Rent Control in Portland, Maine: 2026 Cap, Covered Units, and Notice Rules

Rent control in Portland, Maine caps most annual rent increases at 70 percent of the change in the Consumer Price Index, which comes to 2.2 percent for calendar year 2026. Voters approved the ordinance in November 2020, it took effect January 1, 2021, and a 2022 amendment tightened the formula and lengthened the required notice period. The rules sit in Chapter 6 of the Portland City Code and are administered by the city’s Rent Board and Housing Safety Office.¹

The 2026 Allowable Increase

Each September 1, the city sets the next year’s allowable increase at 70 percent of the annual change in the CPI-U for the Greater Boston metro area, using the figure the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes that August. The 70 percent factor is the detail most people miss. Tenants and landlords do not get the full inflation adjustment; they get roughly two-thirds of it.¹

For 2026, Boston-area CPI-U rose 3.2 percent from July 2024 to July 2025, so the allowable rent increase rounds to 2.2 percent. Recent years for comparison:

2023: 7.0 percent
2024: 2.0 percent
2025: 2.5 percent
2026: 2.2 percent

The percentage applies to the unit’s base rent, which is whatever was charged in June 2020, or the initial rent if the tenancy started later.

Which Units the Ordinance Covers

Most residential rentals inside Portland city limits are covered, whether leased long-term or offered as short-term rentals.¹ The main exemptions are owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units, accessory dwelling units on the same lot as a primary residence, government-managed housing, units run by certain religious or charitable organizations, and institutional settings like dormitories, hospitals, and healthcare facilities. Voters rejected a 2023 ballot measure that would have expanded the small-landlord exemption to buildings with nine or fewer units.

Exempt units are still subject to the ordinance’s procedural rules, including proper notice before ending a tenancy. Exempt from the price cap does not mean exempt from everything.

Notice, Frequency, and How a Lawful Increase Works

A landlord can raise the rent only once in any 12-month period, and must give at least 90 days’ written notice before the new amount takes effect.¹ The original 2020 ordinance required 75 days; the 2022 amendment extended it to 90. The increase itself is calculated off the base rent plus whatever adjustments the Rent Board has previously approved, not off some higher market figure the landlord would prefer to charge.

Vacancy Increases and the No-Fault Limit

When a tenant voluntarily leaves or is evicted for cause, the landlord can add up to 5 percent on top of the previous rent before signing a new lease. That turnover bump still counts toward the overall cap, so it cannot be stacked with other adjustments to produce an unlimited jump.

The vacancy increase is off the table entirely if the previous tenant was removed through a no-fault eviction. That rule exists to prevent landlords from cycling through tenants as a workaround to the price cap. A no-fault eviction, where the tenant has not violated the lease but the landlord wants the unit back for renovation, personal use, or another permitted reason, also carries longer notice obligations than a standard for-cause removal, and in some circumstances requires a payment to the displaced tenant.

Going Above the Cap: Pass-Throughs and Capital Improvements

Two routes let a landlord charge more than the standard annual adjustment. The first is a property-tax pass-through, which compares the current tax assessment to the base year and spreads the difference across the building’s units.¹

The second is a capital improvement increase for major renovations that materially improve living conditions or safety. These are not automatic. The landlord has to petition the Rent Board and submit documentation such as invoices and permits, and the Board reviews whether the work was genuinely necessary and whether the proposed cost-sharing is fair. Routine maintenance does not qualify. Even with an approved petition, total increases in a given year cannot exceed 10 percent.

Source-of-Income Protections

Under Section 6-222 of the city code, Portland landlords cannot refuse to rent to someone, or set different lease terms, because of how the tenant pays. The protection covers Section 8 vouchers, General Assistance, and other subsidy programs.² A landlord who turns away a prospective tenant solely because the rent will be paid with a housing voucher is violating the ordinance.

Landlord Registration

Every rental unit must be registered with the city each year by December 31, or within 15 days of entering the rental market.³ The base fee is $50 per unit, reducible to no lower than $30 through safety-related discounts for features like sprinklers, monitored fire alarms, and recent HUD inspections.⁴

Late fees escalate quickly. If registration is not renewed within 14 days of expiration, the late fee is $50 per unit. After 45 days, it rises to $200 per unit.³ Providing false information on a registration can trigger a $1,000 penalty.⁴

Filing a Complaint or Petition

If you believe you are being overcharged, have not received required rights documents, or are facing retaliation for asserting your rights, you can file a complaint through the form on the city’s Rent Control and Housing Rights webpage or by emailing rentcontrol@portlandmaine.gov.² Once a complaint is filed, city staff contacts the landlord, reviews rent history records, and determines whether a violation occurred. If one is found, the landlord receives a deadline to correct it. Routine audits also happen independently, with inspectors verifying that no more than one increase occurred in any 12-month window and that the percentage stayed within the cap.

The Rent Board is the body that hears petitions for above-cap increases, decides appeals, and mediates disputes when both sides agree to it.⁵ Day-to-day registration and routine enforcement run through the city’s Housing Safety Office. Landlords use the same Rent Board process to request capital improvement or fair-rate-of-return adjustments, submitting a completed application with supporting financial documentation.

1
City of Portland. Rent Control and Rental Housing Rights
2
City of Portland. Rent Control – Frequently Asked Questions
3
City of Portland. Long-Term Rental Registration
4
City of Portland. Long-Term Rental Registration Application
5
City of Portland. Rent Board Annual Report