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An Act To Prohibit the Imposition by Municipalities of General Restrictions on Rents and Rental Properties
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  30-A MRSA §3007, sub-§7  is enacted to read:
 
7.  Limitation on rental property regulation.     A municipality may not adopt an ordinance that regulates the rent that may be charged for a rental property or that requires registration of or imposes fees specific to rental properties. Effective October 1, 2020, an ordinance adopted in violation of this subsection is void and unenforceable. For the purposes of this subsection, "rental property" means a building or part thereof rented for human habitation, including a mobile home, apartment or other structure, except rental property that is owned, operated, financed or subsidized by the Federal Government or State Government or a subdivision thereof; a federal or state agency; or a federal, state or local housing authority.
Sec. 2. 30-A MRSA §7051, sub-§11, as amended by PL 2017, c. 3, §1, is further amended to read:
 
11. Ordinances.   Chapter 141, but only with respect to animal control ordinances, subject to Title 7, section 3950, and; the sale and use of consumer fireworks within the plantation, subject to Title 8, section 223-A; and the limitation on rental property regulation in section 3007, subsection 7.
Sec. 3.  30-A MRSA §7505  is enacted to read:
§ 7505. Limitation on rental property regulation
The county commissioners may not adopt an ordinance that regulates the rent that may be charged for a rental property or that requires registration of or imposes fees specific to rental properties in the unorganized territory. Effective October 1, 2020, an ordinance adopted in violation of this section is void and unenforceable. For the purposes of this section, "rental property" means a building or part thereof rented for human habitation, including a mobile home, apartment or other structure, except rental property that is owned, operated, financed or subsidized by the Federal Government or State Government or a subdivision thereof; a federal or state agency; or a federal, state or local housing authority.
 
SUMMARY
This bill prohibits towns, cities, plantations, village corporations and counties providing municipal services in the unorganized territory of their county from adopting ordinances regulating the rent that may be charged for a rental property, requiring registration of rental properties or imposing fees specific to rental properties.