Free Maine Lease & Rental Agreement

Last updated September 27, 2026

Written by LawLease Editorial

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Maine Residential Lease Agreement

A Maine residential lease (also called a Maine rental agreement) sets the rent, term and house rules for a home rental. A Maine residential lease agreement is governed by Title 14 of the Maine Revised Statutes — chapter 709 (entry and detainer), chapter 710 (rental property), and chapter 710-A (security deposits). Maine caps deposits at two months’ rent, limits late fees to 4% after a 15-day grace period, bans most application fees, and requires 45 to 75 days’ notice of a rent increase. Below is what Maine law actually requires.

Maine landlord–tenant law at a glance

Maine residential lease law summary
Security deposit limit	2 months’ rent14 M.R.S. §6032
Deposit return	Written lease: period stated, max 30 days · Tenancy at will: 21 days14 M.R.S. §6033
Late fees	Only after rent is 15 days late; max 4% of one month’s rent; disclosed in writing at signing14 M.R.S. §6028
Rent-increase notice	45 days · 75 days for increases of 10% or more14 M.R.S. §6015
Landlord entry	Reasonable notice; 24 hours presumed reasonable14 M.R.S. §6025
Tenancy-at-will termination	30 days’ written notice · 7 days for specified causes14 M.R.S. §6002
Nonpayment eviction notice	7 days once rent is 7+ days in arrears14 M.R.S. §6002(1)(C)
Application fees	Banned, except the actual cost of one background, credit, or screening check14 M.R.S. §6030-H

Security deposits in Maine

A Maine lease or tenancy-at-will agreement may not require a security deposit of more than two months’ rent (§6032). Separately, a landlord can’t require more up front than the first full month’s rent, the capped deposit, and any properly disclosed mandatory recurring fee (§6022-A).

How it’s held — Deposits can’t be commingled with the landlord’s assets and must be held in a bank account beyond the reach of the landlord’s creditors. On request, the landlord must tell the tenant the institution and account number. A violation costs the landlord the greatest of actual damages, $500, or one month’s rent, plus costs (§6038).
Return deadline — Under a written lease, the deposit or an itemized statement with the balance is due within the period the lease states, which can’t exceed 30 days. Under a tenancy at will, it’s due within 21 days after the later of termination or surrender of the unit (§6033(2)).
Allowed deductions — Normal wear and tear can never be charged (§6033(1)). Permitted reasons include unpaid rent, unpaid utilities owed to the landlord, and the cost of storing and disposing of property the tenant left behind (§6033(2)).
Penalties — Missing the deadline forfeits the right to keep any of the deposit (§6033(3)). After a 7-day demand letter, wrongful retention exposes the landlord to double the amount withheld plus attorney fees, and the landlord bears the burden of proof (§6034).
Cash receipts — A written receipt is required for any rent or deposit paid in cash, except in owner-occupied buildings of five or fewer units (§6022).

Rent, fees & rent increases

Maine regulates late fees, application fees, recurring fees, and rent-increase notices more tightly than most states — and several of these rules were added in 2023.

Late fees — Rent is “late” only if unpaid 15 days after it’s due. The penalty can’t exceed 4% of one month’s rent, and it can only be charged if the tenant was told in writing at signing that a late fee of up to 4% may apply (§6028).
Rent-increase notice — Rent or mandatory recurring fees can be raised only after at least 45 days’ written notice. If an increase — or several within 12 months — adds up to 10% or more, 75 days’ notice is required. These notice rights can’t be waived (§6015).
No increase while unfit — Rent can’t be raised while the unit violates the warranty of habitability, unless the tenant caused the problem (§6016).
Application fees — A landlord may not charge an application fee, except the actual cost of one background check, credit check, or other screening — and only after telling the applicant they’ll receive a complete copy of the results. Only one such fee is allowed per 12 months (§6030-H).
Recurring fees — Optional recurring fees (e.g. parking or storage) require written notice that the tenant can opt out at any time without penalty (§6030-I).
Rent control — Maine has no statewide rent control, but Portland runs its own rent-stabilization ordinance for covered units.

Landlord entry & access

Except in an emergency or where it’s impracticable, a Maine landlord must give reasonable notice of the intent to enter and enter only at reasonable times; 24 hours is presumed reasonable absent evidence to the contrary (§6025(2)). The tenant can’t unreasonably refuse entry for inspections, repairs, or showings, and can’t change the locks without giving the landlord a duplicate key within 48 hours (§6025(1)).

An unlawful, unreasonable, or harassing entry entitles the tenant to actual damages or $250, whichever is greater (raised from $100 in 2026), plus injunctive relief and attorney fees after a contested hearing (§6025(3)). These rights can’t be waived (§6025(4)).

Ending a Maine tenancy

A written lease runs for its stated term. A tenancy at will — the month-to-month arrangement that exists without a fixed-term lease — ends by written notice of at least 30 days, and the notice must tell the tenant of the right to contest the termination in court (§6002). Since 2024, the landlord must also attach the judicial branch’s form notice to any notice to quit (§6001(7)).

Notice to end a Maine tenancy at will (14 M.R.S. §6002)
No-cause termination	30 days’ written notice
Rent 7+ days in arrears	7 days’ written notice
Substantial damage, nuisance, or illegal activity	7 days’ written notice
Violence or threats against others; unauthorized occupant	7 days’ written notice

Paying cures the notice — If a tenant served a 7-day nonpayment notice pays everything due before it expires, the notice is void; even later, paying all arrears plus the landlord’s filing and service costs before the writ issues reinstates the tenancy (§6002(1)).
Notice contents — A nonpayment notice must state the amount in arrears and include the exact statutory warning about reinstatement (§6002(2)).
Leases without a breach clause — If a written lease has no termination or breach-notice provision, the landlord may use the §6002 notice procedures (§6001(1-B)).
Domestic violence — A victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking may end a lease early with 7 days’ written notice (lease under one year or tenancy at will) or 30 days’ notice (lease of one year or more), plus documentation (§§6001(6), 6002(4)).

Required disclosures in Maine

The Maine Attorney General is required to publish and update a model residential lease that complies with current law (§6030-K).

Total price disclosure — Where the tenant will pay any mandatory or optional recurring fee, the landlord must give a signed, plain-language disclosure of rent, fees, utility costs, and any other charges before the lease is signed — without it the lease is unenforceable (§§6030-J, 6030(4)).
Radon — Written notice of the most recent radon test date and results, in the state-prescribed form, before the tenant signs or pays a deposit (§6030-D).
Energy efficiency — A residential energy efficiency disclosure statement for tenants who will pay for an energy supply (§6030-C).
Smoking policy — Written notice of whether smoking is prohibited, allowed, or allowed in limited areas, with the tenant’s written acknowledgment before signing or paying a deposit (§6030-E).
Bedbugs — Before renting, disclosure if an adjacent unit is infested or being treated for bedbugs (§6021-A(2)(D)).
Lead-based paint — Federal lead warning and known-hazard disclosure for housing built before 1978 (42 U.S.C. §4852d), plus Maine’s own lead-hazard rules (§6030-B).

Habitability & repairs

Every Maine rental carries an implied warranty that the unit is fit for human habitation (§6021(2)). A tenant who is current on rent and gave written notice can go to court over conditions that endanger health or safety; the court can order repairs and reduce rent to the unit’s fair value until it’s fixed (§6021(3)–(4)). Habitability violations are also a defense to a nonpayment eviction (§6002(3)).

For minor dangerous conditions costing less than $500 or half a month’s rent (whichever is greater), a tenant who gives written notice by certified mail may make the repair and deduct the cost if the landlord doesn’t act within 14 days. This doesn’t apply in owner-occupied buildings of five or fewer units (§6026).

Tenant protections you can’t waive

No waiver of rights — Requiring a tenant to waive rights under chapters 709, 710, or 710-A is an unfair trade practice; clauses excusing landlord negligence, requiring the tenant to pay the landlord’s legal fees, or charging a fee just for ending the tenancy (with narrow exceptions) are unenforceable (§6030).
No self-help eviction — Cutting utilities, changing locks, or seizing a tenant’s belongings without a court order is illegal; the tenant recovers actual damages or $250, whichever is greater, plus attorney fees (§6014).
No retaliation — An eviction filed within 6 months after a tenant asserted habitability or rent-notice rights, complained to a code agency, or requested required repairs is presumed retaliatory unless the landlord rebuts it. The presumption doesn’t apply to evictions for a 7-day cause (such as nonpayment) or a lease violation (§6001(3)).
Tenant privacy — Since 2026, a landlord may not disclose a tenant’s personal information to harass or push them out outside the court process; violations carry actual damages or $1,000, whichever is greater (§6025-B).

Maine lease agreement FAQs

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

No more than two months’ rent (14 M.R.S. §6032). And at move-in, a landlord can’t require more than the first month’s rent, the deposit, and any properly disclosed mandatory recurring fee (§6022-A).

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

Under a written lease, within the time stated in the lease, up to a maximum of 30 days; under a tenancy at will, within 21 days after the tenancy ends or the unit is surrendered, whichever is later. A landlord who misses the deadline forfeits the right to withhold anything (§6033).

What is the maximum late fee in Maine?

A late fee can’t exceed 4% of one month’s rent, can only apply once rent is 15 days late, and must have been disclosed in writing when the lease was signed (§6028).

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

At least 45 days’ written notice, or 75 days if the increase — alone or combined with others in the past 12 months — is 10% or more. Rent can’t be raised at all while the unit violates the warranty of habitability (§§6015, 6016).

How much notice does a landlord need to enter in Maine?

Reasonable notice, with 24 hours presumed reasonable, and entry only at reasonable times except in an emergency (§6025). An unlawful entry now costs the landlord at least $250.

How much notice is required to evict for unpaid rent in Maine?

Once rent is 7 or more days in arrears, a 7-day written notice. It must state the amount owed and the statutory reinstatement language, and paying in full before it expires voids the notice (§6002).

Can a Maine landlord charge an application fee?

Generally no. The only permitted charge is the actual cost of one background check, credit check, or other screening, once per 12 months — and the applicant must receive a complete copy of the results (§6030-H).

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