Maine Late Rent Fee Laws: Limits, Grace Periods, and Penalties
What Maine landlords can charge when rent is late, how long they must wait, and what an illegal fee costs. Last reviewed 2026-08-16.
How much can a landlord charge in Maine?
14 M.R.S. § 6028(2) bars a landlord from assessing a penalty for late payment of rent that exceeds four percent of the amount due for one month. The cap is measured against one month's rent, so on $1,500 rent the maximum penalty is $60 for that late month, not four percent per additional month or per day. A lease clause setting a higher figure is unenforceable to the extent it exceeds four percent, and a court will not award the excess. Maine gives courts no discretion to approve a larger fee as reasonable.
How late does rent have to be?
Under 14 M.R.S. § 6028(1) a rent payment is late only if it is not made within 15 days from the date it is due. On a lease with rent due the first, the earliest a late fee can be assessed is the sixteenth. A lease cannot shorten that window.
Does the fee have to be in the lease?
14 M.R.S. § 6028(3) prohibits assessing the penalty unless the landlord gave the tenant written notice, at the time the parties entered into the rental agreement, that a penalty of up to four percent of one month's rent may be charged. Adding the clause mid-tenancy does not cover a tenancy that already started without it.
What happens if you charge too much?
A late fee that exceeds four percent, is charged before day 16, or was never disclosed in writing at signing is not collectible, and a tenant who paid it can seek it back. Lease terms that strip a tenant of rights under Chapter 710 are declared unfair and deceptive trade practices by 14 M.R.S. § 6030, which opens the door to damages, restitution, and attorney fees under 5 M.R.S. §§ 207 and 213.
Returned payment fees
Maine sets no landlord-specific returned check fee. Under 14 M.R.S. § 6071 the holder of a dishonored check can recover the amount of the check, processing charges actually incurred, and 12 percent interest, plus, if it goes to court, liquidated damages and a civil penalty of up to $150. In practice charge only the bank fee you actually paid and state it in the lease.
Recent changes to the law
Section 6028 itself has not been amended since 1988. Maine's fee transparency law, P.L. 2023 ch. 594 (LD 1490), took effect January 1, 2025 and requires landlords to give a signed total price disclosure of rent and recurring fees before lease signing, which raises the documentation bar around all tenant charges.
What Maine landlords get wrong
Maine's 15 day rule governs the fee only, not eviction. A landlord can serve a 7 day notice to quit for nonpayment once rent is seven days in arrears under 14 M.R.S. § 6002 even though no late fee may be charged until day 16. Build the four percent figure and the 15 day trigger directly into your lease at signing, because the written notice requirement in § 6028(3) is what most small landlords miss. Portland layers on its own rent control and a 75 day rent increase notice, but the four percent late fee cap is statewide and no municipality can raise it.
The law itself
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum late fee a Maine landlord can charge?
Four percent of one month's rent, under 14 M.R.S. § 6028. On $1,200 rent that is $48. The cap applies to the penalty for that late month, so you cannot stack a second four percent charge for the same missed payment or add a daily amount on top. Any lease clause setting a higher penalty is unenforceable above the four percent line.
How late does rent have to be in Maine before a late fee applies?
Fifteen days. Maine law says a rent payment is not late until 15 days after the due date, so a landlord cannot assess the penalty until the sixteenth day. The lease cannot shorten this to five or ten days. Separately, a landlord may start the eviction process with a seven day notice to quit once rent is seven days overdue.
Does the late fee have to be in my Maine lease?
Yes, and it has to have been there from the start. 14 M.R.S. § 6028(3) forbids assessing the penalty unless the landlord gave written notice at the time the rental agreement was entered into that a penalty of up to four percent may be charged. A landlord who adds the clause after you moved in cannot enforce it against your existing tenancy.
What happens if a Maine landlord charges more than 4 percent?
The excess is not collectible. The clause is unenforceable above the statutory cap, a court will not award the extra, and a tenant who already paid it can demand it back. Because Maine treats lease terms that waive tenant rights as unfair trade practices under 14 M.R.S. § 6030, the tenant may also pursue damages and attorney fees under the Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Keep reading
Charging the wrong late fee can cost you more than the rent.
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