Maine 30-Day No-Cause Notice to Terminate Tenancy at Will

MAINE THIRTY-DAY TENANCY-AT-WILL TERMINATION NOTICE

1. LANDLORD, TENANT, AND PREMISES

Date of notice: [__/__/____]

Landlord: [LEGAL NAME]

Tenant or Tenants: [LEGAL NAMES]

Residential premises:

[STREET ADDRESS / UNIT]
[CITY], Maine [ZIP]

Tenancy began: [__/__/____]

Rent is paid through: [__/__/____]

2. TERMINATION

The Landlord terminates the tenancy at will under the introductory paragraph of 14 M.R.S. § 6002.

Termination date: [__/__/____]

The termination date must:

• be at least 30 days after completed service;
• expire on or after the date through which rent has already been paid; and
• satisfy every longer or additional requirement imposed by a lease, housing program, federal law, or local ordinance.

You must vacate and deliver possession of the premises by the termination date unless the parties later sign a lawful written agreement or a court determines otherwise.

This notice does not authorize lockout, utility interruption, property removal, or any other self-help measure.

3. RIGHT TO CONTEST

You have the right to contest this termination in court.

If the Landlord files a forcible entry and detainer action, you will receive a summons and complaint identifying the hearing. You must attend the hearing to raise retaliation, accommodation, discrimination, victim protection, service, lease, program, local-law, or other applicable defenses.

Section 6002 states that omission of right-to-contest language alone is not grounds to dismiss an FED action, but this notice includes the advisement required by the statute.

4. REQUIRED JUDICIAL BRANCH FORM

Current Maine Judicial Branch Form CV-256 is attached and served with this residential termination notice.

☐ Form CV-256 attached.

Form revision shown on attachment: [____________________].

5. OVERLAY SCREEN — COMPLETE BEFORE SERVICE

This statewide notice is not ready for service until counsel completes this section.

Lease

☐ No lease term requires a longer period, cause, or additional content.

☐ Applicable lease requirement: [EXACT PROVISION AND COMPLIANCE].

Housing program or federal law

☐ No known subsidy, federally assisted program, foreclosure protection, or other federal requirement changes this notice.

☐ Applicable program or federal requirement: [EXACT LAW / RULE / NOTICE / CAUSE / AGENCY STEP].

Municipality

☐ Counsel confirmed that no local ordinance changes the statewide minimum.

☐ Applicable local ordinance: [EXACT CITATION / LONGER PERIOD / CAUSE / ASSISTANCE / PROCEDURE].

Protected circumstances

☐ Counsel reviewed § 6001(3) retaliation, including the six-month presumption and its exception.

☐ Counsel reviewed § 6001(4) tenant-organization retaliation.

☐ Counsel reviewed § 6001(5) reasonable accommodation.

☐ Counsel reviewed § 6001(6) domestic-violence, sexual-assault, stalking, and sexual-harassment protections.

☐ Counsel reviewed 5 M.R.S. §§ 4581 and 4581-A fair-housing and public-assistance protections.

Facts supporting a lawful, nonretaliatory, nondiscriminatory termination: [____________________].

6. RECEIPT OF MONEY AFTER NOTICE

Section 6002 states how receipt of money affects a 30-day termination. Do not use a private reservation-of-rights clause to override the statute.

Payment or use-and-occupancy handling after notice: [COUNSEL-APPROVED INSTRUCTIONS].

7. LANDLORD SIGNATURE

Dated: [__/__/____]

[________________________________]
[LANDLORD / AUTHORIZED SERVING AGENT NAME]
[TITLE OR CAPACITY]
[MAILING ADDRESS]
[TELEPHONE]
[EMAIL]

8. SERVICE RECORD

☐ In-hand service. I delivered this notice and Form CV-256 to [TENANT NAME] on [__/__/____] at [____] [AM/PM] at [LOCATION].

☐ Statutory fallback after three good-faith in-hand attempts. After the attempts listed below, I both mailed this notice and Form CV-256 by first-class mail to the tenant's last known address and left copies at the tenant's last and usual place of abode.

Date of both first-class mailing and abode delivery: [__/__/____].

[________________________________]
[SERVER NAME]

Dated: [__/__/____]

9. FINAL REVIEW CHECKLIST

☐ Tenancy is a tenancy at will.

☐ At least 30 days are allowed after completed service.

☐ The termination date is on or after the paid-through date.

☐ The right-to-contest advisement is included.

☐ Current Form CV-256 is attached.

☐ Lease, program, federal, and municipal overlays are completed with exact citations.

☐ Protected-circumstance review is complete.

☐ The service method and all attempts are documented.

☐ The Landlord will use the court process and writ, not self-help.

10. OFFICIAL SOURCES

• 14 M.R.S. § 6001: https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6001.html
• 14 M.R.S. § 6002: https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec6002.html
• 5 M.R.S. § 4581: https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/5/title5sec4581.html
• 5 M.R.S. § 4581-A: https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/5/title5sec4581-A.html
• Maine Rules of Civil Procedure, current Rule 80D: https://www.courts.maine.gov/rules/text/mr_civ_p_only_2026-06-01.pdf
• Maine Judicial Branch eviction resources and Form CV-256: https://www.courts.maine.gov/help/eviction/index.html