I signed a lease with my landlord in March 2011, there was a person already there so the lease was only for me since the roommate was previously living there she stayed on a month to month basis, the roommate just told me she will be moving in 2 weeks and today I get a call from my landlord saying that he needs the apartment as of the beginning of the year even though my lease is until March 2012. Can he do that? I have been paying my rent on time and I haven't had any issues with the landlord. I'm in MD

If you have a written lease until March 2012 it's a contract between you and the landlord. That lease can only be changed by ANOTHER written document.

The landlord cannot evict you without reason. He/she can try, of course, but Court will hold up the contract.

If the landlord wants you out, I'd bargain - he wants you out early, he should PAY you to leave early. You don't owe him; he owes you.

Did he give you 30 days WRITTEN notice? He has to.

I am not posting eviction law in MD because I don't think you need it.

(I lived in Baltimore for a couple of years and my stepdaughter is an Attorney there - loved Maryland!)

The roommate's agreement is with the landlord. So whatever the roommate does is up to the roommate and the landlord. Since you have a SEPARATE lease for your part of the unit. The landlord has to honor that lease.

So essentially you have the landlord over a barrel. Tell him you had no plans to move until March. If he wants you out early, he will need to buy out the lease. Usually that is 2-3 months rent. You can also ask him to pay moving expenses.

Of course he may not agree and just let the lease expire in March.