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Rent Regulations

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, §§ 205-A–214 § 214

Waiver; public policy

In Force
Verified 10/21/2026 · Next check 10/28/2026
effective 10/21/2026MaineFair Housing & Anti-Discrimination

Operative Text

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, §§ 205-A–214 § 214
Any waiver by a consumer of the provisions of this chapter is contrary to public policy and shall be unenforceable and void.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under Maine law, 5 M.R.S. §§ 205-A § 214, any agreement in which a consumer gives up the protections established by this chapter is treated as contrary to public policy, meaning such a waiver has no legal force and cannot be enforced. The rule ensures that the rights created by this chapter remain intact regardless of what a consumer may have signed or agreed to. No contract language, clause, or separate agreement can strip a consumer of these statutory protections.

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

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Property owners and managers operating in Maine should be aware that 5 M.R.S. §§ 205-A § 214 renders unenforceable any lease clause or agreement that purports to have a consumer waive the protections of this chapter. Compliant operators generally review their lease agreements to ensure no such waiver language is included, since courts would treat those provisions as void. Relying on a purported waiver as a defense or as a basis for a business practice would not provide legal protection under this provision.

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

For Tenants

Maine's 5 M.R.S. §§ 205-A § 214 means that even if a tenant signed a document or lease clause that appeared to waive the rights granted by this chapter, that waiver is legally void and unenforceable. Tenants who believe a landlord is relying on such a waiver to deny them statutory protections may have grounds to raise the invalidity of that waiver as a defense or in a complaint. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid services can help explain what specific protections this chapter covers and what options may be available.

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

No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, ch. 10
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, § 207
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, ch. 10
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, § 207
Me. Rev. Stat. § 207
Me. Rev. Stat. § 209
Me. Rev. Stat. § 207
Me. Rev. Stat. § 211
Me. Rev. Stat. § 207
Me. Rev. Stat. § 209
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, ch. 10
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, § 207
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, ch. 10
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, § 207
Me. Rev. Stat. § 207
Me. Rev. Stat. § 209
Me. Rev. Stat. § 207
Me. Rev. Stat. § 211
Me. Rev. Stat. § 207
Me. Rev. Stat. § 209

Related Rules

§ 5.106
§ 5.106 Equal access in accordance with the individual's gender identity in community planning and development programs.
§ 5.109
§ 5.109 Equal participation of faith-based organizations in HUD programs and activities.
§ 2
Policies; recommendations

Source Information

Source:https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/5/title5sec214.html
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