Can You Sell a House With Squatters in Maryland?

Can you sell a house with squatters in Maryland? Yes, absolutely. Squatters are trespassers with no legal claim on your property. However, Maryland law treats them differently than traditional tenants, which affects how you handle the sale.

Squatters vs. Tenants in Maryland Law

• Tenants have a lease or rental agreement and legal rights. Removing them requires formal ejectment (30-60 days). Tenant rights are strong.
• Squatters have NO lease, NO permission, and NO legal claim (unless they've occupied for 20+ years openly—"adverse possession"). They're trespassers. Police can remove them for trespassing.

Most squatters are recent occupants with no legal claim. However, if someone has lived openly in your property for years, they may claim adverse possession rights, which makes the situation more complex.

Maryland's Adverse Possession Law

Maryland recognizes adverse possession after 20 years of open, notorious, exclusive, and uninterrupted possession. Most squatters occupy for months to 2 years—well short of 20. If occupants have been there 6 months to 2 years, they're clearly trespassers with no legal claim.

The Maryland Eviction Process (Ejectment)

• File ejectment suit in District Court
• Court hearing (10-30 days after filing)
• Judgment (usually in your favor)
• Appeal period (10 days)
• Sheriff removal (10-14 days after judgment)

Total timeline: 30-60 days minimum. Costs: Court fees ($150-$300), attorney fees ($500-$1,500+).

Why You May NOT Need to Evict Before Selling

Here's the critical insight: you do not always need to evict squatters before selling to a cash buyer.

• Cash buyers take title as-is. We purchase with occupants already inside.
• We handle the occupancy issue after closing. Once we own it, we have authority to remove trespassers.
• Traditional buyers cannot close with occupants. Lenders won't finance occupied properties with unclear possession.
• You avoid eviction costs and delays. Skip the 30-60 day court process and attorney fees. Sell to us, close in 7-14 days.

Your Two Main Options

Option 1: Evict, Then Sell to Traditional Buyer — Timeline: 30-60 days (eviction) + 30-90 days (sale) = 60-150 days. Costs: Court + attorney + realtor commission (5-6%).

Option 2: Sell to Cash Buyer Without Eviction — Timeline: 7-14 days. Costs: None (we buy as-is). For most homeowners, Option 2 is vastly superior.

Your Legal Protections

• You can call police for trespassing. However, police are often reluctant to get involved in property disputes.
• You can file an ejectment suit. Courts will remove trespassers quickly if occupancy is recent and clearly unauthorized.
• You can change locks and remove property. After obtaining a court order.
• You can sell the property occupied. Nothing in Maryland law prohibits selling with known trespassers, provided you disclose the situation.