The request was to read a lease and list fees, deadlines, auto-renewal terms, and anything unusual a tenant should ask about, with page numbers. The main answer is that the review could not be completed because only the opening of the document was retrievable, through Section 3, "Residence Location," which cut off mid-sentence. The sections that normally hold fees, deadlines, and renewal terms, such as paragraph 24 disclosures, security deposit, rent, and term, were not in the readable text. A tenant in this situation should ask for the full, untruncated lease before relying on any summary.
The readable portion covered the model lease introduction on pages 16-2 to 16-3 and a lead-paint disclosure on page 16-2. Those pages did not contain any fee amounts, payment deadlines, or automatic renewal language. The only timing rule that appeared was a disclosure requirement tied to lease renewal. Everything else a tenant might want to check was simply absent from the readable text.
The introduction explains that blank fields in the form must be completed. Where a section has no addition, the instruction is to write "None" or "N.A." rather than leaving the space empty. This matters because an unfilled blank can later be disputed, while an explicit "None" records that the parties agreed there was nothing to add.
Any change to the printed form must be crossed out or written in by hand. Every such change must then be initialed by both parties, not just by the person who made it. Each party must also receive a signed copy of the lease. A tenant should therefore check that every handwritten mark carries two sets of initials before signing.
The lead-paint disclosure on page 16-2 refers to paragraph 24. Under that provision, the landlord must give prospective tenants the federal lead-based paint hazard notice and the EPA brochure "Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home." This must happen before the tenant is obligated under a lease or under a lease renewal. The requirement applies to pre-1978 housing, with some exemptions.
A renewal is treated as a new moment for the lead disclosure, not as an automatic continuation of the original paperwork. That means a tenant renewing a lease in an older building should still expect the notice and the pamphlet. If a renewal is presented without them, that is a point to raise before signing.
The document contains two cautions of its own. It states that the Attorney General does not guarantee the model reflects current Maine or federal law. It also notes that the model is designed to be edited through strike-outs and initials, so any clause that has not been marked is worth confirming with the landlord.
No fee amounts, no payment deadlines, and no automatic renewal terms were visible in the readable portion. The only timing rule shown was the pre-renewal lead-disclosure requirement. A tenant should not assume that missing sections mean no fees or no auto-renewal exist; it means those terms were not in the text that could be read.
Maine law, at 14 M.R.S.A. §6030-K, requires the Attorney General to create and post a model residential lease by December 1, 2025, and to update it every two years, no later than December 1 of each odd-numbered year, according to the Maine Legislature and the Attorney General's office. The model lease and the Model Total Price Disclosure Statement are downloadable as Word documents from the Attorney General's page. This is why the document in question carries page numbers in the 16-series and refers to paragraph 24.
According to the Attorney General's guide, Section 18 on lease signatures states that the lease is not binding unless both parties have signed it. Handwritten revisions must be initialed by both parties. Each party should receive and retain a copy of the signed lease. A tenant who signs without a countersigned copy may have difficulty showing what was actually agreed.
Maine requires several disclosures before a tenancy begins, as listed by the Attorney General's office. These include a residential energy efficiency disclosure under 14 M.R.S.A. §6030-C, radon testing results under §6030-D, the smoking policy, the Total Price Disclosure under §6030-J effective January 2025, and the lead paint disclosure. A tenant can use this list as a checklist when reviewing a lease packet.
The federal Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule, at 24 CFR §35.88, applies to most pre-1978 housing, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Landlords must give the "Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home" pamphlet, disclose any known lead-based paint or hazards, provide available records and reports, and include a Lead Warning Statement. A signed copy must be kept for three years.
The EPA notes that buyers have a ten-day opportunity to inspect for lead-based paint hazards. Rental inspection rights differ from buyer rights, so a tenant should not assume the same ten-day window applies. If inspection matters to the tenant, the specific rental terms should be confirmed directly.
Both the landlord and the tenant must sign an EPA-approved disclosure form, according to guidance from Anthem EAP. This is separate from signing the lease itself. A tenant should make sure the disclosure form is completed and signed, not just handed over as a pamphlet.
For pre-1978 buildings, 14 M.R.S.A. §6030-B requires notice of repair or renovation at least 30 days beforehand. The notice must be given by posting at the exterior door plus certified mail to every unit. Shorter notice requires the posting plus a written waiver from one adult tenant per unit.
Violations of the renovation notice requirement carry fines of up to $500 each, according to the Maine Legislature. Emergency repairs are exempt from the notice rule. A tenant in an older building who is told work will start soon should ask whether the required notice was given.
The original request was converted into three short questions to ask before signing. Because the fee, deadline, and renewal sections were not readable, those questions should target the missing information directly. A practical approach is to ask for the full lease text, then ask which terms are fixed and which are negotiable. The third question should cover anything unusual that the tenant noticed in the readable pages.
The first question should ask for every fee and every deadline in writing, with the amount, the due date, and the consequence of late payment. This includes rent, security deposit, pet fees, late charges, and any other charge named in the lease. Asking for page numbers ensures the answer can be checked against the document.
The second question should ask whether the lease renews automatically, and if so, how much notice a tenant must give to stop the renewal. The tenant should also ask whether rent can change at renewal and how that change is communicated. Because the lead disclosure applies at renewal in pre-1978 housing, the tenant can ask how that notice will be provided.
The third question should ask the landlord to identify any clause that differs from the model lease or that has been edited by hand. The tenant should confirm that every handwritten change carries initials from both parties. If a clause was left blank, the tenant should ask for it to be filled with "None" or "N.A." rather than left open.
