Locked Out by the Landlord
14 M.R.S. § 6014 — no lockouts and no shutoffs; actual damages or $250
An eviction made without going through the court process is illegal. No landlord willfully cuts off or causes the interruption of water, heat, light, electricity, gas, telephone or other service, except briefly during actual repairs or an emergency. No landlord willfully keeps a tenant out of the unit, or away from the tenant's own property, except through proper judicial process.
Who handles this in Maine: Pine Tree Legal Assistance, ask for legal help and Pine Tree Legal Assistance; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Maine directory.
A tenant who proves an illegal eviction recovers actual damages or $250, whichever is greater, or costs and reasonable attorney's fees, or both.
Sources for this section (1)
- 14 M.R.S. § 6014 — Remedies for illegal evictions
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Maine attorney.