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Maine rent late fee law

What your landlord is allowed to charge when rent is late, how soon they can charge it, and what to do about a fee the law doesn't allow.

Maximum late fee

4% of one month's rent

Grace period

15 days

The cap

Under 14 M.R.S. § 6028, Maine caps late-payment penalties at 4% of the amount due for one month — one of the lowest caps in the country.

When the fee can start

Rent is not legally 'late' until 15 days after it is due, and no penalty may be assessed before then. A landlord may not charge any late penalty unless they gave written notice at the time the rental agreement was made that a penalty of up to 4% may be charged. No notice at signing means no fee, ever, under that agreement.

If you've been charged an illegal fee

The statute makes a non-compliant fee simply not assessable: an over-cap, early, or un-noticed fee is not lawfully owed, and amounts collected can be demanded back.

Charged a fee the law doesn't allow?

Answer a few questions and get a formal demand letter citing 14 M.R.S. § 6028 and exactly which rule your landlord broke — free to generate and download. We can also send it by USPS Certified Mail for you, with the delivery record that holds up in court.

Dispute my late fee

Did your landlord also keep your security deposit?

Maine landlords have 30 days to return your deposit after you move out — and real penalties apply when they don't. Generate a formal demand letter citing 14 M.R.S. § 6033, and we can send it certified mail for you.

Demand my deposit back

Common questions

Is there a limit on late fees for rent in Maine?
Yes. Under 14 M.R.S. § 6028, Maine caps late-payment penalties at 4% of the amount due for one month — one of the lowest caps in the country.
Can my landlord charge a late fee the day rent is due in Maine?
No. Rent is not legally 'late' until 15 days after it is due, and no penalty may be assessed before then.
What can I do if my landlord charged an illegal late fee in Maine?
The statute makes a non-compliant fee simply not assessable: an over-cap, early, or un-noticed fee is not lawfully owed, and amounts collected can be demanded back.

Other Maine tenant rights

Landlords who get one of these wrong often get another wrong too.

Maine security deposit lawHow long your landlord has to return it, and what they owe if they don't.Maine landlord repair lawsWhat your landlord must fix, how long they get, and your options if they don't.Maine landlord entry lawsHow much notice your landlord owes you before letting themselves in.

Late fee laws in other states

These rules change at the state line. Every page is checked against that state's own published statute.

How this page was checked

  • Read from the source. Every deadline, cap and penalty here was taken from the legislature's published text — the statute, session law or administrative code itself.
  • No legal-information websites. Commercial summaries were used only to find a provision, never as authority for it. An automated check fails our build if any state we serve cites a secondary source.
  • Locked against drift. The verified figures are pinned by regression tests, so a later edit cannot quietly change a deadline or a penalty.
  • Last verified August 14, 2026. Laws change — confirm the current text before relying on it.

General information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm.

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