RR
Rent Regulations

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

Rent increase limitation

In Force
Verified 10/21/2026 · Next check 10/28/2026
effective 10/21/2026MaineHabitability & Repair

Operative Text

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, §§ 6000–6016-A § 6016
Rent charged for residential estates may not be increased if the dwelling unit is in violation of the warranty of habitability. Any violation caused by the tenant, his family, guests or invitees shall not bar a rent increase. A written or oral waiver of this requirement is against public policy and is void. Any person in violation of this section shall be liable for the return of any sums unlawfully obtained from the lessee, with interest and reasonable attorneys' fees and costs.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under Maine law at 14 M.R.S. § 6016, a landlord is prohibited from raising rent on a residential unit that is in violation of the warranty of habitability — meaning the unit fails to meet basic livability standards. This restriction does not apply when the habitability violation was caused by the tenant, their family, guests, or invitees. Any attempt to waive this protection, whether in writing or verbally, is void as a matter of public policy. A landlord who collects a rent increase in violation of this rule may be required to return those amounts to the tenant, along with interest and reasonable attorneys' fees and costs.

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

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Property owners and managers operating under 14 M.R.S. § 6016 generally ensure that any dwelling unit is free of warranty-of-habitability violations before implementing a rent increase. Compliant operators document the condition of their units and address maintenance issues proactively, so that no outstanding habitability defects exist at the time a rent increase takes effect. Attempting to have a tenant sign away this protection — in a lease clause or otherwise — is unenforceable, and collecting a rent increase while a landlord-caused violation exists exposes the operator to liability for repayment of those sums, plus interest and attorneys' fees.

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. § 6016, tenants have a right to be free from rent increases when their unit has a warranty-of-habitability violation that was not caused by them, their household, or their guests. If a rent increase is collected despite such a violation, the law provides a basis to seek return of those unlawfully obtained amounts, along with interest and reasonable attorneys' fees and costs. Tenants who believe this provision has been violated may consider documenting the habitability conditions, raising the violation as a defense in any related court proceeding, or reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization for general information about available options in Maine.

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
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

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

§ 244.260
Compliance required
§ 14.567
ADOPTED BY REFERENCE
§ 244.340
Sewer and water connections

Source Information

Source:https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6016.html
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