Senate enacts Sen. Carney bill to protect renters from unfair evictions

AUGUSTA — On Thursday, the Maine Senate voted unanimously to enact a bill from Sen. Anne Carney, D-Cape Elizabeth. LD 45, “An Act to Prevent Retaliatory Evictions,” also previously received unanimous support in committee.

“By now, we’re all familiar with Maine’s housing crisis. We see stories every day about seniors, working families and young professionals alike struggling to either find affordable housing or afford to stay in their homes. When a landlord unexpectedly hikes up rent, it can be devastating for communities,” said Sen. Carney. “This bill will give tenants additional much-needed protections. I’m grateful for the strong, bipartisan support this bill has received throughout the legislative process.”

Maine’s landlord-tenant laws already protect against retaliation in a few specific instances. As amended, LD 45 would add to Maine’s existing legal protections for tenants who are evicted for complaining that a landlord has raised rent in violation of Maine’s 45-day notice law or are evicted for opposing a rent increase when the condition of a dwelling is so poor that it fails to meet standards of habitability. Due to the current housing storage, tenants are vulnerable to retaliation in these situations.

Across Maine and the country, tenants are facing unaffordable rent hikes. In 2022, tenants at Redbank Village in South Portland, which is part of Sen. Carney’s Senate District, faced rent increases of $600 per month, spiking from $1500 to $2100, after California-based property management company JRK Property Holdings took over the complex. The City of South Portland instituted an eviction moratorium and rent cap in response. However, recent data show evictions in Maine increased 27 percent between 2022 and 2021.

Pine Tree Legal and Maine Equal Justice testified in favor of the bill.

LD 45 now goes to the desk of Gov. Janet Mills, who has 10 days to either sign the bill, veto it or allow it to become law without her signature.