Rent increase in Maine

[Lisa Cutshaw]

I am getting ready to have all of my tenants sign a new lease, as the old one is up and they are now technically month-to-month. I just saw that Maine requires a 45-day notice before a rent increase can go into effect. I'm assuming that means I need to send a letter to the tenants informing them that we will be raising the rent and then have the new lease take effect at that 45-day mark in the future. Does anyone have experience with this in Maine? Am I interpreting this correctly?

Going forward, I'm assuming that each year I'll need to send a notice 2 months before the end of the lease informing them of a rent increase.

Thanks for your help.

[Dale Dickey]

I also found and put here for you the laws from State of Maine.  Hope this helps!

§ 14. 8. Notice Of Rent Increase Must Be
Given
When the lease is unwritten (a tenancy at will), the landlord can increase the rent only after
providing the tenant at least a full forty-five days written notice. A written or oral waiver of this
requirement is against public policy and is void. A tenant can sue in court and win back money
incorrectly collected by the landlord, with interest, and his reasonable attorney’s fees.36 If the lease is
in writing, then any rent increase can only begin after the lease term expires.
§ 14. 9. Rent Increase Limits
Normally, a landlord can charge whatever he wishes for rent. While it is possible that a rent
increase may be so extreme as to violate the “profiteering in rents” law,37 the new rent being charged
would have to be completely out of line with comparable rentals. Landlords cannot increase rents for
apartments that are in violation of the warranty of habitability. Again, tenants can sue for the return of
their money and their attorneys’ fees.38 A landlord is prohibited from charging more than a 4% penalty
for a late rental payment.39 By statute, rent is not “late” until 15 days after its due date.