Free Maine Lease Agreement Template

Landlords must create Maine lease agreements in accordance with state laws. Otherwise, certain provisions may not be enforceable. Review the key laws to adhere to when writing your Maine residential lease agreement:

Legal Templates offers different types of lease agreements in Maine to fit your situation. Whether you need to enter a fixed lease, a month-to-month lease, or another arrangement, we have the template that meets your needs.

Maine Standard Lease Agreement

Outlines the terms and conditions for renting a residential property by a tenant from a landlord.

Maine Month-to-Month Rental Agreement

Offers residents the choice of flexible month-to-month living arrangements, without the requirement of a long-term commitment.

Maine Commercial Lease Agreement

Lets a landlord rent a property to a business.

Maine Rent-to-Own Lease Agreement

Allows a tenant to live on a property and potentially purchase it once the lease term is over.

Maine Sublease Agreement

Provides the subtenant with the permission to lease either the entire property or a portion of it for a defined duration.

Maine Room Rental Agreement

Establish a formal living setup by creating a binding contract involving the primary tenant and fellow occupants.

Landlords can charge a security deposit in a Maine residential lease agreement to protect against unpaid rent and damages, but they must abide by certain requirements. For example, landlords can charge up to two months’ rent as a security deposit (14 ME Rev Stat § 6032). This cap doesn’t apply to owner-occupied buildings with five or fewer units.

Landlords in Maine must maintain an organized system when collecting security deposits, as they are required to provide a written receipt for each security deposit received, whether partially or in full (14 ME Rev Stat § 6022).

Landlords must also store security deposits in a separate bank account (14 ME Rev Stat § 6038). However, they don’t have to collect and pay interest on security deposits unless they are mobile home park operators (10 ME Rev Stat § 9097).

The landlord must return the funds within 30 days of the end of the tenancy for fixed-term leases or within 21 days for month-to-month leases (14 ME Rev Stat § 6033). If the landlord keeps any portion of the deposit, they must provide the tenant with a written statement itemizing the reasons for the retention along with the remainder of their security deposit.

Maine does not impose rent control, so landlords can charge whatever they’d like as long as it’s written in the lease. Note that local regulations or restrictions may apply.

Rent is due on the date specified in the lease, but the state of Maine offers a 15-day grace period (14 ME Rev Stat § 6028). Landlords cannot charge a late fee or initiate eviction proceedings for late rent until the grace period has expired. Once 15 days have passed after failure to pay rent, a landlord can issue a 7-day notice to quit for non-payment of rent per ME Rev Stat § 6002(1)(C).

If landlords decide to charge late fees after the grace period, they must write them into their Maine residential lease agreement. Plus, late fees may not exceed 4% of the monthly rent amount (14 ME Rev Stat § 6028).

If the landlord fails to pay for utility service in the landlord’s name, the tenant may pay for the service and deduct the amount paid from their rent. In addition, a landlord may be subject to civil penalties of $100 or more for failing to pay utility services (14 ME Rev Stat § 6024-A).

A landlord must give 24 hours’ notice before entering the rental property in any non-emergency situation (14 ME Rev Stat § 6025).

They may enter without giving notice in the event of an emergency. This includes an emergency in which the welfare of an animal is at risk.

Landlords in Maine must maintain the rental property in a habitable condition and make necessary repairs (14 ME Rev Stat § 6021).

If the landlord fails to make the necessary repairs after 14 days of receiving notice, the tenant may make the repairs and deduct the cost from their rent. However, the repair cost can’t exceed $500 or half the monthly rent, whichever is greater (14 ME Rev Stat § 6026).

Maine lease agreements must contain the following disclosures to comply with state and federal laws:

• Radon Disclosure Form. Radon testing must be conducted, and landlords must present the results to tenants (14 ME Rev Stat § 6030-D).
• Bedbugs Infestation Disclosure. Required if there is an infestation on the premises (14 ME Rev Stat § 6021-A).
• Security Deposits. The bank name and account number must be disclosed (14 ME Rev Stat § 6038).
• Lead-Based Paint Disclosure. It must be provided to the tenant before occupancy for properties built before 1978 (42 US Code § 4852(d)).
• Residential Energy Efficiency Disclosure Statement. An energy efficiency disclosure is required for tenants who pay utilities (14 ME Rev Stat § 6030-C).
• Smoking Policy. The smoking policy for the rental property must be disclosed (14 ME Rev Stat § 6030-E).
• Total Price Disclosure. Starting January 1, 2025, Maine requires a total price disclosure, where landlords must provide the total costs of renting (14 ME Rev Stat § 6030-J).

Both the tenant and landlord can terminate a monthly tenancy with 30 days’ notice (14 ME Rev Stat § 6002).

If the tenant leaves any belongings behind after moving out, the landlord must put them in safe storage and give notice to the tenant. The tenant must collect the property within 7 days of receiving notice or 14 days if they respond to the notice. After this period, the landlord may sell the property to cover storage costs, damages, and rent owed, with any excess funds given to the Treasurer of State (14 ME Rev Stat § 6013).

View a sample of a Maine lease agreement to understand what terms to include and how to structure the rental contract. Then, create your own using our guided questionnaire. Once you’re done, it’ll be ready to download as a PDF or Word document.