The law in plain English
Return deadline
Under Md. Code Real Prop., Sections 8-203, 8-203.1, 8-208, the deposit response usually has to be sent within 45 days of the move-out timeline described by the state rule.
Required notice
Maryland generally caps the deposit at 1 month's rent, with a narrow higher-deposit exception for certain utility-assistance tenancies, and the landlord usually has 45 days to send the refund and written list of damages.
This dispute type
Pet-related deposit disputes usually turn on proof. In Maryland, landlords still need to handle the refund and deduction notice correctly, and renters usually ask whether the charge reflects actual damage or just the landlord's assumption that pets always create extra cost.
Penalty leverage
If the withholding was wrongful or in bad faith, the exposure allowed under the statute is: Landlord forfeits the right to withhold; you can recover up to three times the amount wrongfully withheld, plus attorney's fees