Eviction notice rules in Maine
Nonpayment notice
7-day written notice when rent is at least 7 days overdue (14 M.R.S. §6002). Tenant may pay in full before the stated deadline and stay. A tenant may NOT be evicted for nonpayment of late fees alone.
Lease-violation notice
7-day notice to comply or vacate for curable lease violations (14 M.R.S. §6002). For a clear and imminent danger to person or property, the notice period can be shortened to 7 days. Written leases without a termination clause require 30 days' written notice with right-to-contest language for material breaches.
Unconditional quit (no second chance)
Yes — 7-day notice to vacate with no cure for illegal activity on the premises (14 M.R.S. §6002).
No-cause / end-of-tenancy notice
30 days' written notice to terminate a tenancy at will, including month-to-month agreements (14 M.R.S. §6002).
How the notice must be served
Landlord must make at least 3 good-faith efforts on 3 different days to serve the notice in hand; failing that, service is completed by first-class mail to the last known address AND leaving the notice at the tenant's last and usual place of abode (14 M.R.S. §6002). Mailed service adds 3 calendar days to the notice period.
Your right to fix it (cure)
Nonpayment: pay in full by the deadline. Lease violations: 7 days to correct. Illegal activity: no cure.
How days are counted
The day of service is excluded (Me. R. Civ. P. 6). The last day counts unless it is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday — then it rolls to the next business day. For periods under 7 days, intermediate weekends/holidays are excluded.
After the notice expires
Landlord files a Forcible Entry and Detainer action in District Court (14 M.R.S. §§6001, 6004). Tenant does NOT have to leave when notice expires. Seven calendar days after judgment, the court issues a writ of possession; the sheriff serves it and the tenant typically has 48 hours to vacate before forcible removal.
Court timeline
FED summons, hearing typically within weeks; uncontested cases resolve in 3–6 weeks. Since 2021 (PL 2021, c.316), courts must advise tenants of mediation and counsel availability at commencement.
Retaliation & defenses
Retaliation barred — 14 M.R.S. §6001(3) creates a presumption of retaliation for evictions following a tenant's exercise of rights (strengthened by PL 2023, c.272: no writ of possession issues without rebuttal of the presumption). Discrimination barred by the Maine Human Rights Act.
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