Maryland Contract of Sale Deadlines and Rescission

Maryland contract of sale deadlines, in short: a buyer who didn't get the disclosure or disclaimer statement before signing can rescind within 5 days of receiving it, HOA buyers get 5 calendar days after the required disclosures, condo resale buyers get 7 days after the certificate, and the inspections addendum gives the seller 5 days to answer.

More on this topic: Contract deadlines by state, every guide in one place.

The Maryland REALTORS Residential Contract of Sale is member-only, so its own paragraphs, such as deposit timing or the financing deadline, aren't quoted here; take those from the executed contract. This guide covers the statutory deadlines every contract has to honor and the Property Inspections Addendum. It's general information, not legal advice. Other states: see the deadlines in a purchase contract or the New Jersey attorney review period.

Key takeaways

• No disclosure or disclaimer statement before signing: the buyer can rescind until 5 days after receiving it, with the deposit returned (Real Property § 10-702).
• HOA: if the disclosures didn't arrive at least 5 calendar days before the contract, the buyer has 5 calendar days after receiving them all to cancel, and 3 days after material changes (§ 11B-106).
• Condo resale: the certificate is due at least 15 days before closing, and the buyer may rescind within 7 days of receiving it (§ 11-135).
• In the Property Inspections Addendum, the seller answers within 5 days and the buyer replies within 2.
• From October 1, 2026, after a contingency termination the seller has 10 days to file suit or seek mediation, and the holder must then release the deposit within 5 days (Chapter 716).

When can a Maryland buyer rescind over the disclosure statement?

When the seller didn't deliver the disclosure or disclaimer statement on or before the contract was signed. The buyer then has an unconditional right, by written notice to the seller or the seller's agent, to rescind at any time before receiving it or within 5 days after, and to the immediate return of the deposit (§ 10-702(h)). A buyer who received it on time has no rescission right based on it.

The right ends sooner if the buyer applies for a mortgage with a lender that disclosed in writing that applying ends it, or 5 days after such a lender disclosure. It can't be waived in the contract, and it ends at closing or occupancy, whichever comes first (§ 10-702(k)).

What are the HOA rescission periods in Maryland?

Under the Maryland Homeowners Association Act, the seller must give the disclosures listed in § 11B-106(b) on or before signing, or within 20 calendar days after. If the buyer didn't have all of them at least 5 calendar days before signing, the buyer has 5 calendar days after receiving all of them to cancel in writing, without a reason. The seller must also give notice of increases of more than 10% in mandatory fees and other substantial and material amendments, and the buyer has 3 calendar days after receiving those to cancel.

A buyer who cancels gets the deposit back, less the cost of reproducing the documents or $100, whichever is less, unless they return them. The association must supply the information within 20 days of a written request, for a fee capped at $250, with limited extra charges for 14-day or 7-day delivery (§ 11B-106(c)).

What is the condo resale rescission period?

Seven days. For a resale by an owner other than the developer, the seller must furnish the information in § 11-135 no later than 15 days before closing, and the buyer may rescind in writing within 7 days after receiving all of it, without a reason or liability. The right can't be waived, and it ends if the buyer goes to closing. The council of unit owners must provide the certificate within 20 days of a request. § 11-126, sometimes quoted for this, covers a developer's initial sales.

How do the Property Inspections Addendum deadlines work?

Each inspection the parties initial (structural and mechanical, mold, environmental, radon and others) has its own blank: within that many days from the Date of Contract Acceptance, the buyer must inspect and send the seller the whole report plus a written statement of the unsatisfactory conditions and the fix requested (Paragraph 2, 10/19 edition). Miss it and the buyer is deemed to have accepted the report (4.A).

• If both parties initial 4.B, the buyer may terminate for general dissatisfaction by notice within the inspection period.
• Otherwise (4.C), the seller has 5 days from the buyer's notice to say whether it will repair all, some or none, or offer a credit.
• The buyer then has 2 days from the seller's answer, or from when it was due, to terminate or waive. Silence keeps the contract in force.
• A credit offer gets the same 2-day reply; silence accepts it, subject to lender approval.

See the repair request process.

What happens to the deposit after a contingency termination?

The buyer asks for it back in writing, to both the holder and the seller. Under § 10-803 as amended by Chapter 716 of 2026, effective October 1, 2026, the seller has 10 days to give the holder a copy of a District Court complaint, or a copy of a notarized mediation request given to a mediator. If not, the holder must release the money to the buyer within 5 days after those 10 days. Before October 1, the holder had 30 days from the request. Chapter 716 also removed the list of named contingencies, leaving the general definition.

Outside that process, a broker holding trust money may give written notice of a proposed release, and either party has 30 days to protest (Business Occupations and Professions § 17-505). See the earnest money deadline.

How are days counted for these deadlines?

The HOA statute says calendar days; the disclosure, condo and addendum periods just say days. Check the definition of days in your contract of sale.

The dates are illustrative; the executed contract and the statutes control.

What happens if you miss a Maryland deadline?

Mostly the right simply ends. A late inspection report means the report is accepted; a buyer who doesn't reply within 2 days stays in the contract on the seller's terms; the rescission rights end at closing, and the disclosure right also at occupancy. Because these rights can't be waived in the contract, a seller who never delivers the documents leaves the buyer's right open until closing. See also what happens when a contingency deadline is missed.

Which Maryland forms go with these deadlines?

How do you track Maryland deadlines without missing one?

Closingbird reads the executed contract and fills in the dates it finds, which you check and edit, then reminds each deadline owner every morning. Inspection periods counted from acceptance can be “10 days after acceptance”. The rescission periods, the seller's 5-day answer, the buyer's 2-day reply and the deposit-release clock all run from a delivery or a notice, so set a fixed date for each as soon as it happens, and note the delivery date and method on the file. See deadline tracking.

Frequently asked questions

How long do you have to rescind a home purchase in Maryland?

It depends on the document. 5 days after a late disclosure or disclaimer statement, 5 calendar days after late HOA disclosures, and 7 days after a condo resale certificate.

What is the HOA rescission period in Maryland?

5 calendar days after receiving all the required disclosures, if they weren't received at least 5 days before signing, plus 3 days after material changes (§ 11B-106).

How long does a Maryland seller have to respond to an inspection request?

5 days from receiving the buyer's notice under the Maryland REALTORS Property Inspections Addendum. The buyer then has 2 days to reply.

When must the deposit be returned after a contingency termination in Maryland?

From October 1, 2026: if the seller doesn't file suit or seek mediation within 10 days of the buyer's request, the holder must release it within 5 days after that.

Can a Maryland buyer waive the right to rescind?

Not in the contract of sale. The statutes make an attempted waiver void, but the rights end at closing.

Run it in Closingbird

Upload a Maryland contract, add each rescission window as a fixed date when the documents arrive, and let Closingbird remind every owner each morning. Start a free trial (14-day free trial, no credit card required) or see pricing.

Related reading

• The deadlines in a purchase contract
• New Jersey attorney review period
• The earnest money deadline
• Virginia real estate contract deadlines
• Deadline tracking in Closingbird

Sources

Checked in October 2026. Rules and prices change, and many vary by state, so confirm with the source, your state's real estate commission or your broker before you rely on them.

• Maryland Code, Real Property § 10-702, residential property disclosure and disclaimer statement
• Maryland Code, Real Property § 11B-106, Maryland Homeowners Association Act resale disclosures
• Maryland Code, Real Property § 11-135, condominium resale certificate
• Maryland REALTORS: Property Inspections Addendum, 10/19 (Internet Archive capture, July 18, 2024)
• Maryland General Assembly: Chapter 716 of 2026 (SB 691), approved May 26, 2026, effective October 1, 2026
• Maryland Code, Real Property § 10-803, return of trust money after a contingency termination (text before October 1, 2026)
• Maryland Code, Business Occupations and Professions § 17-505, broker trust money