Maine Rental Agreement

Last Updated: May 20, 2025 by Roberto Valenzuela

A Maine rental agreement is a legal contract between a landlord overseeing a rental property and a tenant using the property. Maine landlord-tenant law governs and regulates these agreements.

Maine Rental Agreement Types

19 pages
Residential Lease Agreement

A Maine residential lease agreement (“rental agreement”) is a legal contract for a tenant to rent a residential property from a landlord, subject to terms and conditions agreed by all parties.

12 pages
Month-to-Month Rental Agreement

A Maine month-to-month lease agreement is a contract (not necessarily written) where a tenant rents property from a landlord. The full rental term is one month, renewable on a month-to-month basis.

3 pages
Rental Application Form

Maine landlords may use a rental application form to screen prospective tenants. A rental application collects information relating to finances, rental history, and past evictions.

7 pages
Residential Sublease Agreement

A Maine sublease agreement is a legal contract where a tenant ("sublessor") rents (“subleases”) property to a new tenant (“sublessee”), usually with the landlord’s permission.

9 pages
Roommate Agreement

A Maine roommate agreement is a legal contract between two or more people (“co-tenants”) who share a rental property according to rules they set, including for things like splitting the rent. This agreement binds the co-tenants living together, and doesn’t include the landlord.

8 pages
Commercial Lease Agreement

A Maine commercial lease agreement is a legal contract arranging the rental of commercial space between a landlord and a business.

Maine Required Residential Lease Disclosures

  • Late or Returned Check Fees (required for some leases) – Maine leases must describe and agree on the amount of any late fees.
  • Bed Bug Disclosure (required for some leases) – Maine property cannot be rented if it has a suspected bed bug infestation. Landlords also have to disclose in the lease if an adjoining property has an infestation. The disclose must come with an open offer to provide inspection information related to infestation treatments.
  • Radon Disclosure (required for all leases) – Maine leases must provide the results of any recent radon testing. These results must be given along with a Department of Health warning about radon exposure.
  • Energy Efficiency Disclosure Statement (required for all leases) – Maine rentals must provide an energy efficiency statement if the tenant pays utilities directly to the utility company or landlord. The statement must also be available to any person who requests it.
  • Written Disclosure of Costs (required for all leases) – Beginning in 2025, new Maine leases require a disclosure of costs associated with renting the premises. This disclosure must include rent, recurring fees, utility service costs, and other costs the tenant is responsible to pay.
  • Common Area Utility Disclosure (required for some leases) – Maine leases must provide a disclosure if they share a utility line with a common area (i.e., stairwell, hallway, storage area, water heaters) or other area outside of the dwelling.
  • Security Deposit Holdings (required for some leases) – Maine landlords can’t collect a security deposit without a written disclosure of how funds will be kept during the lease.
  • Smoking Policy Disclosure (required for all leases) – Maine rentals must disclose any smoking policy in the lease. A smoking policy must include specifics about where smoking is allowed.
  • Lead-Based Paint Disclosure (required for some leases) – Landlords must provide an EPA-approved disclosure and informational pamphlet to tenants renting any property built before 1978.

To learn more about required disclosures in Maine, click here.

Maine Landlord Tenant Laws

  • Warranty of Habitability – Maine landlords can only rent out habitable property. This means providing certain basic health and safety features like heat, plumbing, and electricity. Landlords must repair any issues within a reasonable time after proper notice. Failure to repair lets a tenant sue the landlord, end the lease, or repair and deduct from the rent. Tenants usually can’t withhold rent.
  • Evictions – Maine landlords may evict for rent nonpayment, lease violations, or illegal acts, among other things. Before filing eviction, landlords must serve tenants with prior notice to pay, comply or quit, depending on the eviction type. This means most evictions in Maine take between one week to several months.
  • Security Deposits – Maine caps security deposits at 2 months’ rent. When a lease ends, the landlord must return any unused portion of a tenant’s security deposit within 30 days.
  • Lease Termination – Maine lets tenants end a month-to-month lease with 30 days of advance notice. Terminating a fixed-term lease usually requires active military duty, landlord harassment, uninhabitable property, or domestic abuse.
  • Rent Increases and Fees – Maine’s Rent Control Ordinance in some cases limits to 10% at most. If the rental property isn’t rent-controlled, landlords can raise rent by any amount at will, with at least 45 days of advance notice. Maine caps late fees at 4% of the monthly rent. Returned check fees are limited to 12% per year interest from the date of dishonor, plus court costs and processing charges.
  • Landlord Entry – Maine landlords may enter rental property for reasonable business purposes like maintenance, inspections, and property showings. Before entering, they must provide at least 24 hours of advance notice, except in emergencies.
  • Settling Legal Disputes – Maine lets small claims courts hear landlord-tenant disputes, as long as the amount in controversy is under $6,000. Evictions are not allowed in small claims.

To learn more about landlord tenant laws in Maine, click here.

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