For volunteer board members
Maryland HOA Rules for Board Members (2026)
Most Maryland board members are volunteers who just want to get it right. Below is a plain-English summary of the Maryland rules that come up when a board enforces its documents, each paired with its statute section and the official text.
Maryland homeowners associations under the Maryland Homeowners Association Act (Real Property Article, Title 11B). It does not cover condominiums, cooperatives or nonresidential property. The violation steps apply to complaints formally arising on or after October 1, 2022, unless your declaration or bylaws state otherwise, and not to the Columbia Association or its villages.
- Earliest fix-by date you can give (continuing violation): for a continuing violation, the demand must give at least 15 days to fix it without further sanction. You may give more. Giving a few extra days costs little and avoids an argument about the count.
- Send the notice of right to a hearing within 12 months of the demand: if the violation continues past the fix-by date, or the same rule is broken again, the notice of the right to request a hearing must go out within 12 months of the demand. After that, start again with a new demand.
- Earliest hearing-request deadline you can set: the notice of right to a hearing must give at least 10 days from the day it is given for the owner to ask for a hearing. You may give more; write the date in the notice.
Updated October 2026. Not legal advice.
Key Maryland deadlines at a glance
| Deadline | What the law says |
|---|---|
| Earliest fix-by date you can give (continuing violation) | For a continuing violation, the demand must give at least 15 days to fix it without further sanction. You may give more. Giving a few extra days costs little and avoids an argument about the count. Md. Code, Real Prop. §11B-111.10(b)(2)(iii) |
| Send the notice of right to a hearing within 12 months of the demand | If the violation continues past the fix-by date, or the same rule is broken again, the notice of the right to request a hearing must go out within 12 months of the demand. After that, start again with a new demand. Md. Code, Real Prop. §11B-111.10(b)(3) |
| Earliest hearing-request deadline you can set | The notice of right to a hearing must give at least 10 days from the day it is given for the owner to ask for a hearing. You may give more; write the date in the notice. Md. Code, Real Prop. §11B-111.10(b)(3)(iii) |
| Earliest hearing date | If the owner asks in time, send a written notice of the time and place. The hearing may not be less than 10 days after the date the request was made. Md. Code, Real Prop. §11B-111.10(b)(4)(i) |
Which Maryland law applies
The Homeowners Association Act applies to all homeowners associations that exist in Maryland after July 1, 1987, except as the title provides.
Title 11B does not apply to property that is part of a condominium regime under Title 11, part of a cooperative housing corporation, or used for nonresidential purposes.
Unless the declaration or bylaws state otherwise, the dispute settlement steps in §11B-111.10 apply to complaints or demands formally arising on or after October 1, 2022.
§11B-111.10 does not apply to the Columbia Association or the village community associations of Columbia in Howard County.
How Maryland counts days
In computing a period of time described in a statute, the day of the act, event or default after which the period begins to run is not included. The last day is included unless it is a Sunday or legal holiday, in which case the period runs until the end of the next day that is not a Sunday or legal holiday.
When the period of time exceeds 7 days, intermediate Sundays and legal holidays are counted. When it is 7 days or less, they are not counted.
Maryland's legal holidays are listed in §1-111(a): New Year's Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, Lincoln's birthday (February 12), Washington's birthday, Maryland Day (March 25), Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Defenders' Day (September 12), Columbus Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving, American Indian Heritage Day (the Friday after Thanksgiving), Christmas, each statewide general election day, and any other day the President or the Governor designates for general cessation of business. A holiday that falls on a Sunday is observed the next Monday.
For Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, Memorial Day and Columbus Day, Maryland uses the day Congress designates: the third Monday in January, the last Monday in May and the second Monday in October.
Md. Code, Gen. Prov. §1-111(a)(2), (7), (12); 5 U.S.C. §6103(a)
A statewide general election is held in each even-numbered year, on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
Violation notices and the chance to fix in Maryland
Notices may go by email only if the board authorized electronic notice, the owner gave prior written permission, and an officer or agent certifies in writing that the notice was provided.
Hearings in Maryland
For a violation that is not continuing, the demand states that any further violation of the same rule may result in a sanction after notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
If, within 12 months of the demand, the violation continues past the abatement period or the same rule is violated again, the board gives written notice of the right to request a hearing, at the alleged violator's address of record.
The notice states the period during which the alleged violator may request a hearing, which may not be less than 10 days from the giving of the notice.
If a hearing is requested in time, the board gives written notice of the time and place of the hearing, which may not be less than 10 days after the date the request was provided.
The notice of right to a hearing states the nature of the alleged violation; how to request a hearing, at which the alleged violator may produce any statement, evidence or witnesses; the period to request a hearing, not less than 10 days from the giving of the notice; and the proposed sanction.
The hearing is held by the board in executive session. The alleged violator has the right to present evidence and cross-examine witnesses and must have a reasonable opportunity to be heard.
If no hearing is requested in time, the board at its next meeting deliberates whether the violation occurred and whether a sanction is appropriate.
Fines in Maryland
Title 11B sets no dollar cap on fines and does not itself give an HOA the power to fine. That power, and the amounts, come from your declaration or bylaws and a fine schedule they authorize.
The board may not impose a fine, suspend voting, or infringe on any other right of a lot owner or other occupant for a rule violation until the §11B-111.10(b) steps are followed.
Meetings and votes in Maryland
All meetings of the association, including board and committee meetings, are open to members, except closed sessions for the purposes listed in the statute.
Records in Maryland
Before any sanction takes effect, proof of notice is entered in the minutes: a copy of the notice and a statement of the date and manner it was given, entered by the officer or director who gave it. The notice requirement is satisfied if the alleged violator appears at the meeting.
The minutes of the meeting contain a written statement of the results of the hearing and the sanction, if any.
Other rules boards should know
For a continuing violation, the demand gives a period of not less than 15 days during which the violation may be abated without further sanction.
Not enforcing a provision of Title 11B, the declaration or the bylaws on one occasion is not a waiver of the right to enforce it on another occasion.
The first step is a written demand to cease and desist, given to the alleged violator (the owner or another occupant, such as a tenant), stating the nature of the alleged violation and the action required to fix it.
A decision made under these procedures is appealable to the courts of Maryland.
Step by step: a Maryland violation case
The order Kindly Board walks a Maryland board through, from the first look to the last letter.
- Check before you start Every case
Make sure the Maryland rules fit and the rule is one you can enforce. - Courtesy reminder Optional
A friendly first note. Many issues end here. - Demand to cease and desist Before any sanction
The required first step: the violation, the fix, and at least 15 days for a continuing violation. - Notice of right to a hearing Before any sanction
Within 12 months of the demand. At least 10 days to ask, and the proposed sanction. - Hearing (only if the owner asks) If requested
In executive session, at least 10 days after the request. - Board decision Before a sanction
After the hearing, or at the next meeting if no hearing was requested. Into the minutes. - Notice of decision After the decision
Tell the owner what the Board decided, and that it can be appealed. - Close the case Every case
Record how it ended and keep the file.
Maryland HOA rules: FAQ
What HOA law applies in Maryland?
Maryland homeowners associations under the Maryland Homeowners Association Act (Real Property Article, Title 11B). It does not cover condominiums, cooperatives or nonresidential property. The violation steps apply to complaints formally arising on or after October 1, 2022, unless your declaration or bylaws state otherwise, and not to the Columbia Association or its villages. The main sources: HOA Act, Real Property §11B-111.10.
How are days counted for Maryland HOA deadlines?
Days are counted the way Maryland law counts them: the day of the notice doesn't count, the last day does. A period that ends on a Sunday or Maryland legal holiday runs to the next day; a Saturday isn't skipped.
What are the key deadlines in a Maryland HOA violation case?
Earliest fix-by date you can give (continuing violation): for a continuing violation, the demand must give at least 15 days to fix it without further sanction. You may give more. Giving a few extra days costs little and avoids an argument about the count. (Md. Code, Real Prop. §11B-111.10(b)(2)(iii)) Send the notice of right to a hearing within 12 months of the demand: if the violation continues past the fix-by date, or the same rule is broken again, the notice of the right to request a hearing must go out within 12 months of the demand. After that, start again with a new demand. (Md. Code, Real Prop. §11B-111.10(b)(3)) Earliest hearing-request deadline you can set: the notice of right to a hearing must give at least 10 days from the day it is given for the owner to ask for a hearing. You may give more; write the date in the notice. (Md. Code, Real Prop. §11B-111.10(b)(3)(iii)) Earliest hearing date: if the owner asks in time, send a written notice of the time and place. The hearing may not be less than 10 days after the date the request was made. (Md. Code, Real Prop. §11B-111.10(b)(4)(i))
What does Maryland law say about HOA fines?
Title 11B sets no dollar cap on fines and does not itself give an HOA the power to fine. That power, and the amounts, come from your declaration or bylaws and a fine schedule they authorize. (Md. Code, Real Prop. Title 11B (§§11B-101 to 11B-118))
What does Maryland law say about violation hearings?
For a violation that is not continuing, the demand states that any further violation of the same rule may result in a sanction after notice and an opportunity for a hearing. (Md. Code, Real Prop. §11B-111.10(b)(2)(iii))
Official text
- Maryland Code, Real Property §11B-111.10 (official text)
- Maryland Code, Real Property §11B-102 (official text)
- Maryland Code, Real Property Title 11B (official text, from §11B-101)
- Maryland Code, Real Property §11B-111 (official text)
- Maryland Code, Real Property §11B-113.1 (official text)
- Maryland Code, Real Property §11-113, Condominium Act (official text)
- Maryland Code, Real Property §14-128 (official text)
- Maryland Code, Real Property §2-119 (official text)
- Maryland Code, Real Property §11B-111.2 (official text)
- Maryland Code, Real Property §11B-111.8 (official text)
- Maryland Code, General Provisions §1-302 (official text)
- Maryland Code, General Provisions §1-111 (official text)
- Maryland Code, Election Law §8-301 (official text)
- 5 U.S.C. §6103, federal legal public holidays (official text)