Maryland DHCD tenant right-of-first-refusal information
State guidance about the tenant’s opportunity to make an offer before a qualifying rental property is sold.
Lexington Park, MD · St. Mary's County / Tenant-occupied house
You're done — no turnover, no repairs, no more bad tenants.
After you sell the house to USA Home Buyers, you can leave the landlord role behind. Tenants may still be living there: a sale itself does not end the lease, and the buyer steps into the landlord’s place under it.
We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us.
We buy houses in Lexington Park, Maryland and St. Mary’s County. Call 888-274-5006 or use the form to talk about selling with tenants still there.
Talk through the tenancy
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Share the Lexington Park address and what you know about the lease, occupancy, access, repairs, and timing.
What we do
You don't always need to evict to sell to us. We buy houses with tenants in place — we've done it many times, including cash-for-keys when that works better for everyone.
We start with the house and the tenancy: who lives there, what the lease says, how access works, what rent and deposits are involved, and what timing you are considering. You can discuss an occupied sale or a move-out arrangement without deciding that tenants must leave before you call.
Bring us the problem
Lease timing, access, delayed repairs, rent questions, or a difficult tenant conversation can make the next step unclear. Tell us what is happening with the house and tenancy. You can call before you have settled every lease or possession question.
We can talk through the current occupancy, the condition of the property, and what you want the handoff to look like. Call 888-274-5006.
What happens next
1. We discuss the house and tenancy
Talk through the Lexington Park address, condition, lease, occupancy, access, rent, deposits, and the timing you have in mind. Start with what you know; the conversation does not require the house to be vacant.
2. We give you a written offer
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
The offer and terms are in writing before you commit. Read them and decide whether the sale fits your plans.
3. The title company handles closing
Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing.
The lease, occupancy, deposit accounting, and possession details can be addressed in the written sale terms and closing handoff. A sale does not itself cancel the tenant’s lease.
4. Closing costs are included in our promise
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Maryland's state transfer tax, recordation tax and any applicable county transfer tax.
Your mortgage, liens, back taxes, and share of current property taxes are separate from that closing-cost promise.
Local help for a Lexington Park rental
These official Maryland and St. Mary’s County links can help with tenant-rights and county-office questions.
Maryland Tenants’ Bill of Rights
A statewide tenant-rights reference from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.
Circuit Court for St. Mary’s County — Clerk’s Office
The county’s official Circuit Court Clerk’s Office link for local court questions.
St. Mary’s County Register of Wills
The county’s official office for estate-related questions.
Maryland tenant rights and security deposits
Yes, you can sell a Maryland rental with tenants still living there. The sale itself does not cancel the lease; the buyer steps into the landlord’s place with the same rights under it. The lease, property, and transaction determine which details apply.
When a Maryland rental property is sold — Real Property §8-101
You can sell without treating the sale as the end of the tenancy. The buyer takes the landlord’s place under the existing lease; the tenant does not have to move just because ownership changes.
Tenant opportunity to purchase — Real Property §8-119
For a rental property with 1 to 3 units, Maryland generally requires written notice of the tenant’s right to make an offer before you offer the property to anyone else if a tenant named on the written lease has lived there at least 6 months. The tenant has 30 days to make an offer. If that offer matches the terms in your notice, you must accept it.
An unsolicited third-party offer, or an offer at least 10% below the lowest price previously offered to the tenant, can also give the tenant 30 days to match. Exceptions include transfers to family, court-ordered and foreclosure sales, and certain estate and trust transfers.
Security deposits on sale and return — Real Property §8-203
When the property is sold, the security deposit goes to the buyer with an accounting that lists each deposit’s amount and date, any interest-rate records, the tenant’s name, and the tenant’s last known address. Maryland sets no separate deadline for that handoff, but you remain liable for a deposit you do not pass along.
The deposit must be returned with interest within 45 days after the tenancy ends.
Keep the lease, notice, and deposit details together
Keep the lease, occupancy details, tenant communications, and deposit records with the sale information. Bring questions about your specific lease or tenant rights to a Maryland attorney; the county and state links above can help you find the relevant public information.
Questions and contact
Call 888-274-5006 to talk through the lease, access, repairs, or deposit. You can also use these Lexington Park seller resources:
Lexington Park home-sale net proceeds calculator →Compare your own sale price or written offer, payoff, repairs, and selling-cost assumptions.Lexington Park and St. Mary’s County seller resources →Find the local process, situation pages, and market information.Lexington Park market report →Review current market measures with their source, geography, and period.How the Lexington Park sale process works →See the broader path from property details to written terms and title-company closing.
What sellers say about USA Home Buyers
Here's what sellers have said about working with us.
“After losing my job at ChristianaCare, I fell three months behind on my mortgage. The lender filed a complaint in NCC Superior Court — I had no idea Delaware foreclosure moved that fast. USA Home Buyers explained the judicial timeline, made a written offer the next morning, and we closed before the case progressed. I walked away with $38,000 instead of nothing.”
“The row home on Lancaster Avenue had foundation cracks that had been moving. We called an engineer and they said the back wall had shifted two inches and needed shoring — $48,000 estimate. No bank would finance a buyer with a structural issue like that. USA Home Buyers came out, made an offer two days later. Closed in thirteen days.”
“Seventy-one years old and my husband is in a nursing facility on Foulk Road. I needed to sell the house to cover his care costs. The whole situation is hard enough without adding a six-month listing process. USA Home Buyers were understanding and quick. Offer in twenty-four hours, closed in eight days.”
Lexington Park tenant-occupied seller questions
Can I sell my Lexington Park house while tenants still live there?
Yes. USA Home Buyers buys houses in Lexington Park and St. Mary's County, including houses with tenants in place. A sale itself does not cancel the lease; the buyer steps into the landlord's place under it. You can call while tenants are still living there to talk through the house and tenancy.
Does the tenant have a right to make an offer before I sell?
For a rental with 1 to 3 units, Maryland generally requires written notice of the tenant’s right to make an offer before the property is offered to anyone else when a tenant named on the written lease has lived there at least 6 months. The tenant has 30 days to make an offer; if it matches the terms in the notice, you must accept it. Some third-party offers can also give the tenant 30 days to match, and exceptions apply.
What happens to the security deposit when the house is sold?
The deposit goes to the buyer with an accounting that lists each deposit’s amount and date, any interest-rate records, and the tenant’s name and last known address. Maryland sets no separate deadline for that handoff, but you remain liable for a deposit you do not pass along. The deposit must be returned with interest within 45 days after the tenancy ends.
Do I have to evict before I talk with USA Home Buyers?
You don't always need to evict to sell to us. We buy houses with tenants in place — we've done it many times, including cash-for-keys when that works better for everyone. Tell us about the property and tenancy.
What should I have ready before I call?
Nothing has to be perfect before you call. Start with the address and what you know about the lease, who lives there, rent, deposits, access, repairs, notices, and timing. If you have them nearby, the lease and deposit records can help with the conversation.
How do I ask for a written cash offer?
Use the form on this page or call 888-274-5006. We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
Talk through the tenant situation
Call 888-274-5006 or send the Lexington Park address and what you know about the tenancy.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Share the Lexington Park address and what you know about the lease, occupancy, access, repairs, and timing.