Breaking a lease in Maine

If you are the tenant

• A tenancy at will ends on the date fixed in a written notice given at least 30 days earlier; the date does not have to match a rent day (14 M.R.S. § 6002).

If the landlord ends it

• A landlord may end a tenancy at will with at least 30 days' written notice, which must tell the tenant of the right to contest in court; if rent is paid through a later date, the notice must expire on or after that date. A 7-day notice is allowed for listed causes such as rent 7+ days late or substantial damage (14 M.R.S. § 6002).

Written notice required: Yes. Notice to end a tenancy at will must be in writing (14 M.R.S. § 6002).

A tenant who unjustifiably leaves before the tenancy ends owes rent and damages, minus what the landlord could recover by reasonable efforts to re-rent, plus reasonable listing and advertising costs, unless the landlord expressly accepted a surrender (14 M.R.S. § 6010-A).

Landlord's duty to re-rent: Yes. 14 M.R.S. § 6010-A requires recovery to be reduced by the net rent obtainable through reasonable efforts to re-rent; the landlord must allege and prove efforts, and the tenant must prove they were unreasonable.

Lease-break fees: No statutory cap on lease-break fees found; a landlord's recovery is limited by the mitigation rule in 14 M.R.S. § 6010-A.

• Domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking (14 M.R.S. § 6002(4); § 6001(6)(D))

  A victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking may end a tenancy at will or a lease under one year with 7 days' written notice, or a lease of one year or more with 30 days' written notice, plus documentation.

  Proof:

  Documentation under § 6001(6)(H), e.g. a statement signed by a sexual assault counselor, domestic violence or victim-witness advocate, health care or mental health provider or law enforcement officer, or a copy of a protection from abuse complaint or order; must name the perpetrator.

  What you still owe:

  Not liable for rent after the notice expires or the victim moves out, whichever is later; prepaid rent for that month is not refunded.

• Landlord harassment or illegal entry (14 M.R.S. § 6001(6)(D-1))

  A tenant who is sexually harassed by the landlord or the landlord's agent may end the lease early on the same terms as a domestic-violence victim.

  Proof:

  Documentation under § 6001(6)(H).

  What you still owe:

  Same as the domestic-violence rule (7 or 30 days' notice).

• Other (14 M.R.S. § 6001(1-B)(B))

  If a written lease has no termination or breach-notice clause, the tenant may end it with 7 days' written notice when the landlord has substantially breached the lease.

  Notice:

  7 days, in writing

  Proof:

  None specified.

  What you still owe:

  Not stated in the statute.

Military orders, every state: the federal SCRA lets servicemembers with orders (permanent change of station or deployment of 90+ days) end a lease with written notice and a copy of the orders. How the SCRA date is counted.

• Portland: Landlords must give at least 90 days' written notice to end a tenancy without cause; 60 days if the landlord pays the tenant one month's rent, or 30 days if two months' rent is paid. For-cause terminations follow state law.

• A habitability breach found in a nonpayment eviction lets the court allow the tenant to end the rental agreement without prejudice (14 M.R.S. § 6002(3)).
• Since January 1, 2024, a landlord must attach the judicial branch's form notice to any notice terminating a tenancy (14 M.R.S. § 6001(7)).

• Write a Maine notice to vacate
• Maine security deposit law: getting your deposit back after you move

• 14 M.R.S. § 6002 Retrieved October 13, 2026.
• 14 M.R.S. § 6001 Retrieved October 13, 2026.
• 14 M.R.S. § 6010-A Retrieved October 13, 2026.
• City of Portland, Rental Housing Rights Retrieved October 13, 2026.

Laws change. This page was checked against the sources above on October 13, 2026. It is legal information, not legal advice; see our methodology.