Maine Rental Lease Agreement Templates

Our Maine rental agreement forms have to do with both leasing commercial and residential property. The process of leasing commercial and residential property vastly differ due to the laws and complexity around both. One does not need a real estate license to lease commercial or residential property however if a sale takes place the individual brokering the deal must have a valid license.

Form Description Types

Maine Commercial Lease Agreement

The Maine Commercial Lease Agreement is an agreement used by for-profit businesses to occupy commercial property. Non-profit and charitable organizations are not allowed to use this lease to occupy commercial property. Form Description Types A commercial lease in the state of…Read more ›

Maine Month to Month Rental Agreement

The Maine Month to Month Lease Agreement is a rental agreement that continues on a monthly basis that allows either party to cancel this month-to-month tenancy by giving to the other party at least 30-days written notice. Form Description Types There are…Read more ›

Maine Rental Application

The Maine Rental Application Form enables a landlord to screen check prospective tenants before leasing property. The primary objective for this form is to find out the credit history (taken from a credit report), history of previous leases, bank statements,…Read more ›

Maine Sublease Agreement

The Maine Sublease Agreement enables a tenant to sublet a leased property to another prospective tenant, know as a subtenant. This agreement is generally not favored by landlords but it does come into use when apartments with 2 or more…Read more ›

Maine Residential Lease Agreement

The Maine Standard One (1) Year Lease Agreement is designed to lease residential property to a prospective tenant for one year with either the option to renew or not to renew. It’s important to lay out and understand every provision…Read more ›

In Maine, a written agreement between two parties involving the temporary transfer of property is called a lease. Every lease is different, therefore before signing a lease, the tenant should be aware of the terms and language within the agreement. The basics of a lease will contain the landlord and tenant’s name, address of the property, length of the agreement, rent and security deposit amount.

Maine Rental Laws

Maine Revised Statues – Title 14, Chapter 710: RENTAL PROPERTY

Rental Laws

Security Deposit

A landlord may charge a tenant up to two months worth of rent but no more. The landlord must keep the funds in an account separate from their own. The landlord is not obligated to put it in an interest barring account. At the request of the tenant, the landlord shall give details as to where the account is being held and the account number. The landlord, by law, is required to return the security deposit twenty one (21) days after the tenant moves out.

Rent

A landlord in the state of Maine may charge a 4% fee of one months rent if rent is not payed within 15 days after it’s due (a late fee clause must be stated in the lease agreement for the landlord to charge a late fee).

Rent Increases

A landlord can only increase the rent on a residential property if it’s a month to month lease (tenancy at will). The landlord must give 45 days written notice of any rent increases. With a normal fixed lease, your landlord can not increase rent unless otherwise stated in the agreement. If you live in subsidized housing, your rent may increase or decrease depending on your income.

Rent Receipt

A landlord has the legal obligation to give a tenant a receipt after they have payed rent in cash, check, or money order and it must include the following: the date, the amount paid, tenant’s name, amount payed, and the landlord’s signature.

Evictions

a landlord can not evict a tenant unless a court order is obtained, therefore the landlord may never change the locks, cut off power, or kick out a tenant in any other way, otherwise it’s illegal. If you believe your landlord is guilty of trying to force you out of your property, you may bring them to court and recover your damages or $250 dollars, whichever is greater.

Discrimination

A landlord may not refuse to rent to you for any of the following reasons:

  • Ancestry or national origin, color, (being a single parent, pregnant, or having children), religion, sex, sexual orientation, physical or mental impairment.

Landlord Entering Your Home

A landlord may at times need to make non-emergency repairs or inspect the property however they are not allowed to enter your dwelling unless they give “reasonable notice”, which is typically 24 hours.