Rental application & screening fee law in Maine
Limited to actual screening cost
Maine limits tenant screening fees to the actual cost of the screening, requires disclosure before the lease, and reportedly allows only one screening fee per applicant per year.
What the law says
Under 14 M.R.S. §§ 6030-H and 6030-J, a Maine landlord's screening fee must reflect the actual cost of the screening — the law does not allow a profit margin on top of what the background or credit check costs.
The fee must be disclosed to the applicant before the lease, and sources report that a landlord may collect only one screening fee per applicant in a twelve-month period.
Beyond the fee limit
The price rule is only part of the law. Maine also imposes these obligations:
- The fee must be disclosed before the lease is signed.
- Reportedly limited to one screening fee per applicant per year.
Read the law
What's the actual limit in Maine?
Fee limits change with inflation adjustments, local ordinances, and new legislation. Use our free calculator to look up the current limit for your rental's ZIP code.
Calculate your fee limitsThis page is provided for general information only and is not legal advice. Fee rules change — caps re-index to inflation, new legislation takes effect, and cities adopt their own ordinances — so always confirm against the official statutory text linked above before relying on it. The federal Fair Housing Act applies everywhere, regardless of state or local fee rules.