Maine tenant rights

Guides for Maine renters

Security deposit in Maine

Limit

two months' rent

Deadline to return it

With a written lease: within the time the lease says, but no more than 30 days. With a tenancy at will (no written lease): within 21 days after the tenancy ends or you hand back the home, whichever is later. The landlord may mail the refund and statement to your last known address, so give a forwarding address.

Itemized list

If the landlord keeps any part, it must send a written statement listing the reasons, together with the rest of the deposit, within the same deadline. Receipts are not required by the statute.

What may be deducted

Unpaid rent, unpaid utility charges you owed the landlord directly, costs of storing and disposing of property you left behind, and damage beyond normal wear and tear (for example from negligence, carelessness, accident or abuse). Normal wear and tear may not be charged.

Interest

no

Separate account

The deposit may not be mixed with the landlord's money and must be held in a bank account protected from the landlord's creditors. On request, the landlord must tell you the bank and account number. If the landlord breaks this rule, you can recover actual damages, $500 or one month's rent, whichever is greatest, plus costs and possibly attorney's fees (14 M.R.S. §6038).

If the landlord keeps it wrongly

If the landlord misses the deadline for the statement or refund, it loses the right to keep any part of the deposit. Before suing, send the landlord written notice that you intend to sue at least 7 days before filing; if the landlord still does not return the whole deposit, it is presumed to be wrongfully keeping it. Wrongful keeping makes the landlord liable for double the amount wrongly withheld, plus reasonable attorney's fees and court costs. The landlord has the burden of proof.

Law

14 M.R.S. §§6031-6038

How to get your deposit back

1. Before you move out, clean, take dated photos and video of every room, and return all keys.
2. Give your landlord your new address in writing. In Maine: The landlord may mail the refund and statement to your last known address, so give a forwarding address.
3. Wait for the deadline: With a written lease: within the time the lease says, but no more than 30 days.
4. If the money or an itemized list doesn't come, or the deductions are wrong, send a demand letter (below). Keep proof of mailing.
5. If that doesn't work, sue in small claims court. Limit: $10,000 since January 1, 2026. Small claims court in Maine on RobinClaim

Full Maine security deposit guide

Repairs in Maine

The landlord's duty

Every rental carries an implied warranty that the home is fit for human habitation. The landlord may not keep or allow any condition that endangers or materially impairs your health or safety. Since 2025, renting out a unit with a leak, chronic moisture or humidity causing mold is a breach of the warranty (14 M.R.S. §§6021, 6026).

How to ask for repairs

Give the landlord written notice of the problem without unreasonable delay (for repair-and-deduct, by certified mail, return receipt requested). The landlord has 14 days for repair-and-deduct; for a court complaint, the landlord must have unreasonably failed to take prompt steps.

Repair and deduct

Allowed for dangerous conditions costing less than $500 or half a month's rent, whichever is greater. Send written notice of your intent to fix the problem at the landlord's cost by certified mail, return receipt requested. If the landlord does not fix it within 14 days (or sooner in an emergency), you may have it done professionally (licensed trades for electrical, oil burner and plumbing work), give the landlord an itemized statement, and deduct the cost from rent. You cannot charge for your own labor. Not available if you caused the problem, denied access, or extreme weather prevents the repair, and does not apply in owner-occupied buildings of 5 or fewer units (14 M.R.S. §6026).

Withholding rent

Not allowed on your own. Two court routes: (1) If the home is unfit and you were current on rent when you gave written notice, you can file a complaint in District or Superior Court; the court can order repairs, lower the rent to the home's fair value from the date the landlord got notice, and refund overpaid rent (14 M.R.S. §6021). (2) If you are sued for eviction for unpaid rent, you can raise the landlord's breach of the warranty of habitability as a defense, if the landlord knew of the problem and unreasonably failed to fix it and you did not cause it; the court can let you end the lease or keep it at a reduced rent (14 M.R.S. §6002(3)).

Law

14 M.R.S. §§6002(3), 6021, 6026

Full Maine repair rights guide

Landlord entry in Maine

Reasonable notice and entry only at reasonable times, except in an emergency or when notice is impracticable; 24 hours is presumed reasonable. If the landlord enters illegally or harasses you with repeated entry demands, you can recover actual damages or $250, whichever is greater, plus attorney's fees if you win after a contested hearing (14 M.R.S. §6025).

Eviction in Maine

Notice for unpaid rent

Tenancy at will: a written 7-day notice once you are 7 or more days behind on rent. If you pay all the rent due before the 7 days run out, the notice is void. Even after the case is filed, you can stop the eviction by paying all back rent, rent due to date and the landlord's filing and service fees before the writ of possession issues (14 M.R.S. §§6002, 6005). With a written lease, the lease terms apply; if the lease is silent, §6002 applies.

Notice for a lease violation

Tenancy at will: a 7-day notice for substantial damage, nuisance, making the home unfit, violence or threats, or unauthorized occupants; otherwise a 30-day notice (14 M.R.S. §6002). Lease tenants: as the lease provides.

Ending a month-to-month tenancy

At least 30 days' written notice from either side. The notice must tell you that you have the right to contest the termination in court (14 M.R.S. §6002).

Time to respond to an eviction lawsuit

The eviction (forcible entry and detainer) summons gives a court date; go to it. The court can refer the case to mediation. If the landlord wins, the writ of possession issues 7 calendar days after judgment (14 M.R.S. §6005). No answer deadline is set in the statute.

Lockouts and utility shutoffs

Evictions without court process are illegal, including cutting utilities, locking you out, or holding your belongings. You can recover actual damages or $250, whichever is greater, plus costs and attorney's fees (14 M.R.S. §6014).

Court self-help

The court's eviction self-help page

Law

14 M.R.S. §§6001-6005, 6014

Full Maine eviction guide

Small claims court in Maine

Deposit disputes usually go to small claims court, where you don't need a lawyer.

Limit: $10,000 since January 1, 2026.

Where to get free help in Maine

• Maine Judicial Branch: Eviction help and forms
• Pine Tree Legal Assistance: Rental housing self-help

Good to know in Maine

• Deposit rules (§§6031-6038) and repair-and-deduct (§6026) do not apply in owner-occupied buildings with 5 or fewer units.
• At move-in, a landlord may not demand more than first month's rent, a deposit of up to 2 months' rent, and properly disclosed mandatory recurring fees (14 M.R.S. §6022-A). Application fees are banned except the actual cost of one background, credit or screening check, and you must get a copy of the report (§6030-H).
• Landlords must give you a written disclosure of total costs (rent, mandatory and optional fees, utilities) before you sign (14 M.R.S. §6030-J).

Free tools for Maine renters

Pre-set for Maine. Free, no account needed.

Deposit return calculator for Maine

Find your state's deadline for returning a security deposit, whether your landlord is late and what you may be owed.

Security deposit demand letter for Maine

A short, firm and polite letter asking your landlord to return your deposit by a date. It cites your state's deposit law. Many landlords pay at this step, and the letter is proof that you asked. Fill this in, download the letter as PDF or Word (or copy it), sign it, keep a copy and send it in a way you can prove, such as certified mail with a return receipt.

Repair request letter for Maine

Ask your landlord in writing to fix the problem by a date. A written, dated request is the first step in almost every state, and it is proof that the landlord knew. Check the problems, add dates, then download the letter as PDF or Word (or copy it). Sign it, keep a copy and photos, and send it in a way you can prove.

Eviction notice timeline for Maine

Got a notice from your landlord? Enter the kind of notice and the day you got it to see the dates that follow from your state's rule, what your landlord may not do, and where to get free help fast.

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