Maine Notice to Pay Rent or Quit Template
What a Maine notice to pay rent or quit must include under Maine law, and a fill-in draft that follows those rules.
What Maine law requires
Written 7-day notice once rent is 7 or more days late. It must state the specific ground and the amount of rent 7 or more days in arrears as of the notice date, and must include this statutory text word for word: "If you pay the amount of rent due as of the date of this notice before this notice expires, then this notice as it applies to rent arrearage is void. After this notice expires, if you pay all rental arrears, all rent due as of the date of payment and any filing fees and service of process fees actually paid by the landlord before the writ of possession issues at the completion of the eviction process, then your tenancy will be reinstated." It must also say the tenant has the right to contest the termination in court. Since Jan. 1, 2024 the landlord must attach the judicial branch's form notice. Delivery: in hand. After 3 good-faith attempts at personal service, by both first-class mail to the last known address and leaving it at the tenant's last and usual place of abode. An unintentional clerical error in the amount does not void the notice. A 30-day notice and a 7-day notice may be combined.
Source: 14 M.R.S. §§ 6002(1)(C), 6002(2)(A)-(B), 6002 (first two paragraphs), 6001(7)
Fill-in draft
Replace every [bracketed] item. If your state or city requires specific wording, a specific form, or a translated version, that requirement controls over this draft. Courts dismiss eviction cases over defective notices — if anything is unclear, talk to a lawyer.
NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR QUIT
To: [tenant name(s)] and all other occupants
Premises: [street address, unit, city, state, ZIP]
You owe rent of $[amount] for [rental period(s)].
Under 14 M.R.S. § 6002(1)(C), (1), (2), you must pay the full amount within 7 days after this notice is delivered, or move out of the premises.
Pay to: [name], at [address / payment method], between [hours].
If you do not pay or move out by the deadline, the landlord may file an eviction case in court. Only a court can order you to leave.
Date: [date]
Landlord or agent: [name, address, phone]
Signature: ____________________
Proof of delivery: Delivered on [date] by [method required by Maine law] by [name].
← All Maine landlord-tenant rules
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.