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Rent Regulations

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

Optional recurring fee

In Force
Verified 10/21/2026 · Next check 10/28/2026
effective 10/21/2026MaineFees & Charges

Operative Text

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, §§ 6021–6030-K § 6030-I
1.
Definition.
As used in this section, "optional recurring fee" means an amount of money paid for an added service or feature of a property that is not essential to meet the basic health or safety requirements necessary for a dwelling unit to be fit for human habitation as governed by section 6021 . "Optional recurring fee" does not include a fee for the use of a coin-operated laundry machine or other intermittent fee not paid on a predetermined recurring basis. "Optional recurring fee" does not include fees for late, missed or insufficient payment of rent, repair costs, utility service costs, penalties or charges that are issued to reimburse the landlord for reasonable costs or that deter the tenant from violating the lease or tenancy at will agreement.






2.
Permitted optional recurring fee.
A landlord may impose an optional recurring fee only if the landlord provides the tenant with written notice, prior to the implementation of the fee, that the tenant may opt in to using the services or property feature and cease paying the optional recurring fee at any time without penalty. A landlord may not deny or terminate a lease or tenancy at will agreement based on the tenant choosing to opt out of those services or property features or cease paying the optional recurring fee.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Maine law under 14 M.R.S. § 6030-I defines and regulates 'optional recurring fees'—charges for non-essential property services or features beyond what is required for basic habitability under § 6021. Such fees are only permitted when the tenant receives advance written notice explaining that participation is voluntary and can be stopped at any time without penalty. Landlords are prohibited from denying or ending a tenancy because a tenant chooses not to participate in or stops paying these optional fees.

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. § 6030-I, compliant operators who wish to offer optional recurring fees—such as charges for amenity packages or added property features—provide tenants with written notice before the fee takes effect, clearly stating that the service is opt-in and that the tenant may discontinue it at any time without penalty. Operators do not condition lease approval, renewal, or continuation on a tenant's acceptance of these optional fees. Keeping clear records of written disclosures and tenant opt-in or opt-out decisions supports compliance with this provision.

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

For Tenants

Under 14 M.R.S. § 6030-I, tenants have the right to opt out of non-essential recurring fees at any time without facing a penalty, and a landlord cannot deny or terminate a tenancy based on that choice. If a landlord imposes such a fee without prior written notice or retaliates against a tenant for opting out, that conduct may conflict with this provision. Tenants who believe their rights under § 6030-I have been violated may consider contacting a local tenant-rights organization or Maine's courts for guidance on available remedies.

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. § 6021

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

§ 151.16
RESEARCH SERVICES
§ 151.18
ADDITIONAL SERVICES CONTRACTS
§ 6.20
SEVERABILITY

Source Information

Source:https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6030-I.html
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