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Rent Regulations

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, §§ 4551–4640 (housing subchs.) § 4611

Complaint

In Force
Verified 10/21/2026 · Next check 10/28/2026
effective 10/21/2026MaineFair Housing & Anti-Discrimination

Operative Text

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, §§ 4551–4640 (housing subchs.) § 4611
Any aggrieved person, or any employee of the commission, may file a complaint under oath with the commission stating the facts concerning the alleged discrimination, except that a complaint must be filed with the commission not more than 300 days after the alleged act of unlawful discrimination. In addition, any person may file a complaint pursuant to section 4632 .
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Maine's Human Rights Act, at 5 M.R.S. § 4611, establishes the process for initiating a housing discrimination complaint with the Maine Human Rights Commission. Either a person who believes they have been harmed by unlawful housing discrimination, or a commission employee, may file a sworn complaint describing the alleged discriminatory act. The complaint must be filed within 300 days of the alleged discrimination, and any person may also file a complaint under the separate process outlined in section 4632.

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

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under 5 M.R.S. § 4611, housing providers should be aware that complaints alleging unlawful discrimination in housing can be filed with the Maine Human Rights Commission by affected individuals or by commission staff. Operators who maintain clear, documented fair-housing policies and consistent application of rental criteria are generally better positioned to respond if a complaint is filed. Because the 300-day filing window means complaints can arrive well after a transaction or interaction, retaining records of rental decisions and communications is a common practice among compliant operators.

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

For Tenants

Under 5 M.R.S. § 4611, if you believe you have experienced unlawful housing discrimination in Maine, you or a commission employee may file a sworn complaint with the Maine Human Rights Commission describing the alleged discriminatory act. The complaint must be submitted within 300 days of the act in question, so being mindful of that timeframe is important when considering available options. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid services can help explain the complaint process, including the additional filing path available under section 4632.

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

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

Me. Rev. Stat. § 4632

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, ch. 337
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, ch. 337
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, ch. 337
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, ch. 337
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4611
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4553-A
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, § 4553
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4553
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4630
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4553
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4553-A
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4581-A
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4632
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4611
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4612
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4622
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4614
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4613
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4612
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4611
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4614
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, ch. 337
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, § 4551
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, ch. 337
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4611
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4553-A
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, § 4553
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4553
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4630
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4553
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4553-A
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4581-A
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4632
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4611
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4612
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4622
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4614
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4613
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4612
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4611
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4614
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, § 4551

Related Rules

§ 5.106
§ 5.106 Equal access in accordance with the individual's gender identity in community planning and development programs.
§ 5.109
§ 5.109 Equal participation of faith-based organizations in HUD programs and activities.
§ 2
Policies; recommendations

Source Information

Source:https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/5/title5sec4611.html
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