State Guide
Landlord–tenant law in Maine
The rules that come up in practice — returning a deposit, charging a late fee, raising the rent — each read against the Maine statute and quoted on its own page.
Security deposit return
Full rule →30 days
The 16th shortest of 49 states with a deadline.
14 M.R.S. 6033(2)
Late fee limit
Full rule →4% of one month's rent
No fee until rent is 15 days late.
14 M.R.S. 6028
Rent increase notice
Full rule →45 days
A statute written specifically about rent increases. The 37th shortest of 49.
14 M.R.S. 6015
What is distinctive about Maine
- Deposits: 30 days, with a second tier at 21. 30 days under a written lease; 21 days for a tenancy at will.
- Late fees: capped at 4% of one month's rent. A 15-day grace period is mandatory.
- Rent increases: 45 days under a statute written for the purpose.
The mistake that costs the most here
Charging a late fee above Maine’s cap. The clause is void rather than reduced, and the tenant’s signature does not save it — which tends to surface in an eviction hearing, exactly when the lease needs to hold up.
Where these figures come from
Each rule above was read against the section it cites and the statutory wording is quoted on the dedicated page, so you can check it rather than take our word for it. That matters more than it sounds on this subject: when we read all 51 jurisdictions we found several widely-published figures to be wrong, including a Kentucky deposit deadline that does not exist, a South Dakota one reported as 14 days when the statute says 21, and late-fee caps for nine states that actually come from their self-storage statutes.
Local ordinances can add requirements the state does not, and statutes move — Washington, Connecticut, Nevada, Rhode Island and Maryland have all changed in the last three years. Each figure carries the date we read it.
States with the same deposit deadline
Common questions about Maine
- How long does a Maine landlord have to return a security deposit?
- 30 days under 14 M.R.S. 6033(2).
- What is the maximum late fee in Maine?
- 4% of one month's rent, under 14 M.R.S. 6028. A fee above the cap is unenforceable even if the lease says otherwise.
- How much notice before a rent increase in Maine?
- 45 days under 14 M.R.S. 6015.
- Does Maine have rent control?
- No statewide frequency limit is verified for Maine. Only California, Oregon and Washington cap the amount of an increase statewide; some cities do so locally.
Let the software know the Maine rules
Pacific Rentals Pro checks a lease’s late fee against the Maine cap, counts the deposit deadline from the move-out date, and works out the latest day to serve a rent increase. Same verified data as this page.
Start free →Maine rules last read against their cited sources on November 6, 2026. General information, not legal advice — verify the current text before relying on it, and check your city and county, which can impose more than the state does.