Portland, ME Rental Property Rules: Rent Increase Notice (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum notice
- 90 days before increase, in writing
- Must state
- Tenancy start date, increase date & amount
- Must disclose
- Any remaining Banked Rent
- Must include
- Justification under § 6-234(b)
- Noncompliant notice
- Void: increase unenforceable
- Minimum gap
- 12 months between increases
Summary
Before raising rent on a covered unit, a Portland landlord must deliver a signed written notice at least 90 days before the increase takes effect. Code of Ordinances § 6-234(d) requires the notice to state the tenancy start date, the increase date and amount, any remaining banked rent, and the increase's justification: a notice missing that information is void.
Before increasing the rent of a Covered Unit, a Landlord must send a signed document to the Tenant(s) no fewer than ninety (90) days before the effective date of the rent increase. This document must include the date on which the Tenancy began, the date on which the rent will be increased, the amount of the increase, any remaining Banked Rent that has not been included in the Rent increase, and the appropriate justifications for such a rent increase as defined in Section 6-234(b) above. Failure to provide such documentation shall be considered a violation of this Article, and any notice not containing all such documentation shall be void.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Section 6-234(d), part of Portland's Rent Stabilization Ordinance (Ch. 6, Art. VI, by referendum 11-3-2020 and 11-8-2022), governs the mechanics of raising rent on a Covered Unit, a rental unit not exempted under § 6-231. The 90-day notice must be a signed document, not an oral statement, and must disclose four items: when the tenancy began, the effective date of the increase, the dollar or percentage amount of the increase, and any Banked Rent left unapplied. It must also carry the justification required by § 6-234(b), either the annual Allowable Increase Percentage (70 percent of the Boston-area CPI-U), the 5 percent voluntary-turnover increase, use of previously banked increases, or a Rent Board-approved fair-return increase.
Landlords may not increase rent within twelve months of a prior increase, and § 6-234(d) makes a defective notice void outright rather than merely correctable, so a landlord who skips a required disclosure cannot enforce the increase until a compliant notice is served and the 90-day clock restarts. A tenant who receives a nonconforming notice can file a complaint with the Housing Safety Office under § 6-234(e), which investigates and, if the landlord does not rescind within 14 days, refers the dispute to the Rent Board for a hearing.
Violations & Fines
Serving a rent-increase notice that omits the tenancy start date, increase date, amount, banked-rent balance or required justification is a violation of Article VI, and § 6-234(d) declares the entire notice void: the landlord cannot collect the increase. Tenants report noncompliant notices to the Housing Safety Office, which can refer unresolved cases to the Rent Board for a de novo hearing and penalty determination.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much notice must a Portland landlord give before raising rent?
What happens if a Portland rent-increase notice is missing information?
Can a Portland landlord raise rent more than once a year?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Portland
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