The law in plain English
Return deadline
Under Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, Sections 6022, 6031 to 6038, the deposit response usually has to be sent within 30 days of the move-out timeline described by the state rule.
Required notice
Maine generally caps the deposit at 2 months' rent, and the landlord usually has 21 days for a tenancy at will or up to 30 days under a written lease to send the refund and itemized statement; the law also requires a 7-day written notice step before suit.
This dispute type
Once the Maine deadline passes, the dispute stops being only about the deductions and becomes a deadline-compliance problem too. A landlord may still argue damage existed, but Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, §§ 6022, 6031 to 6038 sets the clock for returning the balance and explaining any amount withheld.
Penalty leverage
If the withholding was wrongful or in bad faith, the exposure allowed under the statute is: You can recover up to double the amount wrongfully withheld, plus attorney's fees and court costs