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
In Maine, renters usually challenge deposit deductions for scuffs, faded paint, flattened carpet, and similar aging because those issues look more like ordinary use than repairable damage. The statute still controls when the refund had to be sent and how deductions had to be explained.
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