Written notice at rental-agreement entry is also required by §6028.
Residential security deposit.
Use the lease period.
Written compensation arrangement required by §6024 for the statutory exception.
Maine charge guides
Security Deposit
Maine security deposit cap, written-lease and tenancy-at-will deadlines, normal wear, itemization and wrongful-retention remedies.
Open guide →2-Month Limit
Maine limits a residential security deposit to no more than two months’ rent.
Open guide →Return Deadlines
Maine uses different security-deposit return periods for written rental agreements and tenancies at will.
Open guide →Normal Wear
Maine security-deposit law prohibits retaining a deposit for normal wear and tear and defines the term in detail.
Open guide →Damage Itemization
Maine requires a written statement itemizing reasons when a landlord retains any part of a security deposit.
Open guide →Deposit Remedy
Maine provides a notice step, double damages for wrongful retention, attorney fees and a landlord burden of proof.
Open guide →Deposit Escrow
Maine requires residential security deposits to be held under protected financial-account terms and allows tenants to request account information.
Open guide →Utility Charges & Common Areas
Maine renter utility rules for common-area usage, written compensation agreements and pre-tenancy disclosure of utility service costs.
Open guide →Rent Late Fees
Maine residential rent late-fee timing, four-percent maximum and written-notice requirement under 14 M.R.S. § 6028.
Open guide →Keep each Maine charge in the right statutory track
A rent late-fee penalty concerns §6028 timing, amount and notice. A common-area utility problem concerns what the meter/account serves and what the lease/disclosure says. A security-deposit problem concerns end-of-tenancy withholding and timing. Use the exact source layer for the exact line item.
15-day threshold, 4% maximum and written-notice requirement.Utility Billing
Common-area responsibility and utility-cost disclosure.Security Deposits
Two-month maximum, wear and return/accounting rules.
Official sources
Current Maine residential late-rent rule defining when rent is late, capping the penalty at four percent of the amount due for one month and requiring written notice at entry into the rental agreement before a penalty may be assessed.
Maine Legislature14 M.R.S. Chapter 710-A — Security Deposits on Residential Rental Units ↗Official Maine security-deposit chapter covering the two-month cap, normal wear, 21/30-day return rules, itemization, wrongful-retention damages and deposit handling.
Maine Legislature14 M.R.S. § 6024 — Heat and utilities in common areas ↗Current Maine law restricting a lease that makes one tenant solely responsible for heat, electricity or other utility service to common or other areas outside the unit unless the parties make the specified written compensation agreement.
Maine Legislature14 M.R.S. § 6030-J — Total price disclosure statement ↗Current Maine pre-tenancy disclosure law requiring a plain written statement of tenant-paid costs, including utility service costs, when the statutory disclosure requirement applies.
Maine Attorney GeneralModel Residential Lease — Services Provided by the Landlord ↗Official Maine consumer guidance explaining landlord/tenant utility responsibilities and the common-area utility restriction.