Landlord guide, Maine (ME)
Maine eviction process: the landlord’s steps from notice to removal
The eviction process in Maine starts with the 7-day notice to quit: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent (14 M.R.S. § 6002(1), (2)). Then the landlord files in the District Court, where the case is called forcible entry and detainer; the court hears it, and after judgment a court officer carries out the removal.
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- Notice for unpaid rent
- 7 calendar days
- 14 M.R.S. § 6002(1), (2)
- Court
- District Court
- 14 M.R.S. §§ 6003, 6004, 6005, 6008
- Time to appeal
- 7 days
- 14 M.R.S. §§ 6003, 6004, 6005, 6008
- Checked against the statutes
- 1 November 2026
Step by step
The eviction process Maine landlords follow, step by step
Notice and court names are given as they read on Maine’s own forms, and timing details are quoted from the statute.
- 1
Step 1
Serve the notice
Unpaid rent: the 7-day notice to quit, 7 calendar days (14 M.R.S. § 6002(1), (2)).
Paying everything owed inside the period ends the case, by statute.
Another breach of the lease: the 7-day notice to quit, 7 calendar days (14 M.R.S. § 6002(1)).
No reason, month to month: 30 days’ notice (14 M.R.S. § 6002).
What the statute adds, in English
Available once rent is 7 or more days in arrears. Paying the full rent due before the notice expires voids it, and paying all arrears plus filing and service fees before the writ issues reinstates the tenancy.
- 2
Step 2
File the eviction in court
File in the District Court, where the case is called forcible entry and detainer (14 M.R.S. §§ 6003, 6004, 6005, 6008).
- 3
Step 3
Go to the hearing
In the statute, in English
no later than 10 days after the return day
- 4
Step 4
Judgment and appeal
If the court rules for you, the tenant has 7 days to appeal.
- 5
Step 5
Removal by a court officer
An officer of the court carries out the removal, on the court’s order.
In the statute, in English
writ issues 7 calendar days after judgment, and the tenant has 48 hours after the writ is served
Maine eviction process timeline
- Notice before filing
- 7 calendar days
- Time to answer
- Not confirmed
- Hearing
- Quoted in step 3
- Time to appeal
- 7 days
- Removal
- Quoted in step 5
Only some steps have a number in the statute, so no honest total exists: after filing, the court sets the pace.
Can you change the locks yourself?
No. Maine bans self-help eviction (14 M.R.S. § 6014), so only the court process can remove a tenant.
Any eviction outside the court process is illegal, including cutting utilities, locking the tenant out or holding their belongings.
The court process is the safe course in every state.
Write the Maine eviction notice
Fill in the notice for Maine in the generator, then read the rest of the state’s landlord law before you serve it.
Where Dardaris comes in
Most evictions start as one late payment. Dardaris sees it on day one.
It notices the missed rent the day it is due, sends the tenant a reminder, and if nothing comes, drafts the Maine notice with its 7 calendar days. You read it and sign; nothing goes out without you.
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Dardaris
The statutes
Maine eviction laws, with the statute behind each step
| Step | What the law says | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Notice for unpaid rent | 7-day notice to quit7 calendar daysPaying in full within the period stops itAvailable once rent is 7 or more days in arrears. Paying the full rent due before the notice expires voids it, and paying all arrears plus filing and service fees before the writ issues reinstates the tenancy. | 14 M.R.S. § 6002(1), (2) |
| Notice for a lease breach | 7-day notice to quit7 calendar daysOnly for the listed grounds: substantial unrepaired damage, nuisance or unfit conditions, violation of law, violence or threats, domestic violence against a co-tenant, or an unauthorized occupant. Any other ground for a tenancy at will needs a 30-day notice, and the statute gives no cure period. | 14 M.R.S. § 6002(1) |
| Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy | 30 daysApplies to a tenancy at will. The notice must say the tenant can contest the termination in court. | 14 M.R.S. § 6002 |
| How a notice is served | in-hand delivery to the tenantafter 3 good faith attempts, first-class mail to the last known address plus leaving it at the tenant's last and usual place of abode | 14 M.R.S. § 6002 |
| Court and action | District Courtforcible entry and detainer | 14 M.R.S. §§ 6003, 6004, 6005, 6008 |
| Time to answer | Not confirmed from the statute | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Hearing | no later than 10 days after the return day | 14 M.R.S. §§ 6003, 6004, 6005, 6008 |
| Time to appeal | 7 days | 14 M.R.S. §§ 6003, 6004, 6005, 6008 |
| Removal | writ issues 7 calendar days after judgment, and the tenant has 48 hours after the writ is served | 14 M.R.S. §§ 6003, 6004, 6005, 6008 |
| Self-help (lockouts, utilities) | BannedAny eviction outside the court process is illegal, including cutting utilities, locking the tenant out or holding their belongings. | 14 M.R.S. § 6014 |
Read against the official texts below on 1 November 2026. The month-to-month period was checked on 29 September 2026.
- https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6001.html
- https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6002.html
- https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6003.html
- https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6004.html
- https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6005.html
- https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6008.html
- https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6014.html
- https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6015-2.html
- https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6016.html
- https://www.portlandmaine.gov/1148/Rent-Control-Rental-Housing-Rights
- https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6032.html
- https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6033.html
- https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6025.html
- https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6028.html
- https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6030-C.html
- https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6030-D.html
- https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6030-E.html
- https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6021-A.html
- https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6024.html
Questions landlords ask about eviction in Maine
How long does an eviction take in Maine?
The notice for unpaid rent runs 7 calendar days before you can file. After that the court sets the pace, so there is no honest total: the hearing, the judgment and the removal follow the court’s calendar and the timing rules quoted on this page.
What notice does a Maine landlord serve for unpaid rent?
The 7-day notice to quit, which gives the tenant 7 calendar days (14 M.R.S. § 6002(1), (2)). Paying everything owed inside the period ends the case, by statute.
Can a landlord change the locks in Maine?
No. Maine bans self-help eviction (14 M.R.S. § 6014), so only the court process can remove a tenant. The exact limits are quoted on this page.
Where is an eviction filed in Maine?
In the District Court, where the case is called forcible entry and detainer (14 M.R.S. §§ 6003, 6004, 6005, 6008).
How does a landlord end a month-to-month tenancy in Maine?
With 30 days’ notice (14 M.R.S. § 6002). If the tenant stays on after that, the eviction process on this page applies.
Can the tenant appeal an eviction in Maine?
Yes. The tenant has 7 days after the judgment to appeal.
The eviction process in other states
- Iowa: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Kansas: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Kentucky: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Louisiana: 5 business days for unpaid rent
- Maryland: 10 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Massachusetts: 14 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Michigan: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Minnesota: 14 calendar days for unpaid rent
General information, not legal adviceEviction law changes, and a court can read a statute differently from this summary. Check the current text and your local court’s rules, or ask a lawyer licensed in the state, before you serve a notice or file.
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