Aleti v. Metropolitan Baltimore, LLC

Summary

The court held that Baltimore City's rental-licensing ordinance does not create an implied private right allowing tenants to recover rent and related fees paid solely because the landlord lacked a license, where the landlord otherwise provided the bargained-for housing and no deficiency was alleged. The tenants also failed to state claims for restitution of rent and related fees or for breach of contract, but sufficiently pleaded a money-had-and-received claim for legal fees collected in connection with unlawful nonpayment proceedings. The judgment below was affirmed, with the declaratory-judgment count remanded for further proceedings.