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Rent Regulations

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, §§ 6021–6030-K § 6022-A

Limit on initial amount paid by tenant

In Force
Verified 10/21/2026 · Next check 10/28/2026
effective 10/21/2026MaineSecurity Deposits

Operative Text

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, §§ 6021–6030-K § 6022-A
1.
Limit on amount required to initiate tenancy.
Upon entering a lease or tenancy at will agreement, a landlord, landlord's agent or real estate broker may not require a tenant to pay an initial amount of money in excess of the total of the rent for the first full month of occupancy, a security deposit as limited by section 6032 and any mandatory recurring fee as defined in section 6000, subsection 1‑A that is properly disclosed under section 6030‑J .
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Maine law under 14 M.R.S. §§ 6021 & 6022-A caps the total upfront money a landlord, agent, or broker can collect when a new tenancy begins. The cap covers the first full month's rent, a security deposit within the limits set by section 6032, and any mandatory recurring fees that are properly disclosed under section 6030-J. No other initial charges may be required of the incoming tenant beyond those three categories.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 22, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under 14 M.R.S. §§ 6021 & 6022-A, compliant operators structure their move-in cost requirements so that the sum of first month's rent, the security deposit (kept within the section 6032 ceiling), and any mandatory recurring fees does not exceed the statutory cap. Any mandatory recurring fee must be properly disclosed in accordance with section 6030-J before it can be included in the allowable upfront total. Collecting amounts outside these three permitted categories at lease signing would place a landlord, agent, or broker in violation of this provision.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

14 M.R.S. §§ 6021 & 6022-A gives tenants a clear ceiling on what can be demanded before or at the start of a tenancy — generally limited to first month's rent, a capped security deposit, and disclosed mandatory recurring fees. If a landlord, agent, or broker requests upfront money beyond those categories, that demand may constitute a violation of this provision. Tenants who believe they have been charged more than the law allows can document the amounts paid, review the disclosures provided, and consider reaching out to a Maine tenant-rights organization or the Maine Attorney General's consumer protection office for general information about available options.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 22, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Expression #1
Oct 21, 2026
Current
Oct 21, 2026
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

Me. Rev. Stat. § 6032
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6000
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6030-J

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

Me. Rev. Stat. § 6021
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6026
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6025
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6021
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6026
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6025
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6025
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6021
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6030-A
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6030-J
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6027
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6025-A
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6021
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6021
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6024
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6021
Me. Rev. Stat. ch. 710
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6030-I
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6030-J
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6026
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6021
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6021
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6021
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6030-I
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6021
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6021-A
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6025
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6021
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6030-A
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6030-J
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6027
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6025-A
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6021
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6021
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6024
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6021
Me. Rev. Stat. ch. 710
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6030-I
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6030-J
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6026
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6021
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6021
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6021
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6030-I
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6021
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6021-A

Related Rules

§ R 125.2001
Definitions.
§ 5-12-081
Interest rate on security deposits
§ 5-3-5-1
SECURITY DEPOSITS AND PREPAID RENT

Source Information

Source:https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6022-A.html
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