Many Maine homeowners find renting out a room an enjoyable and easy way to bring in some extra income. Whether you’re sharing a home near the coast or near a local college campus, one of the most important steps is creating your room rental agreement in Maine.
A Maine lease agreement is a written document that outlines all key details of the tenancy. Read on to learn more about a Maine room rental agreement.
Room Rental Laws
When renting out a room in your home, it is important to understand Maine landlord-tenant law. This set of laws oversees almost all aspects of your room rental agreement in Maine, including:
- Security deposits
- Rent and fees
- Access and privacy
- Maintenance and habitability
- Lease terms and termination
- Eviction and breaches
Next, we’ll take a closer look at the different types of room rental agreements you can use.
Different Types of Room Rental Agreements in Maine
The type of room rental agreement in Maine you choose will depend on your priorities for the tenancy.
Verbal agreement: A verbal agreement is simply a spoken agreement between you and your tenant. Verbal agreements are often difficult to prove and rarely hold up in court, so we discourage their use.
Fixed-term lease: A fixed-term lease agreement lasts for a set period, typically 1 year. These arrangements are good if you value stability and reliability.
Month-to-month lease: A month-to-month room rental agreement, also called a tenancy at will, renews each month until you or your tenant gives notice to terminate. This type of arrangement is a good option if you want flexibility in your lease terms.
Required Landlord Disclosure
Maine law requires you to disclose certain information to your tenants before signing a lease.
Lead-based paint: For any home built before 1978, you must disclose any known information about lead-based paint and its hazards and provide the required EPA pamphlet.
Late or returned check fees: In Maine, you may charge a late or returned check fee if you disclose it in your lease. Late fees can be no more than 4% of the monthly rent, and returned check fees are limited to court costs and processing charges, plus 12% annual interest on the amount owed (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6028, Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6071).
Bed bug disclosure: You must disclose any known or suspected bed bug infestation in the home (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6021-A).
Radon disclosure: You must test for radon at least once every 10 years, and you must test within 1 year of occupancy if you built your house after March 1, 2014. Your lease agreement must include test details and results as an addendum (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6030-D).
Energy efficiency disclosure statement: You must provide an energy efficiency statement for the rental. Your lease template must include the following language: “You have the right to obtain a 12-month history of energy consumption and the cost of that consumption from the energy supplier” (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6030-C).
Written cost disclosure: Since 2025, Maine landlords have been required to provide tenants with a written disclosure of all costs associated with renting the room (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6030-J).
Common area utility disclosure: If your tenant is responsible for paying utilities in any common areas, you may offer your tenant compensation for sharing utility costs, such as reduced rent or other benefits (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6024).
Security deposit holdings disclosure: If you collect a security deposit from your tenant, you must disclose how and where you will hold the funds. Any deposit collected after October 1, 1979, must be deposited in a bank or financial institution (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6038).
Smoking policy: You must disclose the smoking policy for the room rental, including whether smoking is allowed, allowed in only certain areas, or prohibited completely (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6030-E).
Security Deposit Rules
In Maine, you are allowed to collect a security deposit from your tenant, as long as you follow the state’s guidelines.
Maximum security deposit: Maine landlords can charge up to 2 months’ rent as a security deposit (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6032).
Pet deposits: Maine law does not establish a separate law for pet deposits. You may charge a refundable deposit to cover pet damages as long as the amount complies with Maine’s security deposit regulations and you clearly outline the deposit in the lease.
Security deposit receipt: You must provide your tenant with information about where you hold the funds, if asked (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6038).
Deduction tracking: You must provide your tenant an itemized list of deductions and return the balance of their security deposit within 30 days of the lease ending (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6033).
Security deposit return: You must return your tenant’s security deposit, minus any deductions, within 30 days of lease termination (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6033).
Rent Payment Rules
Clear rules around rent payment help reduce disputes in a shared living arrangement.
Late rent fees: In Maine, you may charge up to 4% of the monthly rent amount, after the required grace period, as a late fee. You must explain this in the lease, so your tenant understands (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6028).
Right to withhold rent: Maine law allows tenants to repair and deduct, making the necessary repairs themselves and deducting the amount from a future rent payment (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6026).
Grace period: You must offer your tenant a 15-day grace period before rent is considered late (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6028).
Pet rent: You may charge a separate pet rent in addition to the deposit; however, your lease agreement must clearly outline the fee.
Rent Payment Increase Rules
Maine law allows for rent increases, but you must follow certain notice requirements.
Rent payment increase frequency: You cannot increase rent in the middle of a fixed lease term. You can increase rent on a month-to-month Maine room rental agreement by giving 45 days’ written notice. If the rent increase is 10% or more, or if the total of multiple increases within a year totals 10% or more, you must give 75 days’ notice (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6015).
Rent payment increase maximum: There are no statewide limits on how much you can increase rent; however, you must give your tenant proper notice.
Rent control/stabilization: Rent control and stabilization do not exist at the statewide level in Maine; however, some local jurisdictions have enacted them. Always check local laws before increasing rent.
Maine Room Rental Agreement Breaches
Understanding how to respond can help prevent disputes if a lease violation occurs.
Failure to pay: If your tenant misses a rent payment, Maine law says you can attempt to collect the rent plus a late fee. As a next step, you can issue a 7-day Notice to Quit, the first step in the eviction process (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6002).
Lease violations: For other lease violations, you may also issue a 7-day Notice to Quit, allowing your tenants 7 days to vacate the room (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6002).
Self-help evictions: In Maine, self-help evictions are illegal. You should never attempt to remove a tenant on your own.
Terminating a Maine Room Rental Agreement
Maine termination rules for room rental agreements depend on the type of arrangement you have in place.
Fixed-term: A fixed-term room rental agreement in Maine ends on the date specified in the lease. However, certain life events allow a tenant to terminate a fixed-term agreement, including active-duty military service, domestic violence, landlord harassment, or if the room becomes uninhabitable (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6002).
Month-to-month: Either a landlord or a tenant can terminate a month-to-month Maine room rental agreement with 30 days’ written notice (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6002).
Tenant’s right to terminate: Tenants may terminate their room rental agreement in Maine if they experience certain life events, such as active-duty military service, domestic violence, landlord harassment, or if the room becomes uninhabitable.
Room abandonment: If a tenant abandons their lease early, they can be financially responsible for the remainder of the lease term unless they have a legal justification for breaking the lease or find an approved replacement tenant.
Landlord Access Laws
Maine law balances a landlord’s right to maintain their property with a tenant’s right to privacy.
Advance notice: Maine law says you must give “reasonable” notice to your tenant before entering their room. Most often, this means 24 hours (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6025).
Immediate access: In an emergency, you may enter the room without giving your tenant notice (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6025-A).
Landlord harassment: If you enter without giving notice or without a justified reason, it is considered landlord harassment and can have legal and civil consequences (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6025).
Lease Agreement Renewal and Termination
Consider these laws when deciding whether to renew or terminate your room rental agreement in Maine.
Required renewals: You are not required to renew a Maine room rental agreement at the end of its term.
Required notice: The typical notice period to terminate a room rental agreement in Maine is 30 days. Maine outlines certain circumstances that allow a landlord to move up the timeline to 7 days, including when tenants owe back rent, have caused damage to the property, or are involved in a domestic violence case (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6002).
Month-to-month considerations: If either party does not plan to renew a month-to-month agreement, they must give 30 days’ notice (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6002).
Room Rental Agreement Maine FAQs
What to include in a Maine room rental agreement?
Your Maine room rental agreement should include all of the information your tenant needs to know about the rental. From rent and security deposits to rules and disclosures, you should clearly outline all rental-related information for your tenant in your lease agreement.
How do I legally rent out a room?
The most important thing when renting out a room in your home is your Maine room rental agreement. To ensure everything is legal, use property management software that provides all required disclosures and takes the guesswork out of creating a lease agreement.
How to make a Maine room rental agreement?
Your Maine room rental agreement should be legal and thorough. Using a software for property management makes it easy to get all of the details right the first time. Select the printable PDF for your state, customize it with your individual terms and rules, then have both parties sign the agreement.
