Maine Landlord Compliance
Everything you're responsible for as a landlord in Maine
Rent control, just-cause eviction, deposits, entry, repairs and recordkeeping, written for people who own or manage a few units, checked against the official sources, and kept current when the rules move.
Jurisdiction
key details
Rent cap · Detail
No statewide limit on rent amounts or increases; state law only imposes notice periods (§6015). Municipal ordinances (Portland, South Portland) impose local caps.
Deposit cap · Detail
Security deposit may not exceed 2 months' rent. Chapter 710-A does not apply to units in a building of no more than 5 units where the landlord lives (§6037).
Rent increase notice · Detail
Rent or mandatory recurring fees may be increased only after at least 45 days' written notice; increases of 10% or more require 75 days' notice. Exemptions for certain deed-restricted/subsidized affordable housing (PL 2023 c. 388, c. 594).
City rules · Detail
No state preemption; municipalities act under home rule (30-A M.R.S. §3001). Portland (rent control + just cause, 2020) and South Portland (rent stabilization, 2023, 16+ unit owners) have ordinances; some towns regulate mobile-home park rents only.
Just cause · Detail
A tenancy at will may be terminated by either party on 30 days' written notice without cause; 7-day notice applies only for specified grounds (arrears, damage, nuisance). Portland's local just-cause rule is municipal only.
Return deadline · Detail
Tenancy at will: within 21 days after termination or surrender-and-acceptance, whichever is later. Written lease: within the time stated in the lease, not to exceed 30 days. Retention requires an itemized written statement.
Nonpayment notice · Detail
When rent is 7 or more days in arrears the landlord may terminate on 7 days' written notice; the notice is void if the tenant pays the full amount due before it expires. Forcible entry and detainer follows.
What are you trying to do?
Start from the task. Each route gathers the guides, checklists and forms that apply to it in Maine.
Essential local guides
If you're new to owning here, these five cover most of what will come up in your first year.
View All GuidesPortland, Maine Rent Increase Limit 2026: Allowable Increase Percentage Is 2.2%
Most years, a Portland landlord checking the new Allowable Increase Percentage expects a number that's flat or climbing. For 2026, it fell. The city set the cap at 2.2%, down from 2.5% in 2025, and that drop changes the math for any landlord who's been banking unused increases from prior years.
Guide
Maine Tenant Data Privacy Law 2026: Landlords Can't Disclose Tenant Information to Harass or Push Tenants Out
A landlord who mentioned a tenant's immigration status to a neighbor, or brought up a tenant's health condition during a dispute, hoping the tenant would simply move out rather than fight it, used to face no specific statutory consequence for that tactic in Maine. Since July 29, 2026, that conduct carries a defined penalty, and it isn't limited to immigration status alone.
Guide
Portland, Maine Rent Increase Limit 2027: Allowable Increase Rises to 2.6%
A Portland landlord scanning the headline "2.6% rent increase for 2027" might reasonably assume that number kicks in citywide on January 1. It doesn't work that way. The 2.6% figure is set once a year on a fixed date, but when a landlord can actually apply it runs on each unit's own lease clock, not a shared calendar date.
Guide
Maine Eviction Laws: The Process & Timeline In 2026
The truth is that most conflicts arise not from wrongdoing, but from misunderstanding how Maine eviction laws actually operate...
Guide
9 min
Maine Squatter's Rights & Adverse Possession Laws
Protect your property! Learn the 5 strict conditions for Maine squatter's rights and how the 20-year adverse possession law affects your land.
Guide
7 min
Recent changes
Only substantive changes, not copy edits.
24 Sept 2025
Energy-disclosure remedy scheduled for 2030
A 2025 law gives certain tenants a lease-termination remedy beginning January 1, 2030 if the required signed energy-efficiency disclosure was not provided.
Full Maine collection
Filter by what you're doing or by the kind of resource you need.
| Resource | Type | Task | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
Maine Tenant Data Privacy Law 2026: Landlords Can't Disclose Tenant Information to Harass or Push Tenants Out A landlord who mentioned a tenant's immigration status to a neighbor, or brought up a tenant's health condition during a dispute, hoping the tenant would simply move out rather than fight it, used to face no specific statutory consequence for that tactic in Maine. Since July 29, 2026, that conduct carries a defined penalty, and it isn't limited to immigration status alone. | Guides | Keep the right records | Sep 30, 2026 |
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What you read about
Rent increase dates and notice
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Obligation tracking with reminders
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Move-in and move-out photos
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Records kept per unit, per tenancy
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Repair requests and responses
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Maintenance log with timestamps
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Everything a hearing could ask for
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