Maine Landlord-Tenant Law

Maximum deposit

Landlords may not require a security deposit of more than two months' rent (14 M.R.S. § 6032). (14 M.R.S. § 6032, 14 M.R.S. § 6037(2) (owner-occupied ≤5-unit exemption))

Return deadline

Landlords must return the deposit or an itemized statement within 21 days after a tenancy at will ends or the unit is surrendered (whichever is later), or within the time stated in a written lease, which may not exceed 30 days (14 M.R.S. § 6033(2)). (14 M.R.S. § 6033(2))

Itemized deductions

A landlord who keeps any part of the deposit must give the tenant a written statement itemizing the reasons, together with the balance (14 M.R.S. § 6033(2)). (14 M.R.S. § 6033(2))

Interest on deposits

Maine law does not require landlords to pay interest on apartment security deposits, though deposits must be held in a separate protected bank account (14 M.R.S. § 6038). (14 M.R.S. ch. 710-A (silent on interest); § 6038 (escrow requirement))

Penalty for wrongful withholding

A landlord who misses the deadline forfeits the right to withhold any part of the deposit, and wrongful retention makes the landlord liable for double the amount withheld plus attorney's fees and costs (14 M.R.S. §§ 6033(3), 6034). (14 M.R.S. § 6033(3), 14 M.R.S. § 6034, 14 M.R.S. § 6038(2))

Late-fee limit

A late fee may not exceed 4% of one month's rent and may be charged only if the tenant was told in writing at move-in that such a fee may apply (14 M.R.S. § 6028(2)-(3)). (14 M.R.S. § 6028(2)-(3))

Grace period

Rent is not legally late, and no late fee may be charged, until it is more than 15 days past due (14 M.R.S. § 6028(1)). (14 M.R.S. § 6028(1))

Maine landlords must give reasonable notice before entering, with 24 hours presumed reasonable, and may enter only at reasonable times unless there is an emergency or notice is impracticable (14 M.R.S. § 6025(2)). (14 M.R.S. § 6025)

Either party may end a Maine tenancy at will with at least 30 days' written notice, and a landlord's notice must tell the tenant of the right to contest the termination in court (14 M.R.S. § 6002). (14 M.R.S. § 6002)

A Maine landlord must give at least 45 days' written notice before raising rent or a mandatory recurring fee, and at least 75 days' notice when increases within 12 months reach 10% or more (14 M.R.S. § 6015). (14 M.R.S. § 6015)

Maine has no statewide rent control and no statute in its landlord-tenant chapters that limits rents or bars local rent rules, so check for a municipal rent ordinance before raising rent (14 M.R.S. chs. 709-710 contain no rent-limit provision). (14 M.R.S. ch. 710 (Rental Property; section list checked), 14 M.R.S. § 6002 (tenancy at will))

Before a tenant signs or pays a deposit, give the residential energy efficiency disclosure statement (when the tenant pays for energy), written radon test results and notice, the smoking policy, a signed total price disclosure of all costs, any known bedbug infestation in adjacent units, and the federal lead-paint disclosure for pre-1978 housing (14 M.R.S. §§ 6030-C, 6030-D, 6030-E, 6030-J, 6021-A). (14 M.R.S. §§ 6021-A, 6030-C, 6030-D, 6030-E, 6030-J, 40 CFR 745.107)

• Lead-based paint disclosure, lead warning statement and EPA pamphlet (Housing built before 1978 (unless exempt under 40 CFR 745.101)) — 42 U.S.C. § 4852d; 40 CFR Part 745 Subpart F (§ 745.107)
• Residential energy efficiency disclosure statement (Title 35-A § 10117 form), signed (Before the tenant signs or pays a deposit, when the tenant pays for an energy supply (or on request)) — 14 M.R.S. § 6030-C
• Written radon notice (DHHS form): date and results of the most recent test, whether mitigation was done, and the tenant's right to test (Before the tenant signs or pays a deposit, and within 30 days of new results for existing tenants) — 14 M.R.S. § 6030-D(2)
• Smoking policy disclosure (prohibited, allowed, or allowed in named areas) (To tenants and potential tenants of primary residences) — 14 M.R.S. § 6030-E
• Total price disclosure statement of rent, mandatory and optional recurring fees and utility costs, signed by both parties (Before entering a lease or tenancy at will) — 14 M.R.S. § 6030-J
• Disclosure that an adjacent unit is infested with or being treated for bedbugs (and, on request, the last bedbug-free inspection date) (Before renting a dwelling unit) — 14 M.R.S. § 6021-A

Unpaid rent

Once a tenant at will is 7 or more days behind on rent, the landlord may serve a written 7-day termination notice stating the ground and the statutory statements; paying the full rent due before the notice expires voids it (14 M.R.S. § 6002(1)(C), (2)). (14 M.R.S. § 6002(1)-(2))

Lease violations

A tenancy at will may be ended on 7 days' written notice for unrepaired substantial damage, a nuisance, making the unit unfit, violating the law, or violence against others, with no statutory cure; other breaches require the standard 30-day notice (14 M.R.S. § 6002(1)). (14 M.R.S. § 6002(1)(A)-(B), (E))