Sources checked:
Quick answer. Maine: deposit capped at 2 months of rent; deposit returned within 30 days; 30-day notice to end month-to-month; 7-day notice for unpaid rent; 24-hour entry notice; $100 eviction filing fee; $10,000 small claims limit. 17 of 23 items are confirmed on official pages; 6 are marked not confirmed, with the page to check.
Key numbers
- Deposit limit
- 2 months' rent
- Deposit back within
- 30 days
- Month-to-month notice (landlord)
- 30 days
- Unpaid rent notice
- 7 days
- Entry notice
- 24 hours
- Filing fee
- $100
- Judgment to writ
- 7 days
- Writ to lockout
- 48 hours
- Small claims limit
- $10,000
Security deposit (4 of 6 confirmed)
Law read: 14 M.R.S. 6032 and 6033.
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ConfirmedDeposit limit
No more than the rent for two months (6032).
Source: Maine Legislature: Title 14, 6033, Return of the security deposit, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedReturn deadline
With a written rental agreement: the period it states, no more than 30 days. Tenancy at will: within 21 days after the tenancy ends or the premises are surrendered and accepted, whichever is later (6033(2)).
Tenancy at will: 21 days
Source: Maine Legislature: Title 14, 6033, Return of the security deposit, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedItemized list of deductions
A written itemized statement of the reasons for keeping any part, with payment of the difference; mailing to the last known address counts (6033(2)).
Source: Maine Legislature: Title 14, 6033, Return of the security deposit, checked November 2026
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Not confirmedInterest on the deposit
Not confirmed — check Maine Legislature: Title 14, 6033, Return of the security deposit. Not confirmed from official text. Check 14 M.R.S. 6031-6038.
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Not confirmedWhere the deposit is held
Not confirmed — check Maine Legislature: Title 14, 6033, Return of the security deposit. Not confirmed from official text. Check 14 M.R.S. 6031-6038.
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ConfirmedPenalty the law states
Missing the statement or deadline forfeits the right to withhold any part (6033(3)). Other remedies are in 6034.
Source: Maine Legislature: Title 14, 6033, Return of the security deposit, checked November 2026
More: Security deposit rules by state · Deposit return deadline calculator
Notice periods (6 of 6 confirmed)
What the official text says about each notice. Cities and counties can add their own notice, just-cause or rent rules. Check local rules too.
| Notice | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ending month-to-month (landlord) | Tenancy at will: a minimum of 30 days' notice. | Source: Maine Legislature: 14 M.R.S. 6002 (Tenancy at will), checked November 2026 (14 M.R.S. 6002) |
| Ending month-to-month (tenant) | Tenancy at will: a minimum of 30 days' notice. | Source: Maine Legislature: 14 M.R.S. 6002 (Tenancy at will), checked November 2026 (14 M.R.S. 6002) |
| Rent increase notice | At least 45 days' written notice; 75 days for an increase of 10% or more (or increases totaling 10% within 12 months). | Source: Maine Legislature: 14 M.R.S. 6015 (Notice of rent increase), checked November 2026 (14 M.R.S. 6015) |
| Unpaid rent notice | 7 days' written notice when the tenant is 7 days or more behind in rent. | Source: Maine Legislature: 14 M.R.S. 6002 (Tenancy at will), checked November 2026 (14 M.R.S. 6002(1)(C)) |
| Entry notice | Reasonable notice at reasonable times; 24 hours is presumed reasonable. Emergencies excepted. | Source: Maine Legislature: 14 M.R.S. Chapter 710 (Rental property), checked November 2026 (14 M.R.S. 6025(2)) |
| Late fee limits | Rent is late if not paid within 15 days of the due date; the penalty can't exceed 4% of one month's rent. | Source: Maine Legislature: 14 M.R.S. Chapter 710 (Rental property), checked November 2026 (14 M.R.S. 6028) |
More: Notice periods by state · Notice date calculator
Eviction case, in order (6 of 10 confirmed)
- Notice before filing The written notice comes first; its length is in the notice table above.
Unpaid rent: 7 days' written notice when the tenant is 7 days or more behind in rent.
- Filing the case Where the case goes and what it costs to start.
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Not confirmedCourt
Not confirmed — check State of Maine Judicial Branch: Evicting a Tenant from a Residence for not Paying Rent. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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ConfirmedFiling fee
$100 to file, due at least one business day before the hearing.
The filing fee of $100.
Source: State of Maine Judicial Branch: Evicting a Tenant from a Residence for not Paying Rent, checked November 2026
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- The tenant's answer or appearance
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Not confirmedTime to answer or appear
Not confirmed — check State of Maine Judicial Branch: Evicting a Tenant from a Residence for not Paying Rent. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- Hearing or trial
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ConfirmedHearing after filing
The hearing must be at least 7 days after the tenant gets the complaint (the earliest date here assumes service on the filing day).
must be at least 7 days after the date the tenant gets the complaint.
Source: State of Maine Judicial Branch: Evicting a Tenant from a Residence for not Paying Rent, checked November 2026
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- Judgment and the writ The order that lets the officer act.
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ConfirmedJudgment to writ
The writ of possession can issue 7 days after judgment.
the law allows the writ to issue 7 days after judgment enters.
Source: State of Maine Judicial Branch: Evicting a Tenant from a Residence for not Paying Rent, checked November 2026
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- Lockout Carried out by an officer, not by either side.
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ConfirmedWrit to lockout
Once a sheriff serves the writ, the tenant has 48 hours to move out.
After the writ is served, the tenant will have 48 hours to move out.
Source: State of Maine Judicial Branch: Evicting a Tenant from a Residence for not Paying Rent, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedWho carries out the lockout
A sheriff or a constable serves the writ; the tenant then has 48 hours.
The writ may be served by a sheriff or a constable.
Source: Maine Revised Statutes, Title 14, section 6005: Writ of possession; service, checked November 2026
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- Along the way Paying to stop the case, counsel and diversion programs.
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ConfirmedPaying to stop the case
In a nonpayment case, no writ issues if the tenant has paid the amount needed to reinstate the tenancy.
paid the amount necessary to reinstate the tenancy
Source: Maine Revised Statutes, Title 14, section 6005: Writ of possession; service, checked November 2026
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Not confirmedRight to counsel (statewide)
Not confirmed — check State of Maine Judicial Branch: Evicting a Tenant from a Residence for not Paying Rent. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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Not confirmedDiversion or mediation (statewide)
Not confirmed — check State of Maine Judicial Branch: Evicting a Tenant from a Residence for not Paying Rent. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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Example: a case filed Monday, March 1, 2027
The earliest date of each stage the confirmed rules allow, from our eviction timeline estimator. Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
| Stage | Earliest date |
|---|---|
| Case filed | Monday, March 1, 2027 |
| Hearing or trial | Monday, March 8, 2027 |
| Judgment | Monday, March 8, 2027 |
| Writ or warrant of possession | Monday, March 15, 2027 |
| Earliest lockout | Wednesday, March 17, 2027 |
Help the official pages name: Free mediation at the court on the hearing day.
More: Eviction process timeline by state · Eviction timeline estimator
Deposit disputes: small claims
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ConfirmedSmall claims limit (for a deposit dispute)
$10,000: the most a small claims case can ask for.
A money judgment of $10,000 or less (as of January 1, 2026). You can't sue a city or town in small claims.
Source: Maine Judicial Branch: Small Claims, checked November 2026
More: Maine small claims court
Still to confirm
- Interest on the deposit: check Maine Legislature: Title 14, 6033, Return of the security deposit
- Where the deposit is held: check Maine Legislature: Title 14, 6033, Return of the security deposit
- Court: check State of Maine Judicial Branch: Evicting a Tenant from a Residence for not Paying Rent
- Time to answer or appear: check State of Maine Judicial Branch: Evicting a Tenant from a Residence for not Paying Rent
- Right to counsel (statewide): check State of Maine Judicial Branch: Evicting a Tenant from a Residence for not Paying Rent
- Diversion or mediation (statewide): check State of Maine Judicial Branch: Evicting a Tenant from a Residence for not Paying Rent
Maine kit
Maine Landlord Compliance Kit
This page as a printable checklist with every source link and check date, a move-in and move-out deposit checklist with the Maine return deadline, a notice calendar, an eviction timeline sheet, and an Excel workbook with a tenant notice log, a deposit tracker that works out the return date, and a rent ledger.
Kits for any state: Security Deposit Kit for Landlords and Tenants ($15) · Landlord-Tenant Notice Organizer ($15) · Eviction Case File Organizer ($15)
General information, not legal advice. We are not lawyers, and MCC Solutions is not a law firm. The same rules apply whichever side of the lease you are on; this page describes them and doesn't take a side. Rules change, cities and counties can add their own, a lease can add terms, and the official source has the final word.
Common questions
How much can a security deposit be in Maine?
No more than the rent for two months (6032).
How long does a Maine landlord have to return a deposit?
With a written rental agreement: the period it states, no more than 30 days. Tenancy at will: within 21 days after the tenancy ends or the premises are surrendered and accepted, whichever is later (6033(2)). What goes with it: A written itemized statement of the reasons for keeping any part, with payment of the difference; mailing to the last known address counts (6033(2)).
How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in Maine?
From the landlord: Tenancy at will: a minimum of 30 days' notice. From the tenant: Tenancy at will: a minimum of 30 days' notice.
What notice comes before an unpaid-rent case in Maine?
7 days' written notice when the tenant is 7 days or more behind in rent.
How much notice before a landlord enters a rental in Maine?
Reasonable notice at reasonable times; 24 hours is presumed reasonable. Emergencies excepted.
How long does an eviction case take in Maine?
Hearing after filing: At least 7 days. Judgment to writ: 7 days. Writ to lockout: 48 hours. These are the stated rules; the court's calendar often takes longer.
What does it cost to file an eviction case in Maine?
$100 to file, due at least one business day before the hearing.
Related: Landlord rules by state · Kits for landlords