Garrett County, Maryland Eviction Risk: Moderate

Garrett County sits at the western tip of Maryland and ranks 24th out of 24 counties for eviction risk - meaning it carries the lowest tenant-protection exposure of any county in the state. Its composite score of 5.3/10 (Moderate) reflects a rural rental market where average rents of $736/month remain well below Maryland's urban centers, yet a 28.7% average rent burden and a 19.9% poverty rate keep risk from dropping to low territory. Roughly 39.9% of residents rent, a significant share for a county of just over 10,000 people spread across 21 tracked localities.

Risk is not uniform across Garrett's communities. Oakland, the county seat and largest city at a population of 2,254, scores 4.9/10 - the county floor - reflecting relatively stable housing conditions. Grantsville and Finzel both land at 5.1/10. At the other end, Barton (5.9/10) and Friendsville (5.8/10) lead the riskiest-city list, joined by Kitzmiller and Bloomington at 5.8/10 and 5.7/10 respectively. Mountain Lake Park, the second-most-populous community at 2,167 residents, sits at 5.6/10 - a useful reminder that population alone does not predict risk here. The spread from 4.9 to 5.9 across all 21 localities means a landlord's exposure can vary meaningfully depending on which Garrett community they operate in.

Maryland's landlord-tenant framework under Md. Real Prop. § 8 (Landlord and Tenant) applies statewide. For nonpayment of rent, the controlling notice requirement is 10 days under Md. Real Property § 8-401; material lease violations require a 30-day notice under § 8-402.1; ending a month-to-month tenancy requires 60 days under § 8-402. Court filing fees run $50-$60, with sheriff lockout fees adding $40-$150. Attorney costs for contested matters range from $500 to $3,000. Uncontested cases typically resolve in 30-45 days; contested proceedings can stretch 45-120 days. Maryland also mandates just-cause grounds for eviction and protects source of income under the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights - both factors that contribute to the moderate baseline score even in Garrett's low-density market. Crucially, Maryland does not preempt local rent control, so any future municipal ordinance in Garrett could shift the landscape without state interference.

Scores across Garrett County's 21 localities range from 4.9/10 in Oakland and Franklin to 5.9/10 in Barton, with the county average at 5.3/10 - the most landlord-favorable position among all 24 Maryland eviction laws counties.