Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, ch. 710-A § 6031
Definitions
Operative Text
As used in this Part, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following words shall have the following meanings. 1. Normal wear and tear. "Normal wear and tear" means the deterioration that occurs, based upon the use for which the rental unit is intended, without negligence, carelessness, accident or abuse of the premises or equipment or chattels by the tenant or members of the tenant's household or their invitees or guests. The term "normal wear and tear" does not include sums or labor expended by the landlord in removing from the rental unit articles abandoned by the tenant such as trash. If a rental unit was leased to the tenant in a habitable condition or if it was put in a habitable condition by the landlord during the term of the tenancy, normal wear and tear does not include sums required to be expended by the landlord to return the rental unit to a habitable condition, which may include costs for cleaning, unless expenditure of these sums was necessitated by actions of the landlord, events beyond the control of the tenant or actions of someone other than the tenant or members of the tenant's household or their invitees or guests. 2. Security deposit. "Security deposit" means any advance or deposit, regardless of its denomination, of money, the primary function of which is to secure the performance of a lease or tenancy at will agreement for residential premises or any part thereof. 3. Surety bond. "Surety bond" means a bond purchased by a tenant in lieu of making a security deposit when the function of the bond is to secure the performance of a lease or tenancy at will agreement for residential premises or any part of residential premises.
Maine Revised Statutes Title 14, § 6031 establishes the foundational definitions that govern security deposit disputes in Maine residential tenancies. "Normal wear and tear" refers to the gradual, expected deterioration of a rental unit from ordinary use—not damage caused by negligence, accidents, or misuse—and explicitly excludes the cost of removing abandoned items or restoring a unit to habitable condition when the tenant is responsible. A "security deposit" covers any advance payment whose primary purpose is to secure a lease or tenancy at will, while a "surety bond" is an alternative instrument a tenant may purchase in place of a cash deposit to fulfill the same securing function.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under 14 M.R.S. § 6031, compliant operators in Maine distinguish carefully between ordinary deterioration and actual damage when assessing a departing tenant's unit. Operators generally document the unit's condition at move-in and move-out to support any deductions, keeping in mind that costs for cleaning or restoring habitability may only be charged to the tenant when the tenant's own actions—or those of household members or guests—caused the need. Advance payments collected to secure a lease, regardless of what they are called, are treated as security deposits under this section, and surety bonds accepted in lieu of cash deposits serve the same legal function.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 6031 of Title 14 of the Maine Revised Statutes defines the key terms that shape your rights around security deposits, including what a landlord may and may not deduct. Normal wear and tear—the routine aging of a unit through ordinary use—cannot lawfully be charged against a tenant's deposit, and costs caused by the landlord's own actions or events outside the tenant's control are similarly excluded. Tenants who believe deductions have been made beyond what this section permits may raise the definitions in § 6031 as a basis for a dispute, consult a local tenant-rights organization, or explore remedies available under the broader security deposit statutes in this Part.
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
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation