14 §6025-A. Access to care for animals

A landlord may require a tenant to provide information about any animal present in a rental unit and also require the name and contact information of one or more persons the tenant authorizes to enter the rental unit to retrieve the animal if the tenant has vacated the premises and abandoned the animal or the tenant is unable to care for the animal due to death or disability. The landlord may also require, as a condition of tenancy, that the tenant allow the landlord to enter the rental unit in the case of an emergency when the welfare of the animal is at risk to determine whether the animal has been abandoned or is in need of care. [PL 2023, c. 336, §3 (NEW).]

If the landlord determines that a tenant with an animal has vacated the premises or is unable to care for the animal due to death or disability, the landlord may contact a person authorized by the tenant, a humane agent, an animal control officer or an animal shelter to pick up and care for the animal. If the landlord contacts a person identified under this paragraph to pick up and care for the animal and the landlord, within 5 days, sends by first-class mail to the tenant's last known address a notice containing the name, phone number and address of the person taking custody of the animal, the landlord is not liable in a civil action brought by the tenant for personal injury, death, property damage or other damages resulting from or arising out of an occurrence involving the animal. [PL 2023, c. 336, §3 (NEW).]

If an animal shelter accepts an animal at the request of a person the landlord contacted to pick up and care for the animal under this section, the animal shelter shall comply with the provisions of Title 7, section 3919‑B . [PL 2023, c. 336, §3 (NEW).]