Can a domestic violence victim end a lease early in Maine?

In Maine, a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking may end a lease early by giving 7 days’ written notice for a lease of less than one year, or 30 days’ written notice for a lease of one year or more, together with documentation of the perpetrator’s conduct. The documentation must include the perpetrator’s name, and acceptable documentation includes a statement signed by a Maine-based sexual assault counselor, domestic violence advocate or victim witness advocate; a statement signed by a health care provider, mental health care provider or law enforcement officer; a copy of a protection from abuse or protection from harassment complaint or order; a police report; or a copy of a criminal complaint, indictment or conviction. The statute states that a victim is not liable for any unpaid rent under the victim’s lease. A tenant who is the victim of sexual harassment by the landlord or the landlord’s agent may terminate a lease the same way. A victim is not liable for damage related to the violence beyond the security deposit if the perpetrator is a tenant and the victim gives written notice of the damage and the documentation within 30 days, and the landlord may still hold the perpetrator liable for damage. A victim may change the locks at the victim’s expense and must give the landlord a duplicate key within 72 hours. This is 14 M.R.S. §§ 6001, 6025.

WhatMaine
Ending the lease early7 or 30 days’ written notice with documentation

What the statute says

“A victim may terminate a lease early due to an incident or threat of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking by providing: (1) Seven days’ written notice and documentation required pursuant to paragraph H, in the case of a lease of less than one year …”

Quoted word for word from the section’s text.

Source

14 M.R.S. §§ 6001, 6025

Read the statute in the Maine Revised Statutes (Maine Legislature): legislature.maine.gov.

Checked against the statute on November 15, 2026.

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

How Seayora uses this rule

Seayora keeps every lease’s term, rent and signers in one record and dates every change to it. This page states the state’s rule so a lease’s own early-termination and sublet clauses can be checked against it before the lease is signed.

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