Housing & Tenant · Rent Increase Notice

Rent Increase Notice in Maine

How many days of advance notice a landlord must give before a rent increase takes effect in Maine, how a fixed-term lease is treated, and what to check, cited to the statute.

Confirmedagainst §6015Reviewed by Cholilurrohman · July 2026

Notice before a rent increase · Maine

45 days, or 75 if the rise is 10% or more

Dedicated statute

Maine requires at least 45 days written notice before a rent or mandatory recurring fee increase under 14 M.R.S. 6015, rising to 75 days where the increase is 10 percent or more.

Month-to-month notice45 days

Larger or longer notice75 days

Rent-amount capSeparate limit exists

Statute§6015

The notice periods in Maine

How much warning is required before a higher rent can take effect, and how a fixed lease is treated.

When	Notice in Maine	What it means
Increase under 10 percent	45 days	At least 45 days written notice before a rent or mandatory recurring fee increase.
Increase of 10 percent or more	75 days	At least 75 days written notice, including where increases within a 12-month period cumulatively reach 10 percent.
Fixed-term lease	None mid-term	During a fixed-term lease the rent is fixed until renewal. The 45 or 75 day notice applies to a periodic tenancy.
If mailed	Add days	The notice must be in writing. Any waiver of the notice requirement, written or oral, is void as against public policy, so a renter cannot sign it away.
Limit on the amount	Separate rule	Maine has no statewide cap on the amount, but Portland operates rent control by referendum ordinance, so a renter there faces a local limit on top of the state notice.
Local ordinance	Varies	Portland operates rent control by referendum ordinance, so check the local rules there before treating the state figure as complete.
If notice is skipped	Not effective	Maine scales the warning to the size of the rise and closes the obvious dodge by adding up increases across a 12-month period, so a landlord cannot split one big rise into two small ones. The rule reaches mandatory recurring fees, any waiver is void, and a violator is liable for the return of sums unlawfully obtained plus interest, attorney fees, and costs.
Statute	Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, §6015	The controlling statute for this notice period. Read the full text through the source link below.

Next steps if your rent is going up

Concrete, neutral steps to check a rent increase in Maine. This is legal information, not legal advice.

Work out whether you get 45 days or 75
An increase under 10 percent needs 45 days. An increase of 10 percent or more needs 75 days. So calculate the percentage rise to know which notice you are owed.
Add up increases across the year
Maine adds increases within a 12-month period together. If two smaller rises cumulatively reach 10 percent, the 75-day notice applies to the one that crosses the line, so a landlord cannot split a big rise to dodge it.
Count fees as part of the increase
The rule reaches mandatory recurring fees, not just base rent. So a new or higher recurring fee counts toward the increase and its notice period.
Get local help
A local Maine legal aid office can confirm the percentage, the notice, and any Portland rule. Search for legal aid in your area.

This is general legal information, not legal advice. Read your own lease and check for a local ordinance, since either can change the notice that applies to your home.

What Maine renters get wrong

Maine is the clearest example in the country of a state that scales the warning to the size of the rise. Under 14 M.R.S. 6015, an increase under ten percent gives a renter forty-five days. Ten percent or more and it becomes seventy-five, and Maine closes the obvious dodge by adding up increases across a twelve-month period so a landlord cannot split one big rise into two small ones. Maine also extends the whole rule to mandatory recurring fees, so a new or higher recurring fee counts as an increase. Any waiver of the notice requirement, written or oral, is void as against public policy, meaning a Maine renter cannot sign this protection away even deliberately. A violator is liable for the return of any sums unlawfully obtained, plus interest, attorney fees, and costs. There is no statewide cap on the amount, but Portland operates rent control by referendum ordinance, so a renter there faces a local limit on top of the state notice. For a Maine renter the practical steps are to calculate the percentage rise, add up increases across the year, and count recurring fees toward the total.

Common questions

Do I get 45 days or 75 in Maine?

It depends on the size of the increase. An increase under 10 percent needs 45 days written notice. An increase of 10 percent or more needs 75 days, so calculate the percentage rise to know which applies.

Do added fees count as a rent increase in Maine?

Yes. 14 M.R.S. 6015 reaches mandatory recurring fees as well as base rent, so a new or higher recurring fee counts toward the increase and triggers the same notice periods.

Can two small increases trigger the 75 days in Maine?

Yes. Maine adds increases within a 12-month period together. If two smaller rises cumulatively reach 10 percent, the 75-day notice applies to whichever increase crosses that line, so splitting a rise does not dodge it.

Can I sign away the notice period in Maine?

No. Any waiver of the notice requirement, written or oral, is void as against public policy under 14 M.R.S. 6015. So a Maine renter keeps the 45 or 75 day protection even if a lease purports to waive it.

Primary source

→ Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, §6015

Maine Revised Statutes (14 M.R.S. § 6015) · legislature.maine.gov

Cholilurrohman
Every figure on this page is checked line-by-line against the current statute. Editorial standards →

Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.

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