Roommate Agreement in Maine
An agreement between roommates on rent shares, bills, chores and moving out. It is a contract between you — it does not change your lease with the landlord.
What Maine law says
| Roommate not on the lease | Maine's eviction (forcible entry and detainer) statute covers a tenant under a written lease and any 'person holding under such a tenant'. When several people live in a unit, an eviction binds all occupants if the landlord names 'all other occupants' along with every adult on the lease or whose tenancy the landlord has acknowledged, for example by accepting rent. So a roommate can become the landlord's tenant through the landlord's acknowledgment, such as accepting rent from them; otherwise their status depends on the facts. Source: 14 M.R.S. § 6001(1) |
|---|---|
| Removing a roommate or subtenant | Evictions carried out without the court process in 14 M.R.S. chapter 709 are illegal; lockouts, removing belongings and cutting off utilities are prohibited. A roommate who is a tenant at will must get at least 30 days' written notice, which must say they have the right to contest it in court, and then a forcible entry and detainer case may be filed. A 7-day notice is allowed for listed causes, including when the person occupying the premises is not an authorized occupant. A landlord who illegally evicts owes the greater of actual damages or $250, plus costs and attorney's fees. Since 2024, a termination notice must include the court's form notice (14 M.R.S. § 6001(7)). |
Fill it in
Nothing you type leaves your browser. Replace anything still highlighted, and keep a signed copy.
ROOMMATE AGREEMENT for [rental address]
Roommates: [roommate names]
Rent: total $[total rent] per month. Shares: [each roommate's share]. Each share is paid to [who pays the landlord] by [due date].
Security deposit paid by each roommate: [deposit shares]. When someone moves out, their share is returned [how and when].
Utilities and internet: [how bills are split and who holds each account].
Rooms and shared spaces: [who has which room; shared areas].
Cleaning and chores: [chore plan]. Quiet hours: [quiet hours]. Guests: [overnight guest limits].
Moving out: a roommate who leaves gives [notice period] written notice to the others and [finds a replacement approved by the landlord / pays their share until the lease ends].
Disputes: we will first try to talk it out, then [mediation or small claims court].
Signatures and dates: [signatures]
Roommate Agreement for other states · Maine tenant rights
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.