Renters' Rights · Security Deposit
Security Deposit Laws in Maine
The most a landlord can charge, how long they have to return it, and what it costs them to keep your money without cause in Maine.
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What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back
Enter your rent for the Maine maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.
Estimate only, based on Maine's statutory cap. Your lease may set a lower deposit, and local ordinances can be stricter. Not legal advice.
The full rules, with the statute
Every requirement and where it comes from in the code.
Exceptions: Section 6032 sets a flat cap: a lease or tenancy-at-will agreement for a dwelling meant for human habitation may not require a deposit worth more than two months' rent. The cap does not apply to a building of five or fewer units when the landlord lives in one of them, or where the deposit rules conflict with a federally guaranteed mortgage (14 M.R.S. 6037).
Penalties & recent changes
What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.
What Maine renters get wrong
Maine caps a residential security deposit at two months' rent under 14 M.R.S. 6032, and it does something many states do not: the money may not be commingled with the landlord's own assets. The deposit has to sit in a bank or financial institution, out of reach of the landlord's creditors, and on request the landlord must tell you the institution and account number where it is held. The return deadline splits by tenancy type. Under a written lease, the landlord has whatever time the lease states but never more than 30 days; under a tenancy at will, the window is 21 days after you leave and the landlord accepts the unit. Either way, keeping any part of the deposit requires a written itemized statement of the reasons, and normal wear and tear can never be charged. If the landlord holds on to your money without cause, section 6034 lets you recover double the amount wrongfully withheld plus reasonable attorney's fees and court costs.
Common questions
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Maine?
No more than two months' rent. Under 14 M.R.S. 6032, a lease or tenancy-at-will agreement for a home may not require a deposit worth more than two months' rent. One exception: the deposit rules do not apply to a building of five or fewer units when the landlord lives in one of them.
How long does a Maine landlord have to return my deposit?
It depends on your tenancy. With a written lease, the landlord has the time stated in the lease but no more than 30 days. With a tenancy at will, the deadline is 21 days after the tenancy ends or you surrender the unit and the landlord accepts it, whichever is later. Miss the deadline and the landlord forfeits the right to keep any part of the deposit.
Does my Maine landlord have to keep my deposit in a separate account?
Yes. Section 6038 bars the landlord from treating your deposit as their own asset or commingling it with their funds. It must be held in a bank or financial institution beyond the reach of the landlord's creditors, and if you ask, the landlord must tell you the institution and account number. Maine does not require the landlord to pay you interest, though.
What can I do if my Maine landlord wrongfully keeps my deposit?
Send written notice of your intent to sue. If the landlord does not return the deposit within seven days of that notice, the law presumes the retention is wrongful and the landlord must prove otherwise. You can then recover double the amount wrongfully withheld plus reasonable attorney's fees and court costs under 14 M.R.S. 6034.
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.