Pet-Friendly Housing Laws in Maine: What Renters and Landlords Need to Know

Finding an apartment in Maine that welcomes your dog or cat can feel harder than it should, and there’s a reason for that: pet-friendly housing laws in Maine don’t force any landlord to say yes to pets. Property owners from Portland to Bangor can legally post a “no pets” policy and enforce it without breaking state law.

At the same time, Maine layers in specific protections around deposits, breed rules, and assistance animals that both renters and landlords need to understand before signing a lease. This guide walks through what’s legal, what’s restricted, and what to do when a dispute arises over a pet.

Can Landlords Refuse to Rent to Pet Owners in Maine

Maine gives landlords wide latitude to reject pets entirely. It is not a legal requirement for landlords in Maine to provide pet-friendly housing options. A property owner can advertise a strict “no pets” unit and turn away applicants with cats, dogs, or other animals without violating fair housing law.

Landlords who do allow animals still get to set the terms. They can set reasonable lease terms, including rules for smoking, pets, and common areas. That means a lease can limit the number of animals, restrict certain species, or require pets to stay leashed and supervised, a rule closely tied to Maine’s statewide dog leash laws in Maine.

The one hard limit involves dangerous animals. A landlord in Maine may take action against a tenant who owns a dangerous pet on the premises, and if the landlord, an employee, or a tenant has experienced harm or been threatened by a dangerous pet, the landlord may file a petition in their own name or on behalf of an aggrieved tenant under 14 MRSA § 6030-A(1). Outside of that safety exception, and outside disability-related accommodations covered later in this guide, refusing pets is entirely a landlord’s business decision.

Pro Tip: Before signing, ask the landlord to put the pet policy in writing, even if it seems informal. A verbal “pets are fine” promise is much harder to enforce than a signed lease addendum.

Pet Deposit, Pet Rent, and Pet Fee Rules in Maine

You might wonder whether Maine caps what a landlord can charge for a pet. The answer depends on which charge you mean. Maine state law does not set a specific cap for monthly pet rent or one-time pet fees. Security deposits, however, are a different story.

Maine law allows landlords to ask for security deposits but limits the amount to two months’ rent, and this applies to both pet-friendly and non-pet-friendly units. A pet deposit counts toward that same ceiling rather than stacking on top of it. Landlords cannot exceed this limit by relabeling the deposit with another name like “pet deposit” or “damage deposit,” though this rule does not prevent landlords from adding a monthly pet premium.

Here’s how the three common pet charges break down under Maine’s security deposit statute:

Charge Type	Refundable?	Counts Toward the Deposit Cap?
Pet Deposit	Yes, minus damage	Yes
Monthly Pet Rent	No	No
One-Time Pet Fee	No	No

Local rules can tighten this further. In Portland, the maximum security deposit is one month’s rent, according to iPropertyManagement’s review of Maine deposit law, which lowers the ceiling on any pet deposit bundled into that total.

None of these charges apply if your animal is a service animal or emotional support animal. Under the federal Fair Housing Act and Maine anti-discrimination laws, landlords cannot charge pet rent, fees, or deposits for tenants with qualifying service animals or emotional support animals. Section 5 below covers that distinction in detail.

Pro Tip: If a pet charge feels excessive, ask the landlord for a written calculation and hold onto every receipt. If a charge seems high, ask for the calculation and keep receipts.

Breed and Size Restrictions in Maine

Maine landlords can legally exclude specific breeds. Some landlords ban certain dog breeds that many people believe have a propensity toward violence, such as pit bulls and Rottweilers. This is allowed because fair housing laws apply to human beings, not to dogs. Renters researching a specific breed ban should check our detailed breakdown of pit bull laws in Maine for more on how these restrictions play out at the local level.

Beyond breed, landlords routinely set rules on species, size, and how many animals a unit can hold. Landlords need specific rules for allowing pets in rental properties, and these can include pet types, sizes, and numbers permitted per unit; many choose to restrict breeds like pit bulls or restrict unusual pets such as reptiles. That flexibility extends to less conventional animals too, which is worth knowing if you’re weighing options covered in our guide to backyard pig laws in Maine or curious about outdoor cats addressed in neighbor’s cat in my yard laws in Maine.

State law also defines when a dog crosses into “dangerous” territory, giving landlords additional grounds to act. 7 MRS §3907(12-D) and (20-A) define “dangerous dog” and “nuisance dog,” while 7 MRS §3952-A addresses complaints and related penalties. Municipalities can go further still, since each municipality is empowered to adopt or retain more stringent ordinances, laws, or regulations dealing with the subject matter of this chapter.

Common Mistake: Assuming a breed ban applies to every animal in a household. Breed, weight, and size restrictions cannot be enforced against a legitimate service animal or ESA, no matter how a lease is written.

Service Animal Rights in Maine

Service animals occupy a different legal category than pets entirely. Service animals are allowed in public areas and must be accommodated in most rentals, regardless of pet policies. A “no pets” lease clause simply doesn’t apply once a tenant has a documented need for a service animal.

Maine reinforces this through several overlapping laws. Under Maine’s Human Rights Act, the state’s White Cane Law, and the ADA, people with disabilities have the right to be accompanied by their service animals in public places, such as restaurants, hotels, stores, theaters, and other public spaces. The protection even extends to trainers, since Maine’s White Cane Law extends these protections to service dogs in training when accompanying a specially trained service dog trainer. You can read more in Nolo’s overview of Maine service dog law.

Financially, landlords lose most of their usual leverage. Landlords can’t charge extra deposits or fees for either a service animal or an ESA but can demand payment for damage caused. To request the accommodation, tenants should prepare a short explanation of their needs and attach any provider letter for an ESA, then submit the accommodation request in writing.

Emotional Support Animal Rights in Maine

Emotional support animals get housing protection but not the public access rights that service animals enjoy. Maine does not recognize ESAs in the same way that they recognize service animals, and as such, ESAs do not have the same public access rights. Inside a rental unit, though, the protections are strong.

Emotional support animals in Maine are protected under law similar to service animals, meaning landlords must allow them even if their properties are not pet-friendly, and such animals need not comply with regular pet policies with no extra fees charged. A landlord facing an accommodation request from a tenant with an ESA has very little room to say no, and Maine renters’ rights guidance on service animals and ESAs lays out how that request should be documented.

Getting that protection starts with paperwork. An ESA letter is a must for any Maine resident who wishes to have their animal recognized legally so they can get housing benefits under the Fair Housing Act. Without one, any animal will be treated the same as a pet, even if it provides therapeutic benefits to the owner, and it risks removal from the property.

Important Note: ESA letters aren’t permanent. Verification is only valid for one year, so renewing an ESA letter annually keeps housing protections current and the landlord verification process hassle-free.

Maine’s approach mirrors what many other states require. Renters comparing notes across state lines can see similar frameworks in our guides to ESA housing laws in Texas, ESA housing laws in New York, and ESA housing laws in Florida.

Local City and County Pet Housing Ordinances in Maine

State law sets the floor, but Maine towns and cities can add their own layers. Local municipalities may have their own ordinances or regulations pertaining to pets in rental properties that must be followed. Portland is the clearest example, both for pets specifically and for rental costs generally.

Portland’s dog rules go beyond the state’s baseline. For an example of municipal ordinances regarding dogs, see the City of Portland’s City Code Chapter 5, Article II. The city also caps deposits more tightly than state law requires, and it regulates rent itself. While Maine does not implement statewide rent control, local municipalities such as Portland and South Portland have enacted their own rent control measures in response to rising housing costs, and Portland’s rent control law limits annual rent increases to the lower of 100% of the Consumer Price Index or 5%, according to a breakdown of Maine landlord-tenant law from Landlord Studio.

Municipal rules extend past dogs and cats, too. Renters keeping other animals should check local zoning before signing a lease, especially where a property sits near kennels or livestock. Our guides to kennel zoning laws in Maine, backyard chicken laws in Maine, and beekeeping laws in Maine cover ordinances that can affect what a landlord will allow on the property, even when the lease itself stays silent on the subject.

What to Do If a Landlord Violates Pet Housing Laws in Maine

When a landlord denies a legitimate service animal or ESA accommodation, or charges fees that aren’t allowed, tenants have a defined complaint path. The Maine Human Rights Commission is the tribunal handling housing discrimination, and its official process helps enforce tenant rights under state and federal law.

General pet disputes that don’t involve disability discrimination follow a separate track. Disputes between landlords and tenants regarding pets are handled through the state’s Landlord-Tenant Code, which specifies the rights and responsibilities of both parties and outlines procedures for resolution, such as mediation or legal action. Formal cases ultimately land in court, since residential tenancy disputes in Maine are handled by the Maine District Court.

1. Document everything. Keep the lease, all pet-related correspondence, and receipts for any fees paid.
2. Put the complaint in writing. Send a dated letter or email describing the violation and requesting a specific resolution.
3. File with the Maine Human Rights Commission if the issue involves a service animal or ESA denial.
4. Seek free legal help if needed. Pine Tree Legal Assistance and local housing clinics can offer free or low-cost help to renters with pet-fee issues.
5. Escalate to District Court if mediation and administrative complaints don’t resolve the dispute.

Most disputes resolve before reaching a courtroom, especially once a landlord realizes a fee or denial doesn’t hold up under Maine law. Still, knowing the escalation path in advance gives tenants leverage they wouldn’t otherwise have.

Maine’s pet housing framework rewards renters and landlords who know the rules before a dispute starts. Landlords keep broad freedom to set pet policies, breed restrictions, and fee structures, while tenants with service animals or ESAs carry protections that override nearly all of it. Reading the lease carefully, documenting communication, and knowing where local ordinances add extra layers will save both sides time, money, and unnecessary conflict.