Maine late rent laws (2026)

The Maine timeline, with dates

Here is the order of events when rent due on the 1st goes unpaid. Maine's rule depends on a condition (or sets no fixed number of days), so we describe the steps rather than put a date on them.

1. The 1stRent is due (the example due date used throughout this page).
2. Not before the 16thLate fee: Maine sets a 15-day grace period. Rent is 'late' only if not paid within 15 days of the due date; penalty capped at 4% of one month's rent and must have been disclosed in writing at the start of the tenancy. Whether the fee can start on that day or the next depends on how Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6028 counts days.
3. Notice7-day written notice once rent is 7 or more days in arrears; paying all rent due before it expires voids the notice (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6002). Because of that condition, we don't compute an example date.
4. Earliest filingOnly after the 7-day period has fully run with rent still unpaid.

The notice for unpaid rent

7-day written notice once rent is 7 or more days in arrears; paying all rent due before it expires voids the notice. Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6002

Among the 31 states we have verified, 16 require less notice (3 of them none at all), 2 others use the same 7 days as Maine, and 11 require a longer one. Among states that require a notice, the median is 7 days.

Late fees and the grace period

Rent is 'late' only if not paid within 15 days of the due date; penalty capped at 4% of one month's rent and must have been disclosed in writing at the start of the tenancy. Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6028

Statutory limit: 4% of one month's rent.

Assumes the whole month's rent is unpaid and the lease provides for a late fee.

Maine is in the minority with a statutory limit. 12 of the 31 verified states cap late fees by statute, and 10 set a grace period before one can be charged.

What else to know in Maine

Notes from our review: § 6002 governs tenancies at will. The notice must also tell the tenant they may contest the termination in court.

Cities and counties can add their own rules on top of the state’s. At “covered properties” under the federal CARES Act — generally those with a federally backed mortgage or federal subsidies — a 30-day notice to vacate for nonpayment is required in every state.

Maine and its neighbors

Notice periods across the 31 verified states

Sources

• Notice for unpaid rent: Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6002
• Late fees and grace period: Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6028
• Status: verified — the notice rule was read in statute text (or a verbatim copy of it) for our September 14, 2026 review.

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