Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Maryland

I rented a 4 bedroom house from my family. No lease. I had a friend in a bad situation and he needed help nad no place to live. We had a verbal agreement for him to pay $300.00 a month which he did. he decided to move back into his girlfriends house. He never called to tell me and left his stuff there. He did stop by to pick up a black shirt for a funeral. I asked him when he was going to get the rest of his things. He told me when he could. One month later he found out that i was moving to a new state and asked for his stuff back. that was a tuesday, I told him that i was going to be out of town until thursday looking for new houses in va. i told him that because i was so busy with the moving process that if he did not hear from me by 6 o'clock to give me a call. He never called nor did he come by to get his things. I have now moved out and been in my new redidence for a week. He is now threating to sue me for $700.00 for replacement. I never gave him a lease nor did we ever have anything in writing. What should i do?


Asked on 10/18/09, 9:22 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Lesly Longa Longa Law P.A.

He had an oral lease if it was for a term of less than one year and you have fewer than 5 rental units.

There's always two sides to every story, and a judge will decide who is right if the guy who abandoned his property decides to bring you to court. A free guide to landlord-tenant law is available from the Consumer Protection Division of the Maryland Attorney General's Office, www.oag.state.md.us/publications.htm. If you think you need to consult with an attorney, you should see if your local county's Division of Consumer Affairs has an office for landlord-tenant matters.

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Answered on 10/23/09, 10:29 pm


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