Question 1

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Maine?

Accepted Answer

May not exceed 2 months' rent. Separately, at move-in a landlord, agent or broker may not require more than the first full month's rent, the security deposit and properly disclosed mandatory recurring fees (§ 6022-A).

Question 2

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Written lease: within the time stated in the lease, but no more than 30 days. Tenancy at will: within 21 days after the tenancy ends or the premises are surrendered, whichever is later.

Question 3

How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering a rental in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Reasonable notice and entry only at reasonable times; 24 hours is presumed reasonable.

Question 4

How much notice does a landlord need to give to raise the rent in Maine?

Accepted Answer

At least 45 days' written notice for any rent (or mandatory recurring fee) increase; at least 75 days if the increase, alone or combined over 12 months, is 10% or more.

Question 5

Can a landlord charge a late fee in Maine, and how much?

Accepted Answer

Rent is late only if unpaid 15 days after it is due. The late penalty may not exceed 4% of one month's rent, and the tenant must have been told in writing at signing that it may be charged.

Question 6

What notice does a landlord have to give before evicting for unpaid rent in Maine?

Accepted Answer

A tenancy at will may be ended on 7 days' written notice when the tenant is 7 or more days behind on rent; paying the full rent due before the notice expires voids it.

Question 7

Can cities in Maine pass rent control?

Accepted Answer

No state statute barring local rent control was found in 14 M.R.S. chapters 709 and 710.

Question 8

How much notice is needed to end a month-to-month tenancy in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Either party may end a tenancy at will with at least 30 days' written notice. If rent is paid through a later date, the notice must expire on or after that date. Shorter notice applies in listed cases such as nonpayment.

Question 9

Does a landlord have to pay interest on a security deposit in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Maine's security deposit chapter (14 M.R.S. ch. 710-A, §§ 6031-6039) requires deposits to be held in a bank account beyond the reach of the landlord's creditors, with the bank and account number disclosed on request. It does not require the landlord to pay interest (full-text search of the chapter).

Question 10

Is a move-in or move-out inspection checklist required in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Maine's rental-property chapter (14 M.R.S. §§ 6021-6030-K) requires no move-in inspection or checklist (full-text search of the chapter). It does require bedbug inspections on notice and bedbug disclosures (§ 6021-A).

Question 11

Is landlord retaliation illegal in Maine?

Accepted Answer

An eviction is presumed retaliatory if, within 6 months before it was filed, the tenant asserted listed statutory rights, made a good-faith code complaint, or engaged in other listed protected acts. The presumption does not apply to evictions for listed § 6002(1) grounds or lease violations, unless the tenant used § 6026. No writ issues unless the landlord rebuts it. Retaliation for joining a tenants' organization also bars eviction.

Question 12

Can a landlord change the locks or shut off utilities in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Evictions without court process are illegal. That includes willfully cutting utilities (water, heat, electricity, gas, etc.), locking the tenant out, or seizing the tenant's property. The tenant recovers actual damages or $250, whichever is greater, plus costs and attorney's fees.

Question 13

What can a tenant do if the landlord won't make repairs in Maine?

Accepted Answer

For a condition that endangers health or safety and costs less than $500 or half a month's rent (whichever is greater) to fix, the tenant may give written notice by certified mail. If the landlord does not act within 14 days, the tenant may have the work done professionally and deduct the cost from rent with an itemized statement. A habitability-warranty rent reduction is also available.

Question 14

What disclosures must a landlord give tenants in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Landlords must disclose energy consumption information for tenant-paid utilities, provide radon testing results and disclosure, and give a total price disclosure statement covering rent plus mandatory fees, along with other listed disclosures. Landlords must also give a written smoking policy disclosure stating the policy on smoking on the premises (§ 6030-E).

Question 15

What can a landlord do with property a tenant leaves behind in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Abandoned property must be stored in a safe, dry, secure place. The landlord sends written notice with an itemized list. If the tenant does not respond within 7 days, the property may be disposed of under the statute. Claimed property must be released without conditioning release on payment.

Question 16

Can a tenant break a lease early for domestic violence or military service in Maine?

Accepted Answer

A victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking may end a lease early. For leases under one year, 7 days' written notice plus documentation is required. For longer leases, 30 days' written notice is required. A tenant who is the victim of sexual harassment by the landlord or the landlord's agent may terminate the lease the same way, with documentation (§ 6001(6)(D-1)).

Question 17

Is there a grace period before a late fee can be charged in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Rent is not late until 15 days after it is due. The late penalty may not exceed 4% of one month's rent, and the tenant must have been told about it in writing when the agreement was made.

Question 18

How much can a landlord charge for a rental application fee in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Application fees are banned; a landlord may charge only the actual cost of one background check, credit check or other screening, and must give the applicant a full copy of the results.

Question 19

Can a landlord refuse Section 8 or other source of income in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Landlords may not refuse to rent, or impose different terms, primarily because a person receives public assistance, including housing subsidies.

Question 20

Can a tenant fix something and deduct it from rent in Maine?

Accepted Answer

If an unsafe condition costs less than $500 or half the monthly rent (whichever is greater) to fix, the tenant may give written notice by certified mail; if the landlord doesn't fix it within 14 days (sooner in emergencies), the tenant may have it professionally repaired and deduct the cost after giving an itemized statement. Separately, if a landlord fails to pay for utility service in the landlord's name, the tenant may pay it and deduct the amount from rent (§ 6024-A).

Question 21

How does the eviction court process work in Maine?

Accepted Answer

An eviction (forcible entry and detainer) starts with a summons and complaint served like other civil cases. After 3 good-faith service attempts on different days, the landlord may mail them and leave them at the home. Residential tenants must get the court's plain-language form notice explaining the process.

Question 22

Does a landlord have to provide smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in Maine?

Accepted Answer

At the start of each tenancy, the landlord must provide working smoke detectors if none are present, and must repair or replace them after written notice of a problem from the tenant. The tenant must keep them working by keeping batteries charged and testing them. The same rules apply to carbon monoxide detectors: at the time of each occupancy the landlord must provide working CO detectors if none are present and repair or replace them after written notice, and the tenant must keep them working (25 M.R.S. § 2468(5)(A)-(B)).

Question 23

What happens if a tenant stays after the lease ends in Maine?

Accepted Answer

A landlord can bring a forcible entry and detainer action against a tenant under a written lease when the term expires, with no notice needed, if the case is filed within 7 days after the term ends.

Question 24

Can a tenant withhold rent for repairs in Maine?

Accepted Answer

In an eviction appeal, the tenant must pay rent that accrues during the appeal to the landlord. If the amount is disputed, the tenant pays it into an escrow account run by the Superior Court clerk. Rent may not be increased while the unit violates the warranty of habitability, unless the tenant caused the violation (§ 6016). Maine also lets a tenant pay an unpaid landlord utility bill and deduct it from rent (§ 6024-A, see repair and deduct).

Question 25

Can a tenant sublet an apartment in Maine?

Accepted Answer

A search of the full text of 14 M.R.S. chs. 709 and 710 found no rule on landlord consent to sublet. The lease controls.

Question 26

What happens to the lease when a tenant dies in Maine?

Accepted Answer

A search of the full text of 14 M.R.S. chs. 709 and 710 found no provision on a tenant's death, other than pet-care provisions that also cover a tenant's disability.

Question 27

What is the eviction record sealing rule in Maine?

Accepted Answer

A search of the full text of 14 M.R.S. chs. 709-710 (§§ 6001 et seq.), which includes the state's residential eviction procedure, found no provision for sealing or expunging eviction records. Court rules, which this site has not reviewed, may still allow it.

Question 28

What is the tenant relocation assistance rule in Maine?

Accepted Answer

A search of the full text of 14 M.R.S. chs. 709-710 (§§ 6001 et seq.) found no requirement for landlords to pay tenants relocation assistance. Government relocation programs, such as those for public projects, are in other laws not reviewed here.

Question 29

What is the rent receipts, payment methods & cash rule in Maine?

Accepted Answer

A landlord must give a written receipt, at the time of payment, for every rent or security deposit payment made fully or partly in cash.

Question 30

What is the condo conversion protections rule in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Residential tenants of a conversion building must get notice and the public offering statement at least 120 days before they must vacate. Except for nonpayment, waste, or disturbing other tenants, no tenant can be required to vacate on less than 120 days' notice.

Question 31

What is the manufactured / mobile home parks rule in Maine?

Accepted Answer

A manufactured housing community owner must give home owners at least 90 days' notice before raising lot rent or fees. Code text: "An owner of a manufactured housing community shall provide notice of an increase in lot rent or fees no less than 90 days before the effective date of the increase to the owner of a manufactured home in the community."

Question 32

What is the eviction notices for other grounds (lease violation, no-fault) rule in Maine?

Accepted Answer

A tenancy at will can be ended on 7 days' written notice for listed causes, including substantial unrepaired damage, a nuisance or a violation of law, rent 7 or more days late, or violence or threats against others. The landlord must prove the cause. Code text: "the tenancy may be terminated upon 7 days' written notice in the event that the landlord can show, by affirmative proof, that."

Question 33

What is the right to cure / redeem rule in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for rent. Paying the rent due as of the notice date before the notice expires voids a nonpayment notice. Paying all arrears, current rent and the landlord's filing and service fees before the writ of possession issues reinstates the tenancy. Code text: "If you pay the amount of rent due as of the date of this notice before this notice expires, then this notice as it applies to rent arrearage is void."

Question 34

What is the deposit bank holding / separate account rule in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Security deposits cannot be mixed with the landlord's assets. They must be held in a bank or other financial institution account beyond the reach of the landlord's creditors, and the landlord must tell a tenant who asks where the deposit is held. Code text: "may not be treated as an asset to be commingled with the assets of the landlord or any other entity or person."

Question 35

What is the domestic violence early termination rule in Maine?

Accepted Answer

A victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking may end a lease early with 7 days' written notice and documentation for a lease under one year, or 30 days' notice for a lease of one year or more. Code text: "A victim may terminate a lease early due to an incident or threat of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking by providing: (1) Seven days' written notice."

Question 36

What is the military lease termination (federal scra, all states) rule in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Federal law that applies in every state: under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, a tenant may end a residential lease after entering military service, or after getting permanent-change-of-station orders or deployment orders of at least 90 days, by delivering written notice and a copy of the orders to the landlord. For a lease with monthly rent, termination takes effect 30 days after the next rent due date following delivery of the notice. Any state-specific rule on this page also applies. Code text: "The lessee on a lease described in subsection (b) may, at the lessee's option, terminate the lease at any time after" entering military service, the date of the military orders, or the date of a stop movement order (50 U.S.C. 3955(a)(1)(A)-(C)).

Question 37

What is the pet deposits/fees & service/esa animals rule in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Landlords may require tenants to provide information about animals in the unit and an emergency contact authorized to retrieve an animal if the tenant abandons it or can no longer care for it. Statute text: "A landlord may require a tenant to provide information about any animal present in a rental unit and also require the name and contact information of one or more persons the tenant authorizes to enter the rental unit to retrieve the animal if the tenant has vacated the premises and abandoned the animal or the tenant is unable to care for the animal due to death or disability" (14 M.R.S. § 6025-A).

Question 38

What is the guest & occupancy limits rule in Maine?

Accepted Answer

The state landlord-tenant statute (14 M.R.S. chs. 709, 710 and 710-C, full-text search 2026-10-16) has no provision on guest stays or occupancy limits. Local ordinances or other state or federal laws may still apply.

Question 39

Does a landlord need just cause to evict in Maine?

Accepted Answer

The state landlord-tenant statute (14 M.R.S. chs. 709, 710 and 710-C, full-text search 2026-10-16) has no provision on a general just-cause (good-cause) requirement for ending a tenancy. Local ordinances or other state or federal laws may still apply.

Question 40

Does a landlord have to give notice before not renewing a lease in Maine?

Accepted Answer

The state landlord-tenant statute (14 M.R.S. chs. 709, 710 and 710-C, full-text search 2026-10-16) has no provision on notice requirements for renewing or not renewing a lease. Local ordinances or other state or federal laws may still apply.

Question 41

What is the tenant buyout disclosures rule in Maine?

Accepted Answer

The state landlord-tenant statute (14 M.R.S. chs. 709, 710 and 710-C, full-text search 2026-10-16) has no provision on tenant buyout agreements or buyout disclosures. Local ordinances or other state or federal laws may still apply.

Question 42

What is the rental / transient occupancy tax rule in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Maine taxes the rental of living quarters in hotels, rooming houses and tourist or trailer camps at 9% (the rate in effect for sales on or after October 1, 2019). Statute text: "For sales occurring on or after October 1, 2019, the rate of tax is 5.5% on the value of all tangible personal property and taxable services, except the rate of tax is" (36 M.R.S. § 1811(1)(E)(3)).

Question 43

What rights does a tenant have after foreclosure in Maine?

Accepted Answer

After a foreclosure judgment, the lender must give residential tenants a copy of the judgment and notice of later proceedings through the sale. A tenant can be evicted only through a court forcible entry and detainer action brought after that notice and after the redemption period ends. Statute text: "The mortgagee shall, after entry of final judgment in favor of the mortgagee, provide a copy of the foreclosure judgment to any residential tenant of the premises" (14 M.R.S. § 6322-A).

Question 44

What federal protections does a tenant have after foreclosure in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Federal law that applies in every state: under the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act (made permanent in 2018), whoever takes over a home through foreclosure must give a bona fide tenant at least 90 days' notice to vacate. A tenant with a bona fide lease signed before the notice of foreclosure (the date title passes) can stay until the lease ends, unless the unit is sold to a buyer who will live there as a primary residence; that buyer must still give the 90-day notice. Month-to-month and at-will tenants also get the 90 days. A tenancy is bona fide only if the tenant is not the borrower or the borrower's child, spouse or parent, the deal was at arm's length, and the rent is not far below market (unless it is subsidized). State or local laws with longer notice or more protection still apply, and any state-specific rule on this page also applies. Statute text: "the provision, by such successor in interest of a notice to vacate to any bona fide tenant at least 90 days before the effective date of such notice" (Pub. L. 111-22, SEC. 702(a)(1)).

Question 45

Can a landlord deny a tenant for criminal or credit history in Maine?

Accepted Answer

No state statute limiting criminal history or credit screening by private landlords was found in the Maine Human Rights Act housing section (5 M.R.S. § 4581-A) or the Title 14 rental chapters 709 and 710.

Question 46

Does Maine have rent control?

Accepted Answer

No state statute setting statewide rent control or rent stabilization was found in 14 M.R.S. chapters 709 and 710.

Question 47

What is the warranty of habitability in Maine?

Accepted Answer

In every written or oral rental agreement, the landlord is deemed to warrant that the unit is fit for human habitation. If a condition endangers or materially impairs tenants' health or safety, a tenant who gave written notice may file a complaint in District or Superior Court.

Question 48

What disclosures must a landlord give in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Before a lease or tenancy at will, the landlord must give a written disclosure of the costs the tenant will pay, including the total rent. Landlords must also give tenants who pay for energy an energy efficiency disclosure statement (6030-C) and disclose radon test results (6030-D). Landlords must also give a written smoking policy disclosure stating the policy on smoking on the premises (§ 6030-E).

Question 49

What is the scra / military lease termination rule in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Under federal law (50 U.S.C. 3955), a servicemember may end a residential lease after entering military service or receiving qualifying orders. Maine adds that when a National Guard or Reserve member is ordered to duty, an eviction may not be brought against the member's home without leave of court, and the court may stay it (37-B M.R.S. § 387).

Question 50

How much does it cost to file an eviction in Maine?

Accepted Answer

Filing an eviction (forcible entry and detainer) case in District Court costs $100, which includes a $15 mediation fee.

Question 51

Do landlords need a rental license or registration in Maine?

Accepted Answer

No state statute requiring landlords to register rental units was found in 14 M.R.S. chapters 709 and 710.

Question 52

Can the city inspect my rental property in Maine?

Accepted Answer

No state statute creating a rental inspection program was found in 14 M.R.S. chapters 709 and 710.

Question 53

What is the property manager licensing rule in Maine?

Accepted Answer

No state statute requiring a license for residential property managers was found in 14 M.R.S. chapters 709 and 710.

Question 54

What are the Airbnb / short-term rental rules in Maine?

Accepted Answer

No state statute regulating short-term rentals was found in 14 M.R.S. chapters 709 and 710.

Maine landlord-tenant law FAQ