Maine Eviction Notice
Create a free Maine eviction notice with the state's required notice periods built in. Pick the notice type, fill in the details, and download a PDF.
Maine notice periods
Nonpayment: 7 days · Lease violation (cure): 7 days · No-cause termination: 30 days.
Tenant Name(s)
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⚠ Maine requires a 7-day notice for a notice to pay rent or quit; the count runs from the date of SERVICE, and some states exclude weekends/holidays — verify before relying on a date. 7-day notice to pay or quit. The landlord may serve it only once the tenant is 7 or more days in arrears (Title 14 §6002(1)(C)). The notice must state the total amount due; if the tenant pays the full amount of rent due before the 7-day notice expires, the notice is void (statutory cure right). Even after the notice expires, if the tenant pays full arrears plus permitted fees before a writ of possession issues, the tenancy must be reinstated. Days are calendar days.
Notice to Pay Rent or Quit (Maine)
NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR QUIT
Date of Notice: ________________
From (Landlord/Agent): [LANDLORD/AGENT NAME], [LANDLORD ADDRESS]
To: [TENANT NAME(S)], Tenant(s) in possession of: [PROPERTY ADDRESS]
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that rent is now due and unpaid in the amount of $________. This amount is for unpaid RENT only and excludes late fees, utilities, and other charges unless your state and lease allow them.
You are required to PAY the full amount of rent due within 7 days after this notice is served on you, OR to vacate and surrender possession of the property. Payment must be made to [LANDLORD/AGENT NAME] at [LANDLORD ADDRESS], by cash, check, or money order. If you mail payment, it must be RECEIVED by the deadline.
If you do not comply with this notice within the time stated, the landlord may begin legal proceedings to recover possession of the property under Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 14, §6002 (Tenancy at will; buildings on land of another), within Ch. 709 (Entry and Detainer); see also §§6001, 6003.
Only a court can order you to move out. The landlord may NOT lock you out, remove your belongings, or shut off your utilities; doing so is illegal.
This notice is given without waiving, and the landlord expressly reserves, all other rights and remedies, including the right to recover unpaid rent and damages.
How this notice may be served: Written notice required. Personal in-hand service is the default. If the landlord or agent has made at least 3 good-faith efforts to personally serve the tenant in hand, service may instead be made by BOTH mailing the notice by first-class mail to the tenant's last known address AND leaving it at the tenant's last and usual place of abode (§6002(1)). The notice must include language advising the tenant of the right to contest the termination in court.
_______________________________________
[LANDLORD/AGENT NAME] — Landlord / Authorized Agent
[LANDLORD ADDRESS]
Date: ________________
PROOF OF SERVICE
I served this notice on the tenant(s) on ____________ (date).
Method of service (use a method permitted in your state — see the service note above):
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________ Date: ____________
Signature of person serving the notice
Email yourself a copy (PDF)
Self-help template, not legal advice. Notice periods, wording, and service rules vary by state and city. You cannot remove a tenant yourself — serve a proper notice and, if needed, file in court.
Maine Eviction Notice Requirements
In Maine, a landlord must serve a written notice before filing for eviction under Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 14, §6002 (Tenancy at will; buildings on land of another), within Ch. 709 (Entry and Detainer); see also §§6001, 6003. The required notice period depends on the reason:
- Nonpayment of rent: 7-day notice to pay or quit. 7-day notice to pay or quit. The landlord may serve it only once the tenant is 7 or more days in arrears (Title 14 §6002(1)(C)). The notice must state the total amount due; if the tenant pays the full amount of rent due before the 7-day notice expires, the notice is void (statutory cure right). Even after the notice expires, if the tenant pays full arrears plus permitted fees before a writ of possession issues, the tenancy must be reinstated. Days are calendar days.
- Curable lease violation: 7-day notice to cure or quit. Maine has no separate general 'cure or quit' period. The curative notice is the nonpayment 7-day notice (§6002(1)(C)), which the tenant voids by paying in full before expiration (and can reinstate by paying arrears+fees before the writ issues). For-cause grounds (substantial damage, nuisance, unfit-for-habitation, law violation) under §6002(1)(A)-(B) also use a 7-day notice, but the statute does not grant a guaranteed right-to-cure on those grounds beyond repairing substantial damage before the notice is given.
- No-cause termination (month-to-month): 30-day notice. A tenancy at will may be terminated by either party without cause on a minimum of 30 days' written notice (§6002, opening paragraph). The notice must advise the tenant of the right to contest the termination in court. If the tenant has paid rent through a date later than when the 30-day notice would expire, the notice must instead expire on or after the date through which rent has been paid. Parties may waive the 30 days in writing only at the time notice is given. A 30-day no-cause notice and a 7-day nonpayment notice may be combined in one notice.
Service: Written notice required. Personal in-hand service is the default. If the landlord or agent has made at least 3 good-faith efforts to personally serve the tenant in hand, service may instead be made by BOTH mailing the notice by first-class mail to the tenant's last known address AND leaving it at the tenant's last and usual place of abode (§6002(1)). The notice must include language advising the tenant of the right to contest the termination in court.
- Eviction in Maine is a 'Forcible Entry and Detainer' (FED) action under Title 14, Chapter 709; the pre-suit termination notice is governed by §6002.
- Nonpayment: rent must be 7+ days in arrears before a 7-day pay-or-quit notice can be served, and paying the full amount due before the notice expires voids it (§6002(1)(C)); paying arrears plus fees before a writ issues reinstates the tenancy.
- No-cause termination of a tenancy at will requires a minimum of 30 days' written notice; the notice must tell the tenant they may contest the eviction in court. A 30-day and a 7-day notice may be combined.
- Seven-day notice is also allowed for substantial damage, nuisance/unfit unit/law violation, domestic violence/sexual assault/stalking, violence or threats against others, and unauthorized occupants (§6002(1)(A)-(F)).
- Maine has no statewide just-cause law, but certain cities (e.g., Portland) impose local just-cause/rent-control eviction protections; check municipal ordinances.
Maine Eviction Notices by Type
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days notice to evict for nonpayment in Maine?
Maine requires a 7-day notice to pay rent or quit before a landlord can file for eviction. 7-day notice to pay or quit. The landlord may serve it only once the tenant is 7 or more days in arrears (Title 14 §6002(1)(C)). The notice must state the total amount due; if the tenant pays the full amount of rent due before the 7-day notice expires, the notice is void (statutory cure right). Even after the notice expires, if the tenant pays full arrears plus permitted fees before a writ of possession issues, the tenancy must be reinstated. Days are calendar days.
Can a landlord evict without notice in Maine?
No. A written notice is required before filing, and only a court can order a tenant removed. Self-help lockouts are illegal.
Does Maine require just cause to evict?
Maine does not have a statewide just-cause requirement, though some cities may. A month-to-month tenancy can generally be ended with a 30-day notice.
Disclaimer
This Maine eviction notice generator is a self-help tool for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Confirm Maine and local requirements before serving, and consult a landlord-tenant attorney for contested cases.
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