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Maine month-to-month lease agreement
Written for Maine law, checked October 1, 2026 General information, not legal advice
A month-to-month tenancy renews each month until the landlord or the tenant gives notice. Choose month-to-month as the lease type, or set a fixed-term lease to convert to month-to-month when its term ends.
Maine rules that apply
Ending a month-to-month tenancy
A rental with no fixed term is a tenancy at will in Maine. Either side ends it with at least 30 days' written notice, and if the tenant has paid rent past the date a 30-day notice would expire, the notice must run at least to the paid-through date. A landlord's notice must tell the tenant of the right to contest the termination in court.
More detail (5)
- The 30 days may be waived in writing only at the time the notice is given. 14 M.R.S. § 6002
- Accepting money after serving a 30-day notice does not undo the termination until a writ of possession issues. 14 M.R.S. § 6002
- A 30-day notice and a 7-day notice may be combined in one notice. 14 M.R.S. § 6002
- Attach the Judicial Branch form notice to the notice to terminate. 14 M.R.S. § 6001(7)
- Leaving out the right to contest language does not get an eviction dismissed, but if the tenant misses the hearing it is grounds to set aside the default judgment. 14 M.R.S. § 6002
The Rentari Maine lease states the 30-day notice for a tenancy at will, running at least to any paid-through date.
Rent increase notice
Give at least 45 days' written notice before increasing rent or a mandatory recurring fee, and at least 75 days' written notice for a rent increase of 10 percent or more. If several increases within 12 months add up to 10 percent or more, the 75 days applies to the increase that brings the total to 10 percent. Any waiver of these notices, written or oral, is void.
More detail (5)
- The 75-day rule does not apply to housing kept affordable by a recorded deed restriction or to housing whose landlord or tenant takes part in a subsidized municipal, state or federal housing program. 14 M.R.S. § 6015(2)
- A landlord who increases rent without the required notice must return the amounts unlawfully collected, with interest, plus the tenant's reasonable attorney's fees and costs. 14 M.R.S. § 6015(1), (2)
- You may not raise rent while the unit violates the warranty of habitability, unless the tenant, the tenant's family or guests caused the violation. 14 M.R.S. § 6016
- Maine's landlord-tenant chapters set no statewide cap on the size of an increase. 14 M.R.S. § 6015 14 M.R.S. § 6016 See Rent control and local rules on the Maine page
- Portland and South Portland have additional local notice requirements. Check the applicable city rule before using only the statewide notice period. Portland rent-control FAQ, question 5 South Portland Code 12-223, 12-505 See Rent control and local rules on the Maine page
The Rentari Maine lease states the 45-day notice and the 75-day notice for an increase of 10 percent or more.