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Rent Regulations

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, §§ 4551–4640 (housing subchs.) § 4631

Burden of proof

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.) § 4631
In any civil action under this Act, the burden shall be on the person seeking relief to prove, by a fair preponderance of the evidence, that the alleged unlawful discrimination occurred.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under Maine's Human Rights Act, specifically § 4631, the legal burden of proof in civil housing discrimination cases falls on the person bringing the claim. That person must demonstrate, by a 'fair preponderance of the evidence,' that unlawful discrimination actually took place — meaning their evidence must show it is more likely than not that discrimination occurred. This standard applies to any civil action brought under the Act's housing provisions.

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

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Section 4631 of Maine's Human Rights Act places the initial burden of proof on the complainant, not the property owner or manager. Compliant operators generally maintain thorough, consistent documentation of their rental decisions — such as written criteria, application records, and communications — so that the basis for any decision is clear and demonstrable. Understanding that a claimant must meet the preponderance-of-evidence standard can inform how operators structure their recordkeeping practices.

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

For Tenants

Under § 4631 of Maine's Human Rights Act, a tenant or applicant who believes they have experienced unlawful housing discrimination bears the responsibility of proving that discrimination by a preponderance of the evidence. This means gathering documentation, communications, witness accounts, or other evidence that supports the claim. General enforcement paths available under the Act include filing a complaint with the Maine Human Rights Commission or pursuing a civil action in court, and tenant-rights organizations can help individuals understand what types of evidence are typically relevant to such claims.

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. 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/title5sec4631.html
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