Report. This report is issued by the major credit bureaus and cannot be more than 30 days old. It must contain a full criminal background check, employment and income verification and the tenant’s current address. The landlord is not obligated to accept it, instead, a landlord may require that you pay a fee so that they can conduct the credit history check. See Landlord-Tenant Handbook p.41-42

• SafeRent Solutions Credit Check
  • Landlords often use SafeRent Solutions to run credit checks on prospective tenants.
  • If you are rejected based on information contained in a SafeRent Solutions report, you can obtain a free copy of the report by calling SafeRent Solutions at 1-800-811-3495.
  • If the landlord obtains a credit check from any other major credit bureau, you have the right to request a free copy of that report.

Once a landlord provides a conditional offer to rent the property, they may conduct a criminal background check. This form, which must be part of the rental packet, explains the process for a criminal background check:  Addendum to Rental Application: Criminal History and Background Screening form (PDF). For more information, see Landlord-Tenant Handbook p. 37-38

• Application Fees

  A landlord is allowed to charge a prospective tenant a non–refundable application fee. Landlords with four or more dwellings at one site must place a statement on the application form notifying tenants that:

  • if a landlord takes any fees from a prospective tenant (other than a security deposit) that exceed $25.00, the landlord must return the fees or be liable for twice the amount of those fees in damages;
  • the money must be returned within 15 days after receiving written notice from either party that no tenancy will take place; and
  • the landlord may only keep those fees used for a credit check.
• Non-Refundable Fees

  Landlords are prohibited from charging non-refundable fees such as: reservation or holding fees, move-in, redecorating fees, cleaning fees, pet fees or deposits etc. Note: Exceptions exist when allowed by condominium community bylaws.

• Trash Fees
  • Trash fees cannot be required in multifamily dwellings in Montgomery County. If "valet" trash pick-up is offered, it MUST be optional.
  • Recycling is considered a sub-set of trash collection and as such, a fee for its removal cannot be charged.
  • In single-family rentals NOT located in a County trash collection district, a tenant can be required to pay trash collection charges.
• Amenity Fees

Note: Fees not disclosed in the lease can be imposed only after a Tenant is given at least 60 days' notice and for services that are allowable by statute and at lease renewal. 

For more information, see the  Landlord-Tenant Handbook. If you have questions, contact DHCA Office of Landlord-Tenant Affairs by calling 311 (240-777-0311).

DHCA provides model leases that landlords can use for their rental properties. These leases comply with all applicable State and County Landlord-Tenant laws and DHCA encourages their use to protect the tenant’s and landlord’s rights.

• Single-Family English (PDF)
• Apartment/Condominium English (PDF)
• Accessory Apartment English (PDF)
• Room Rental English (PDF) | Spanish (PDF)

The Montgomery County Code requires that all licensed landlords attach the Lease Summary to each new lease. The summary defines the key terms of the lease, summarizes tenant rights and responsibilities, and provides information about services available to tenants from the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA).

አማርኛ (Amharic) (PDF)  |   English (PDF)  |  Français (French) (PDF) |  한국어 (Korean) (PDF) |  中文 (Mandarin) (PDF) |  Español (Spanish) (PDF) |  Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese) (PDF)

Landlords are required to include the “ Addendum to Rental Application: Criminal History and Background Screening form” in the rental application packet, to be acknowledged by the applicant. It outlines tenant protections regarding criminal background checks and limits on changes during the application process. For more information on this form, contact the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights at 240-777-8450.

Properties constructed prior to 1978 must include the documents listed below with the lease agreement. In addition, the landlord must do lead testing between each tenancy. Contact the Licensing and Registration unit, via MC311, at 311 (or 240-777-0311) for more detailed information regarding this requirement.

• Lead Paint Addendum (PDF)
• Notice of Tenant’s Rights (PDF)
• Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home English (PDF) | Español (Spanish) (PDF)

Effective January 1, 2022, all multifamily landlords must have window guards at all openable windows above the ground floor if children under 11 years old occupy the premises or on request. A Window Guard Addendum must be included at every lease signing, lease renewal and notice of rent increase. This information must be included in every lease.

አማርኛ (Amharic) (PDF) |  English (PDF) | Français (French) (PDF) | 한국어 (Korean) (PDF) |  中文 (Mandarin) (PDF) | Español (Spanish) (PDF) | Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese) (PDF)

For more information see: Window Guards in Multifamily Buildings and Housing and Building Code Enforcement Handbook.