How Much Can a Landlord Raise My Rent in Maine?

In most of Maine, a landlord can raise your rent by any amount they choose, but they have to tell you in writing well before the new rate kicks in: at least 45 days ahead for an increase under 10%, and at least 75 days ahead for an increase of 10% or more. So the real question of how much a landlord can raise rent in Maine usually comes down to notice, not dollars. The exceptions are Portland and South Portland, which have local ordinances that cap the increase itself, and subsidized housing, which runs on federal rules.

No Statewide Cap on the Amount

Maine has no statewide limit on how much rent can go up. If you live outside a city with its own rent control ordinance, the increase can be any amount the landlord picks. The constraints that do exist are the written notice rule under state law, the local caps in Portland and South Portland, and the general protections against retaliation and discrimination.

Required Written Notice

The notice rules live in Title 14, Section 6015, and they cover both rent and mandatory recurring fees such as parking or storage charges. Two tiers:

Increases under 10%: at least 45 days’ written notice before the new rent takes effect.
Increases of 10% or more: at least 75 days’ written notice. This also applies when a landlord raises rent more than once in a 12-month period and the combined total reaches 10%. The 75-day notice is required before whichever increase pushes the cumulative total to that threshold.

Notice has to be in writing. A landlord cannot ask you to waive the notice requirement verbally or through a lease clause; any such waiver is void under state law.¹

The 75-day rule does not apply to units with recorded affordability restrictions in the deed, or to housing where the landlord or tenant receives subsidies through a municipal, state, or federal program. Those arrangements have their own rent adjustment frameworks.¹

If Your Landlord Skipped Notice

A landlord who raises rent without giving the required written notice owes you back any amount unlawfully collected, plus interest, plus your reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs. The same remedy applies whether the violation was of the 45-day rule or the 75-day rule.¹

The attorney’s fees provision is what makes the rule practical to enforce. Without it, hiring a lawyer could cost more than the overcharge was worth. With it, even a modest violation carries real financial exposure for the landlord.

No Increase While the Unit Isn’t Habitable

A landlord cannot raise your rent at all while the unit violates Maine’s warranty of habitability. If the roof leaks, the heat is broken, or the plumbing fails, no increase is valid until the problem is fixed. The exception is a condition caused by you, your household, or your guests; the landlord can still raise rent in that situation. A landlord who collects an increase while the unit is in violation owes the overcharge back with interest, attorney’s fees, and costs.²

If you receive a rent increase notice while living with a code violation, document the problem thoroughly. The increase stays void as long as the condition persists.

Portland and South Portland Have Local Caps

Two Maine cities limit the dollar amount of an increase, not just the notice.

Portland

Portland voters approved a rent control ordinance in November 2020. The ordinance caps the annual increase at 70% of the change in the Consumer Price Index. The city publishes the allowable percentage each September. For calendar year 2026, the allowable increase is 2.2%. For 2025, it was 2.5%. Portland also requires 90 days’ written notice before any rent increase, longer than the state baseline. The Housing Safety Office administers the program and takes tenant complaints.³

South Portland

South Portland’s rent stabilization ordinance took effect May 27, 2023. It caps annual rent increases at 10%, but only for landlords with 16 or more rental units under common or affiliated ownership. Landlords with 15 or fewer units are exempt, and units built after May 27, 2023 are exempt as well.⁴ All landlords in South Portland, regardless of size, must give 90 days’ written notice before any rent increase and must provide tenants a city-written educational disclosure form at the start of a new tenancy.⁵

Fixed-Term vs. Month-to-Month Leases

When your landlord can raise the rent depends on the lease itself. A fixed-term lease locks in the rent for the whole term unless the lease includes a clause allowing a mid-term adjustment. When the term ends, the landlord can propose a new rate for the next term, subject to the state notice rules and any local ordinance.

In a month-to-month tenancy, the landlord can raise rent at any time with proper written notice, which is why the 45-day and 75-day windows matter so much for tenants-at-will. If you’d rather leave than pay the new rate, your month-to-month arrangement lets you move out with 30 days’ notice.

Subsidized Housing Follows Different Rules

If your unit is subsidized, state notice law does not govern the increase. For Section 8 project-based contracts, HUD may approve annual rent adjustments based on either the owner’s documented cost increases or an automatic annual adjustment factor published in the Federal Register, and the adjusted rents must remain comparable to similar unassisted units in the area.⁶

For tenant-based voucher programs, owners cannot increase the contract rent during the initial lease term, but they can request an increase to take effect at renewal. Any new rent has to pass a rent reasonableness determination and be approved by the local public housing authority.⁷

Retaliatory and Discriminatory Increases

A rent increase can be illegal even where no cap exists. Maine law creates a rebuttable presumption of retaliation if a landlord acts against a tenant within six months after the tenant has asserted rights under the rent increase notice statute, complained about code violations, or filed a fair housing complaint. The presumption is written into the eviction context but signals how Maine courts view retaliatory conduct generally.⁸

The federal Fair Housing Act adds another layer: a landlord cannot impose higher rents or less favorable terms based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. A rent increase targeting a specific tenant for a protected characteristic is illegal no matter what the amount would otherwise allow.⁹

Security Deposits When Rent Goes Up

Landlords sometimes try to collect additional security deposit when they raise rent. Maine caps the security deposit at two months’ rent, and that cap applies to the current rent amount. If the landlord asks for more deposit to stay at the two-month maximum, the request has to fit within that ceiling; a deposit above two months of the current rent is not allowed under any circumstances.¹⁰

1
Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 14 6015 – Notice of Rent or Mandatory Recurring Fee Increase
2
Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 14 6016 – Rent Increase Limitation
3
City of Portland. Rent Control and Rental Housing Rights
4
City of South Portland. Rental Housing Resources
5
City of South Portland. Rent Stabilization Questions and Answers
6
eCFR. 24 CFR 886.312 – Rent Adjustments
7
HUD Exchange. Are Owners Allowed to Request a Rent Increase During the Initial Lease Term
8
Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 14 6001 – Availability of Remedy
9
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Housing Discrimination Under the Fair Housing Act
10
Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 14 6032 – Maximum Security Deposit