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Rent Regulations

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, §§ 6000–6016-A § 6011

House of ill fame; lease void at landlord's option

In Force
Verified 10/21/2026 · Next check 10/28/2026
effective 10/21/2026MaineEviction & Just Cause

Operative Text

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, §§ 6000–6016-A § 6011
When the tenant of a dwelling house is convicted of keeping it as a house of ill fame, the lease or contract by which he occupies it may, at the option of the landlord, be deemed void and the landlord shall have the same remedy to recover possession as against a tenant holding over after his term expires.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under Maine law at 14 M.R.S. § 6011, if a tenant is criminally convicted of operating a dwelling as a house of ill fame, the lease or rental contract covering that dwelling may be treated as void — but only if the landlord chooses to exercise that option. Once the landlord makes that election, the law gives the landlord the same legal tools to reclaim possession of the property that would be available against a tenant who stays past the end of a lease term.

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

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under 14 M.R.S. § 6011, a landlord whose tenant has been convicted of keeping the rented dwelling as a house of ill fame has the discretionary right to declare the lease void. Operators who choose to exercise this option generally document the conviction and follow the same holdover-tenant procedures used to recover possession at the end of a tenancy. Because the option belongs to the landlord, no action is required unless the landlord affirmatively decides to pursue it.

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

For Tenants

Under 14 M.R.S. § 6011, a lease can only be voided on these grounds if the tenant has actually been convicted — not merely accused — of keeping the dwelling as a house of ill fame, and even then the landlord must affirmatively choose to treat the lease as void. Tenants facing a landlord's attempt to recover possession under this provision may have grounds to contest whether the statutory requirements have been met, including the fact of conviction and the landlord's proper exercise of the option. Tenant-rights organizations or legal aid services can help explain what procedural steps and defenses may be available in a holdover proceeding brought under this section.

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
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References Out

No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

Me. Rev. Stat. § 6015
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6004
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6001
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6016
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6002
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, ch. 709
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6002
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6015
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6004
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6001
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6000
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6005
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6001
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6002
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6013
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6005
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6001
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6000
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6000
Me. Rev. Stat. ch. 709
Me. Rev. Stat. ch. 709
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6000
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6001
Me. Rev. Stat. ch. 709
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6001
Me. Rev. Stat. ch. 709
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6002
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6016
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6002
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, ch. 709
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6002
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6000
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6005
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6001
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6002
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6013
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6005
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6001
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6000
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6000
Me. Rev. Stat. ch. 709
Me. Rev. Stat. ch. 709
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6000
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6001
Me. Rev. Stat. ch. 709
Me. Rev. Stat. § 6001
Me. Rev. Stat. ch. 709
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6002

Related Rules

§ 151.20
TEMPORARY EVICTION CONTROLS AND RENT REDUCTIONS FOR MOBILE HOMES DAMAGED IN THE JANUARY, 1994 EARTHQUAKE
§ 1
Definitions
§ 2
Eviction of tenants prohibited; exceptions

Source Information

Source:https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6011.html
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