Maryland Commercial Law Section 12-1101

      (a)      In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.

      (b)      (1)      "Advertisement" means a commercial message in any medium that aids, promotes, or assists, directly or indirectly, a rental-purchase agreement.

            (2)      "Advertisement" does not include in-store merchandising ads.

      (c)      "Cash price" means the price at which the lessor would have sold rental property covered by a rental-purchase agreement to the consumer unconditionally for cash on the date of consummation.

      (d)      "Consumer" means an individual who rents personal property under a rental-purchase agreement primarily for personal, family, or household purposes.

      (e)      "Consummation" means the time at which a consumer enters into a rental-purchase agreement.

      (f)      "Lessor" means a person who regularly provides the use of personal property through rental-purchase agreements to consumers and to whom rental payments are initially payable on the face of a rental-purchase agreement.

      (g)      "Rental property" means personal property that is the subject of a rental-purchase agreement.

      (h)      "Rental-purchase agreement" means an agreement that:

            (1)      Is for the use of personal property by an individual primarily for personal, family, or household purposes;

            (2)      Is for an initial period of 4 months or less;

            (3)      Is automatically renewable for a weekly or monthly period with each rental payment after the initial period; and

            (4)      Allows but does not obligate the consumer to become the owner of the property.