Ending a month-to-month tenancy in Maine

The rule in Maine

To end a month-to-month tenancy in Maine, the notice period is 30 days, set by 14 M.R.S. § 6002. The words: “Tenancies at will must be terminated by either party by a minimum of 30 days' notice.” The same period binds the tenant: the statute gives landlord and tenant one rule.

Of the 29 states verified on this site, 3 require less notice and 4 require more, counting a month as 30 days for comparison; the median is 30 days. 21 others land on the same length, among them Arizona, Florida, Idaho and Illinois.

Worked date: a notice delivered on November 10, 2026 runs its 30 days on December 10, 2026, so the notice can name December 10, 2026 or a later date as the end of the tenancy, 30 days after delivery.

Given on the rent day itself, December 1, 2026, the same notice reaches its end on December 31, 2026, 30 days later. A period stated in days is the same length in every month.

Across the border, among neighbours with a verified rule: New Hampshire requires 30 days.

Subsection 1 of the same section allows 7 days' written notice for listed causes, such as rent 7 or more days in arrears or substantial damage.

After the notice: the landlord then has 30 days to return the security deposit (deposit rules), so a tenancy ending on December 10, 2026 puts the deposit deadline at January 9, 2027; rent that falls due before the end date is still owed, and Maine's late-fee rule is 4% of one month's rent (late fees).

Source: Maine Legislature, 14 M.R.S. § 6002 · last checked October 21, 2026.

Giving or receiving notice

The statute sets the shortest period; a lease can add conditions such as a written form or a delivery method, and some cities add their own rules. The guide on ending a month-to-month tenancy compares how the verified states count the period.