1044                            Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 349

form of lease, the rent shall be conclusively presumed to have been
extinguished and the landlord shall not thereafter set up any claim
thereto or to the reversion in the property out of which it issued,
or have the right to institute any suit, action or proceeding what-
soever to recover the rent or the property; but in case the land-
lord shall he under any legal disability when the period of twenty
years of nondemand or nonpayment shall expire, he shall have
two years after the removal of such disability within which to
assert his rights.

8-208. Termination of tenancy for fire or other unavoidable accident.
Whenever the improvements on property rented for a term of
not more than seven years shall become untenantable by reason of
fire or other unavoidable accident, the tenancy shall be thereby
terminated, and all liability for rent thereunder shall cease upon
payment proportionately to the day of fire or unavoidable accident.

8-209. Right of tenant to remove fixtures erected by him not
impaired by new lease.

The right of a tenant to remove fixtures erected by him under
one demise or term shall not be lost or in any manner impaired
by reason of his acceptance of a new lease of the same premises
without any intermediate surrender of possession.

8-210. Effect of covenant to surrender premises in good repair.
A covenant or promise by the tenant to leave, restore, surrender
or yield up the premises in good repair shall not have the effect
to bind him to erect similar buildings or pay for such buildings as
may be destroyed by fire or otherwise without negligence or fault
on his part, unless otherwise expressly provided by written agreement
or covenant that he shall be so bound.

8-211. Exculpatory clause.

Any provision of a lease or other rental agreement relating to
property leased solely for residential purposes whereby a tenant
enters into a covenant, agreement or contract, by the use of any
words whatsoever, the effect of which is to indemnify the landlord
or hold the landlord harmless, or preclude or exonerate the land-
lord from any or all liability to the tenant, or to any other person,
for any injury, loss, damage or liability arising from any omission,
fault, negligence or other misconduct of the landlord on or about
the leased or rented premises or on or about any elevators, stairways,
hallways or other appurtenances used in connection therewith, and
not within the exclusive control of the tenant, shall he deemed
to be against public policy and void. No insurer may claim a right of
subrogation by reason of the invalidity of such a provision.

8-212. Landlord to give tenant receipt in Anne Arundel County.

Except when the tenant makes payment by check or when the
tenant is renting the property for commercial or business purposes,
where any interest in property shall be leased for any definite
term or at will in Anne Arundel County, the landlord shall give
the tenant a receipt showing payment and the time period which
the payment covers. Any person or any agent, upon conviction of
violating this section, shall forfeit the rent due for the period in
question.