Maine
Many long-term residents of Maine hotels can’t just be kicked out of their rooms
A number of folks have been requested to depart motels up to now few weeks after dwelling in them for months or years.
However a tenants’ rights regulation agency is arguing that they need to be handled the identical as standard tenants, which means motels can’t instantly kick them out with out going by a proper eviction, which affords the tenant extra time to seek out one other place to stay.
The Maine State Housing Authority introduced final week that it could cap lodge reimbursement charges beginning June 1 as a part of plenty of adjustments the company is making to attempt to protect lease reduction funds from two federal COVID reduction packages for the neediest tenants till subsequent winter.
In Bangor, that change means as many as six motels might cease renting to tenants as a result of they cost greater than the usual authorities fee of $96 per night time, metropolis supervisor Debbie Laurie mentioned.
A handful of motels in Maine have ordered tenants who’ve lived there, in some circumstances for months or years, to depart with as little as three days’ discover, mentioned Maddie Thomson Crossman, a lawyer with Pine Tree Authorized Help in Bangor.
Pine Tree Authorized has filed restraining orders on behalf of lodge tenants dealing with eviction in southern Maine, arguing that motels ought to must endure the identical courtroom course of as if the tenants had been dwelling in residences or homes, Thomson Crossman mentioned.
“If a lodge has been treating them like a tenant, they need to be entitled to the identical [tenant] protections,” she mentioned.
Lodge company could be thought of tenants in the event that they keep there for greater than 30 days and if the lodge doesn’t present them typical visitor providers like meals or cleansing providers.
Tenant legal guidelines apply to lodge residents on a case by case foundation, based on the Maine legal professional normal’s workplace. Maine housing regulation requires landlords to present tenants 30 days’ discover to terminate a lease, or seven days if the tenant broke the phrases of the rental settlement. Landlords should get a courtroom order to take away the tenant in each circumstances.
Motels ought to seek the advice of with legal professionals to know their authorized obligations and rights, the legal professional normal’s workplace mentioned Saturday.
A Superior Courtroom choose blocked a Wells lodge final month from evicting long-term residents after discovering that the Majestic Regency Resort would violate eviction regulation if it went forward with forcibly eradicating these tenants.
Pine Tree Authorized shouldn’t be presently working with any Bangor tenants who’re dealing with eviction from motels, however as many as 80 folks may instantly lose their housing after the brand new eligibility limits go into impact on Wednesday, Laurie mentioned.