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Free foreclosure help in Maryland

Free help for Maryland homeowners comes from the state housing agency's counselors, the courts' help center, legal aid, and the state financial regulator. Pick the situation below that matches yours. You never have to pay anyone to apply for help, ask for mediation, or claim surplus money. If a court deadline is running, call the same day.

Free HUD counselor: (800) 569-4287

Reviewed against Maryland law and official sources on October 12, 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Ask for help in Maryland

Free. A person replies with the options and official help that fit. Messages about a scheduled sale are answered first.

For example: a sale date, what your servicer has told you, or what changed in your income. Please do not include your loan number, Social Security number or bank details.

Free, and there is nothing to buy. A person reads your message and replies by email, or by phone if you leave a number. We never ask for a fee and we do not sell your details. See the privacy policy.

Who to call first, by situation

  • You are not behind yet but expect trouble

    Before you miss a payment

    Call your servicer and ask about hardship options. Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, Foreclosure Prevention at 877-462-7555 can connect you with a free HUD-approved housing counselor to review your budget.

  • You are behind or got a Notice of Intent to Foreclose

    Within days of the notice

    Call a counselor through Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, Foreclosure Prevention and send in the loss mitigation application that came with the notice. Maryland Office of Financial Regulation, Foreclosure Help for Homeowners explains each step and your rights.

    Md. Code, Real Prop. § 7-105.1(c)

  • You were served with an Order to Docket

    Immediately; the 25-day mediation clock may already be running

    Call Maryland Legal Aid at 888-213-3320 or the Maryland Court Help Center at 410-260-1392 for free help with the mediation request, fee waiver and motions. The Maryland People's Law Library, Foreclosure Steps and Timeline lays out every deadline.

    Md. Code, Real Prop. § 7-105.1(j)

  • Your mediation is scheduled

    At least 20 days before the session to exchange papers

    Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings runs the session and sends the list of papers you need. A housing counselor or lawyer can come with you.

    Md. Code, Real Prop. § 7-105.1(k), (l)

  • A sale date has been set

    The same day you learn of it

    Call Maryland Legal Aid or the Maryland Court Help Center about a motion to stay the sale, and ask the lender's attorney in writing for the amount to reinstate. A licensed attorney can also help.

    Md. Code, Real Prop. § 7-105.1(p)

  • Your servicer is not following the rules

    As soon as the problem happens

    Keep notes of dates, names and what was said. File a complaint with Maryland Office of Financial Regulation, Consumer Complaints, the regulator for mortgage servicers and lenders.

  • A rescue company or home buyer contacted you

    Before you sign or pay anything

    Maryland bans foreclosure rescue transactions and bars consultants from taking any pay until all promised services are done. Never sign over your deed. Report it to Maryland Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division or to Maryland Office of Financial Regulation, Foreclosure Help for Homeowners at 410-230-6077.

    Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 7-305, 7-307

Official and nonprofit help in Maryland

None of these charge homeowners for foreclosure help.

Need a private foreclosure lawyer?

License-checked lawyers who represent homeowners, by area:

Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund

The Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund ended on September 18, 2023. The state financial regulator reports that applications are no longer accepted because the money was fully allocated and federal funding ended. The Department of Housing and Community Development still offers free housing counseling and legal referrals through its foreclosure prevention page and the 877-462-7555 line.

Check the program’s current status

Common questions in Maryland

Where can I get a free foreclosure lawyer in Maryland?

Start with Maryland Legal Aid at 888-213-3320, which the state lists as a legal provider for homeowners in foreclosure. The Maryland Court Help Center at 410-260-1392 gives free legal help from the courts to people without a lawyer. A housing counselor through the state housing agency can also refer you to nonprofit legal services in your county.

Is the Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund still open?

No. The Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund ended on September 18, 2023, and the federal HAF program itself ended on September 30, 2026. Free counseling through the Department of Housing and Community Development is still available at 877-462-7555.

Can I cancel a contract with a foreclosure consultant in Maryland?

Yes. Under the Protection of Homeowners in Foreclosure Act you can cancel a foreclosure consulting contract at any time, and the consultant cannot collect pay until every promised service is done. You can sue for damages, which can be tripled for willful violations.

Step by step

More on foreclosure in Maryland

Understand the process

What is happening and how much time there is.

Weigh your options

What can stop it, and what happens if it goes ahead.

Get help now

Who to call, and what to do when a sale is scheduled.

Back to the Maryland overview

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Sources for this page

  1. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-105.4 (notice of sale to record owner; postponement)
  2. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-105.3 (notice of sale to county)
  3. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-105.8 (tenants after foreclosure)
  4. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-105.11 (occupant and eviction notices)
  5. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-113 (no lockouts or utility shutoffs)
  6. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-314 (foreclosure surplus acquisition contracts)
  7. Maryland Office of Financial Regulation, Foreclosure Surplus Acquisitions
  8. The Maryland People's Law Library, Foreclosure Mediation
  9. The Maryland People's Law Library, Foreclosure of Residential Property
  10. Appellate Court of Maryland, unreported opinion No. 2404, Sept. Term 2018 (Rule 14-211 timing)
  11. Appellate Court of Maryland, Wonder City, LLC v. Ward, unreported opinion No. 0056, Sept. Term 2024 (Rule 14-216 surplus)
  12. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-105.1
  13. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-105.2
  14. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-305
  15. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-307
  16. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-320
  17. Maryland Office of Financial Regulation, Maryland's Mortgage Foreclosure Process
  18. Maryland Office of Financial Regulation, Foreclosure Help for Homeowners
  19. Maryland Commissioner of Financial Regulation, Advisory: Termination of the Homeowner Assistance Fund (October 25, 2023)
  20. Maryland DHCD, Foreclosure Prevention
  21. The Maryland People's Law Library, Foreclosure Steps and Timeline