Baltimore City Ground Rent

Simplest Explanation to Ground Rent in Baltimore City:

Ground rent is a really old obscure system that is technically still legally enforceable in some areas such as Baltimore City. Technically someone else owns the land and is indefinitely leasing it to the property owner. Payments are typically from $50-150 and are due twice per year. And the ground lease owner has no rights to prevent sale of a property, prevent property improvements, or take any property (unless you fail to pay ground rent).

How to find out if a property has ground rent in Baltimore City?

Go to Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation’s real property data search and punch in the property address, and click “view ground rent registration” you may see that ground rent has been redeemed, which means that someone has bought out the ground rent lease holder, meaning there was ground rent, but it is no longer in place.: https://sdat.dat.maryland.gov/RealProperty/Pages/default.aspx

How to Remove Ground Rent in Baltimore City:

You can contact the lease holder and request to “redeem” ground rent. If the ground rent was created after April 8, 1884, then the lease holder must sell it to you upon request. The cost to buy back (redeem) your ground rent is formulated based on the ground rent cost and the year it was established.

What Happens if you Fail to Pay Ground Rent in Baltimore City?:

If you fail to pay ground rent, the ground lease owner has the right to place a lien on your property.

Simplest Explanation of Ground Rent in Baltimore City:

Ground rent is a very old and obscure system that is technically still legally enforceable in some areas, such as Baltimore City. Technically, someone else owns the land and is indefinitely leasing it to the property owner. Payments are typically between $50 and $150 and are due twice per year. The ground lease owner has no rights to prevent the sale of a property, prevent property improvements, or take any property (unless you fail to pay ground rent).

How to find out if a property has ground rent in Baltimore City?

Go to the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation’s real property data search, enter the property address, and click “view ground rent registration.” You may see that ground rent has been redeemed, which means that someone has bought out the ground rent lease holder, indicating there was ground rent, but it is no longer in place: https://sdat.dat.maryland.gov/RealProperty/Pages/default.aspx

How to Remove Ground Rent in Baltimore City:

You can contact the leaseholder and request to “redeem” the ground rent. If the ground rent was created after April 8, 1884, then the leaseholder must sell it to you upon request. The cost to buy back (redeem) your ground rent is formulated based on the ground rent cost and the year it was established.

What Happens if you Fail to Pay Ground Rent in Baltimore City?

If you fail to pay ground rent, the ground lease owner has the right to place a lien on your property.