Maine eviction laws
Notices, deadlines, court and tenant rights in Maine — in plain English.
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Overview
- The court case
- Forcible entry and detainer (FED)
- Court
- Maine District Court (Unified Criminal/Civil) in the district where the property is located
- Main laws
- 14 M.R.S. §§ 6001-6016 (forcible entry and detainer; § 6002 notices); 14 M.R.S. § 6000 et seq.; M.R. Civ. P. 80D
Just-cause protection
No statewide law
Maine has no statewide just-cause rule. A tenancy at will can be ended for no reason with 30 days' written notice. Some cities (for example Portland) add rules. (14 M.R.S. § 6002)
Notices before filing, by reason
What a landlord must serve before filing — and what a tenant should expect to receive.
Unpaid rent — 7-Day Notice to Quit for Nonpayment of Rent
When rent is 7 or more days late, the landlord can serve a 7-day notice. If the tenant pays all rent due before the notice expires, the notice is void. The tenant can also get the tenancy reinstated by paying all arrears, all rent due as of the payment date, and the landlord's filing and service fees before the writ of possession issues.
7-Day Notice to Quit for Nonpayment of Rent
- Notice period
- 7 days
- Counting
- Count calendar days after service. The tenancy ends at the end of the day the notice period expires; file the FED only after that. A 30-day notice must end on or after the date through which rent has been paid.
- Tenant can fix it?
- Yes, within the notice period
- Must include
- Tenant name(s) and property address
- The exact amount of rent owed
- Statement that the tenant has the right to contest the termination in court
- Required statement: "If you pay the amount of rent due as of the date of this notice before this notice expires, then this notice as it applies to rent arrearage is void."
- Date by which the tenant must leave
- Landlord or agent signature and date
- How to serve
- Hand it to the tenant in person; Post it on the door and mail a copy; Sheriff, marshal or constable. Deliver the notice in hand to the tenant (anyone, including a sheriff, may deliver it). If in-hand delivery fails after at least 3 good-faith attempts on 3 different days, serve by BOTH first-class mail to the last known address AND leaving it at the tenant's last and usual place of abode. Keep an affidavit or proof of each attempt.
- Law
- 14 M.R.S. § 6002
- Rent must be at least 7 days past due before the 7-day notice can be served.
- Double-check with the court: accepting partial rent after a 7-day notice may affect it; a 30-day termination is not affected by money received before the writ issues (14 M.R.S. § 6002).
The tenant broke the lease or rules — 30-Day Notice to Quit (Tenant at Will)
For a tenant at will, most lease violations require a 30-day notice with no reason needed. A 7-day notice is allowed only for listed serious grounds (substantial damage, nuisance, violence or threats, etc.). For a tenant with a written lease, follow the lease's default and notice terms.
30-Day Notice to Quit (Tenant at Will)
- Notice period
- 30 days
- Counting
- Count calendar days after service. The tenancy ends at the end of the day the notice period expires; file the FED only after that. A 30-day notice must end on or after the date through which rent has been paid.
- Tenant can fix it?
- No
- Must include
- Tenant name(s) and property address
- Termination date (at least 30 days after service, and on or after the date rent is paid through)
- Statement that the tenant has the right to contest the termination in court
- Landlord signature and date
- How to serve
- Hand it to the tenant in person; Post it on the door and mail a copy; Sheriff, marshal or constable. Deliver the notice in hand to the tenant (anyone, including a sheriff, may deliver it). If in-hand delivery fails after at least 3 good-faith attempts on 3 different days, serve by BOTH first-class mail to the last known address AND leaving it at the tenant's last and usual place of abode. Keep an affidavit or proof of each attempt.
- Law
- 14 M.R.S. § 6002(1)
- If the tenant has a written lease, the lease controls how and when it can be terminated for a violation. Double-check with the court: lease terms before serving.
The lease ended and the tenant stayed — no notice required
When a fixed-term lease ends and the tenant stays without the landlord's consent, the landlord can file an FED. If the landlord keeps accepting rent, the tenant becomes a tenant at will and a 30-day notice is needed.
- Double-check with the court: many Maine courts expect a written notice to quit even after a lease expires; serving a 30-day notice before the lease end date is the safer practice.
- Portland: see local rules for longer notice periods.
Ending a month-to-month tenancy (no fault) — 30-Day Notice to Quit (Tenancy at Will)
A tenancy at will can be ended by either side with at least 30 days' written notice, for any lawful reason.
30-Day Notice to Quit (Tenancy at Will)
- Notice period
- 30 days (week-to-week: 30 days, month-to-month: 30 days)
- Longer notice
- Portland: 90 days' notice for no-cause termination of a tenancy at will (city ordinance). VERIFY current Portland rules.
- Counting
- Count calendar days after service. The tenancy ends at the end of the day the notice period expires; file the FED only after that. A 30-day notice must end on or after the date through which rent has been paid.
- Tenant can fix it?
- No
- Must include
- Tenant name(s) and property address
- Termination date (at least 30 days after service)
- Statement that the tenant has the right to contest the termination in court
- Landlord signature and date
- How to serve
- Hand it to the tenant in person; Post it on the door and mail a copy; Sheriff, marshal or constable. Deliver the notice in hand to the tenant (anyone, including a sheriff, may deliver it). If in-hand delivery fails after at least 3 good-faith attempts on 3 different days, serve by BOTH first-class mail to the last known address AND leaving it at the tenant's last and usual place of abode. Keep an affidavit or proof of each attempt.
- Law
- 14 M.R.S. § 6002(1)
Illegal activity, violence or serious damage — 7-Day Notice to Quit (For Cause)
A 7-day notice is allowed if the tenant, household member or guest caused substantial damage, caused or permitted a nuisance, violated a law in a way that threatens health or safety, committed violence or threats against others on the property, or committed domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking against another tenant. There is no cure.
7-Day Notice to Quit (For Cause)
- Notice period
- 7 days
- Counting
- Count calendar days after service. The tenancy ends at the end of the day the notice period expires; file the FED only after that. A 30-day notice must end on or after the date through which rent has been paid.
- Tenant can fix it?
- No
- Must include
- Tenant name(s) and property address
- The specific ground (damage, nuisance, violence/threats, etc.) with facts and dates
- Statement that the tenant has the right to contest the termination in court
- Termination date (at least 7 days after service)
- Landlord signature and date
- How to serve
- Hand it to the tenant in person; Post it on the door and mail a copy; Sheriff, marshal or constable. Deliver the notice in hand to the tenant (anyone, including a sheriff, may deliver it). If in-hand delivery fails after at least 3 good-faith attempts on 3 different days, serve by BOTH first-class mail to the last known address AND leaving it at the tenant's last and usual place of abode. Keep an affidavit or proof of each attempt.
- Law
- 14 M.R.S. § 6002(1)
- The landlord must be able to prove the ground in court; otherwise the 30-day notice is safer.
How a tenant responds
The summons sets a hearing date at least 7 days after service. No written answer is required, but the tenant may file one; the tenant must appear at the hearing (often mediation first). If the tenant does not appear, a default judgment is entered. A writ of possession issues 7 days after judgment.
Deadline: at the hearing (no fixed written-answer deadline) · 14 M.R.S. §§ 6004, 6005; M.R. Civ. P. 80D
City and local rules
- Portland (City Code ch. 6, rent stabilization and tenant protections): longer notice for no-cause terminations of tenancies at will (90 days) and rent increase notice rules. VERIFY current ordinance.
- Lewiston/Bangor: no extra notice rules known. VERIFY.
Official court forms
Landlords
- CV-256 — Residential FED (Eviction) Information Sheet and Mediation Request
- CV-007 — Complaint for Residential Forcible Entry and Detainer
- CV-034 — Summons, Forcible Entry and Detainer
- Residential FED packet
Sources
- 14 M.R.S. § 6002 (Maine Legislature)
- Maine Judicial Branch - Eviction (FED) Process
- Pine Tree Legal Assistance - Evictions
Checked 2026-09. General information, not legal advice; laws change and courts differ. We strive for accuracy but don’t guarantee it.