Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Maryland

An attorney would have to review the exact language of the form to give you the best answer. Generally, however, these forms state that the tenant's right is dependent on the landlord's decision to offer the house for sale at a given price, and then the owner's receipt of a bona fide offer. At that point, the tenant has a right to match the offer and get the house. This differs from an option to buy, which usually gives the tenant the right to initiate the process by tendering an offer at either a predetermined price, or at a 'market' price.

If the right of refusal form didn't specify any expiration date, all terms in the original lease should remain in effect except for the length of the lease and the method of its termination. It would have been a good idea, before doing the upgrades, to reaffirm your right to purchase the property at any time, or better yet, to make sure you had a true option that you could initiate. You should confront the landlord regarding your upgrades and find out if they plan to put the house on the market. If so, you may be able to enforce your rights, but would have to take legal action to do so.