AUGUSTA - Rep. Chris Kessler, D-South Portland, presented LD 804, An Act to Increase the Time Period for Notice to Terminate a Tenancy at Will, before the Legislature's Judiciary Committee on Thursday.
Under current law, renters who do not have a written lease, known as a tenancy-at-will, can be evicted without cause with 30 days notice from their landlord. The bill would increase that timeframe to 90 days, giving renters additional time to secure a new place to live.
"With the current housing crisis Maine is facing, it is critical that tenants have adequate time to find housing in a very tight rental market," said Kessler." A 30-day notice period does not reflect the reality of how much time it can actually take to find a new place to live. Increasing the requirement to 90 days better reflects this reality, while leaving intact the shorter seven-day notice period for tenants that aren't playing by the rules."
The bill is supported by numerous organizations, including Legal Services for the Elderly and Pine Tree Legal Assistance.
"Finding another apartment, if your rent increases but your income does not, is a challenge that realistically cannot be met in 30 days," said Leo Delicata on behalf of Legal Services for the Elderly. "Given the perfect storm of high housing costs, the low stock of rental housing and the impending disappearance of programs keeping the most disadvantaged among us fed, housed and healthy, we believe that a policy change giving a tenant more time to avoid homelessness is a good idea."
"The rental housing system is short thousands of affordable housing units for low income and middle income people," said Christopher Marot on behalf of Pine Tree Legal Assistance. "The short 30-day no cause eviction notice adds additional pressure that is unnecessary."
The bill faces further action in the Judiciary Committee with a work session on March 30 at 1 p.m.
Kessler, a member of the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, is serving his third term in the Maine House and represents part of Cape Elizabeth and part of South Portland.
Contact:
Brian Lee [Kessler], c. 305-965-2744