Maine Rental Application Form

About this Maine rental application

This two-page "Maine Rental Application" is a general tenant application template. It collects the applicant's identity, the people who will live in the unit, three past residences, three past jobs, bank and credit accounts, vehicles, references, and answers to screening questions, and ends with a signed authorization for credit and criminal checks. Maine does not publish an official statewide rental application, and this template is not issued by any Maine agency.

Maine landlords and property managers use it to screen applicants for apartments and houses. Applicants use it when a landlord sends a blank PDF to complete and return.

Before you start

• Your driver's license number and any other names you have used
• Addresses, last rent paid, and landlord contacts for your current home and two earlier ones
• Employer contacts, supervisor names, and monthly gross pay for up to three jobs
• Bank names and balances for savings, checking, credit card, and auto loan accounts
• Names and birth dates of everyone else who will live with you

Filling it out online

Select "Fill Template Now," click into each field on the PDF, type your answers, sign, and download the completed file. Here is what each section asks for.

1. Applicant: First Name, Middle, Last, Birth Date, Social Security #, Driver's License #, Any Other Names You've Used In The Past, Home Phone, Cell Phone.
2. All Other Proposed Occupants: up to four people, each with a birth date and Relationship To Applicant.
3. Rental/Residence History: Current, Previous, and Prior Residence columns for address, Last Rent Amount Paid, Owner/Manager and Phone Number, Reason for leaving, and three yes/no style questions about paying in full, giving notice, and being asked to move. Add whose name the utilities are billed in and your dates of residency.
4. Employment History: Employed By, Address, Employer's Phone, Occupation, Name of Supervisor, Monthly Gross Pay, and dates for three jobs.
5. Credit History: the institution and balance for savings, checking, a credit card, and an auto loan.
6. Vehicles: make, model, color, year, and plate for two vehicles, including other occupants' cars.
7. References and Emergency Contacts: a doctor, a lawyer, and your nearest relative living elsewhere. The printed text gives the landlord permission to contact them if you cannot be reached and lets the listed relative remove your belongings if the unit is abandoned.
8. General Information: 17 questions covering late rent notices, smoking, bankruptcy, felony convictions, eviction notices, pets, lawsuits, move-in timing, and optional additional income.
9. Agreement and Authorization: signature and date.

Maine rules on screening fees and deposits

General information as of October 2026. Follow the links for the full statutes.

Application and screening fees

14 M.R.S. §6030-H says a Maine landlord may not charge a fee to submit, review, or approve a rental application. The landlord may charge the actual cost of only one background check, credit check, or other screening process, must give the applicant a complete copy of what that check returns, and must tell the applicant about that right before charging. Only one such fee is allowed in any 12-month period.

This matters for this template. Its signature paragraph says the applicant understands there is a non-refundable fee to cover processing the application. A Maine landlord using the template should edit that sentence so it matches §6030-H, and applicants can compare any fee they are asked for against the statute.

Move-in costs and security deposits

• Initial payment: under §6022-A, when a lease or tenancy at will begins, a landlord, agent, or broker may not require more than the first full month's rent, the security deposit, and any properly disclosed mandatory recurring fee.
• Deposit cap: §6032 limits the security deposit to two months' rent.
• Return deadline: §6033 requires the landlord to return the deposit or give an itemized written statement of deductions within the time stated in a written rental agreement, which may not exceed 30 days, or within 21 days for a tenancy at will. Deductions for normal wear and tear are not allowed.

Screening and fair housing

The Maine Human Rights Act, 5 M.R.S. §4581-A(4), makes it unlawful to refuse to rent to someone primarily because they receive public assistance, including housing subsidies. The Maine Human Rights Commission's Housing Applicant Inquiry Guide lists questions it considers lawful and unlawful on an application, such as asking all applicants how they intend to pay the rent (lawful) versus asking about health conditions (generally unlawful). The Attorney General's tenant rights page also covers these topics.

Signing and returning it

Sign and date the Agreement and Authorization section, then send the PDF to the landlord or manager the way they ask. Our online signature tool lets you add a typed or drawn signature. Nothing is filed with the state.

Mistakes to avoid

• Entering net instead of gross monthly pay.
• Skipping the "Reason for leaving" column for older residences.
• Paying more than one screening fee within 12 months without asking about the statute.
• Forgetting to list every occupant and vehicle.