Question 1

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

No maximum. Vermont's security deposit statute governs permitted deductions and the 14-day return, but sets no cap on the amount.

Question 2

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Within 14 days after the tenant vacates (60 days for seasonal non-primary rentals). If the landlord misses the deadline, they forfeit the right to withhold; if the failure is willful, they owe double.

Question 3

How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering a rental in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

At least 48 hours' notice for inspection, repairs, agreed services or showings.

Question 4

How much notice does a landlord need to give to raise the rent in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

A rent increase takes effect on the first day of the rental period after at least 60 days' actual notice to the tenant.

Question 5

Can a landlord charge a late fee in Vermont, and how much?

Accepted Answer

Vermont's landlord-tenant law (9 V.S.A. ch. 137 (Residential Rental Agreements), reviewed by full-text search on 2026-10-15) sets no late-fee cap; the lease terms control.

Question 6

What notice does a landlord have to give before evicting for unpaid rent in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

At least 14 days' actual notice of the termination date. The tenancy does not end if the tenant pays rent due through the end of the rental period in which payment is made.

Question 7

Can cities in Vermont pass rent control?

Accepted Answer

No state statute preempting local rent control was found in 9 V.S.A. chapter 137.

Question 8

How much notice is needed to end a month-to-month tenancy in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Landlord, no written lease, monthly rent: 60 days' notice if the tenant has lived there 2 years or less, 90 days if more than 2 years (21 days for weekly rent; 30 days if the building is under contract for sale). Tenant: notice of at least one rental period, unless the written lease says otherwise. For a room rented in the owner's own home with shared living space, either party may end the arrangement with actual notice of at least 15 days (rent paid monthly) or 7 days (rent paid weekly) (9 V.S.A. § 4467(h)).

Question 9

Does a landlord have to pay interest on a security deposit in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

No statewide interest requirement. A municipal security deposit ordinance may authorize payment of interest on deposits.

Question 10

Is a move-in or move-out inspection checklist required in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Vermont's landlord-tenant law (9 V.S.A. ch. 137 (§§ 4451–4475), reviewed by full-text search on 2026-10-15) sets no move-in or move-out inspection or checklist requirement; the lease terms control.

Question 11

Is landlord retaliation illegal in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A landlord may not retaliate by changing lease terms or bringing or threatening an action against a tenant who complained to a code agency or to the landlord, or who joined a tenants' union. A no-cause termination within 90 days after a government notice of health or safety noncompliance is presumed retaliatory.

Question 12

Can a landlord change the locks or shut off utilities in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Banned. A landlord may not willfully interrupt utilities (except temporarily for emergency repairs) or deny the tenant access to the unit or the tenant's property except through court process.

Question 13

What can a tenant do if the landlord won't make repairs in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Minor defects: if not repaired within 30 days of notice, the tenant may repair and deduct up to half a month's rent. Habitability defects materially affecting health and safety that aren't fixed within a reasonable time after notice: the tenant may withhold rent, seek an injunction or damages, or terminate.

Question 14

What disclosures must a landlord give tenants in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Before signing, the landlord must disclose in a separate written notice (state model form) whether any part of the premises is in a FEMA-mapped special flood hazard area.

Question 15

What can a landlord do with property a tenant leaves behind in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Property left in an abandoned unit (other than trash) must be stored somewhere safe and dry. The landlord must mail notice of intent to dispose of it after 60 days; the tenant may reclaim it within 60 days by describing it and paying reasonable storage costs.

Question 16

Can a tenant break a lease early for domestic violence or military service in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Victims of abuse, sexual assault or stalking (or their custodial parent or guardian) may end a lease without penalty with at least 30 days' written notice and supporting documentation (a self-certification form is allowed). They may also require a lock change within 48 hours.

Question 17

Is there a grace period before a late fee can be charged in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Vermont's landlord-tenant law (9 V.S.A. ch. 137 (§§ 4451–4475), reviewed by full-text search on 2026-10-15) sets no grace period before a late fee; the lease terms control.

Question 18

How much can a landlord charge for a rental application fee in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

A landlord or agent may not charge any application fee for a residential rental.

Question 19

Can a landlord refuse Section 8 or other source of income in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Landlords may not refuse to rent to, or discriminate against, a person because they receive public assistance.

Question 20

Can a tenant fix something and deduct it from rent in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

If the landlord doesn't fix a minor defect within 30 days of notice, the tenant may repair it and deduct the actual, reasonable cost, up to half of one month's rent.

Question 21

Can a tenant sublet an apartment in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

A written lease may condition or prohibit subleasing and may require written notice of any subtenant's name and contact information. Without a written lease, the tenant must give the landlord that notice.

Question 22

How does the eviction court process work in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

In an eviction case, the landlord may ask the court to order the tenant to pay rent into court. The motion is heard after 14 days' notice. If the tenant appears, no default judgment can be entered unless the tenant fails to file a written answer within 14 days after the hearing.

Question 23

Does a landlord have to give notice before not renewing a lease in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

To end a written lease for no cause at the end of its term, the landlord must give at least 30 days' notice before the term ends if the tenancy has lasted 2 years or less, or 60 days if it has lasted longer.

Question 24

What happens if a tenant stays after the lease ends in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

If a tenant stays after the rental agreement ends without the landlord's express consent, the landlord may sue for possession, damages and costs.

Question 25

Can a tenant withhold rent for repairs in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

If the landlord fails to fix a habitability problem within a reasonable time after actual notice, and the problem materially affects health and safety, the tenant may withhold rent for the period of noncompliance.

Question 26

What happens to the lease when a tenant dies in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

A search of the full text of Vermont's residential rental agreements chapter (9 V.S.A. ch. 137) found no rule on ending a lease or handling belongings when a tenant dies. The lease and probate law control.

Question 27

What is the deposit bank holding / separate account rule in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

A search of the full text of Vermont's residential rental agreements chapter (9 V.S.A. ch. 137) found no requirement to keep security deposits in a separate or trust account. Deposit rules are in § 4461.

Question 28

What is the eviction notices for other grounds (lease violation, no-fault) rule in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

A landlord may end a tenancy for failure to follow a material lease term or the tenant's legal obligations with actual notice at least 30 days before the termination date. For criminal activity, illegal drug activity or violence that threatens other residents' health or safety, the notice is at least 14 days.

Question 29

What is the pet deposits/fees & service/esa animals rule in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

A search of the full text of 9 V.S.A. ch. 137 (§§ 4451 et seq.) found no separate rule on pet deposits or pet fees, so any pet deposit falls under the general security-deposit rules in that law. Assistance-animal rules are in fair-housing law, which this site has not reviewed for this topic.

Question 30

What is the tenant relocation assistance rule in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

A search of the full text of 9 V.S.A. ch. 137 (§§ 4451 et seq.) found no requirement for landlords to pay tenants relocation assistance. Government relocation programs, such as those for public projects, are in other laws not reviewed here.

Question 31

What is the rent receipts, payment methods & cash rule in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

A search of the full text of 9 V.S.A. ch. 137 (§§ 4451 et seq.) found no rule requiring rent receipts, requiring or banning any payment method, or limiting payment fees. Unless otherwise agreed, rent is due at the time and place the parties agreed.

Question 32

What is the eviction record sealing rule in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

A search of the full text of 12 V.S.A. ch. 169 (ejectment; §§ 4851 et seq.) found no provision for sealing or expunging eviction records. Court rules or other statutes, which this site has not reviewed, may still provide for it.

Question 33

What is the condo conversion protections rule in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Before converting, the landlord must give each tenant written notice to vacate or buy. In buildings with more than five units or in apartment complexes, the minimum is two years for elders and tenants with disabilities, one year for low-income households, and six months for everyone else. Smaller buildings have their own notice periods.

Question 34

What is the manufactured / mobile home parks rule in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

A manufactured home park leaseholder may be evicted only for nonpayment of rent, a substantial lease violation, or a change in use or closure of the park, and only by following the statutory procedure. Self-help eviction is barred. Code text: "A leaseholder may be evicted only for nonpayment of rent or for a substantial violation of the lease terms of the manufactured home park."

Question 35

What is the right to cure / redeem rule in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for nonpayment. After a 14-day notice for unpaid rent, the tenancy does not end if the tenant pays or offers the rent due through the end of the rental period in which payment is made. Code text: "The rental agreement shall not terminate if the tenant pays or tenders rent due through the end of the rental period in which payment is made or tendered."

Question 36

What is the military lease termination (federal scra, all states) rule in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Federal law that applies in every state: under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, a tenant may end a residential lease after entering military service, or after getting permanent-change-of-station orders or deployment orders of at least 90 days, by delivering written notice and a copy of the orders to the landlord. For a lease with monthly rent, termination takes effect 30 days after the next rent due date following delivery of the notice. Any state-specific rule on this page also applies. Code text: "The lessee on a lease described in subsection (b) may, at the lessee's option, terminate the lease at any time after" entering military service, the date of the military orders, or the date of a stop movement order (50 U.S.C. 3955(a)(1)(A)-(C)).

Question 37

What is the tenant buyout disclosures rule in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

The state landlord-tenant statute (9 V.S.A. ch. 137 (Residential Rental Agreements), reviewed by full-text search on 2026-10-16) has no provision on tenant buyout agreements or buyout disclosures. Local ordinances or other state or federal laws may still apply.

Question 38

What is the guest & occupancy limits rule in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

The state landlord-tenant statute (9 V.S.A. ch. 137 (Residential Rental Agreements), reviewed by full-text search on 2026-10-16) has no provision on guest stays or occupancy limits. Local ordinances or other state or federal laws may still apply.

Question 39

What is the rental / transient occupancy tax rule in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Vermont's meals and rooms tax on lodging is 9% of the rent for each occupancy. Statute text: "An operator shall collect a tax of nine percent of the rent of each occupancy" (32 V.S.A. § 9241(a)).

Question 40

What is the domestic violence early termination rule in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

A tenant who reasonably fears imminent harm from abuse, sexual assault or stalking, or who was sexually assaulted on the premises within the past six months, may end the lease without penalty. The tenant must give at least 30 days' written notice plus supporting documentation. Statute text: "Notwithstanding a contrary provision of a rental agreement or of subchapter 2 of this chapter, a protected tenant may terminate a rental agreement pursuant to subsection (b) of this section without penalty or liability if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to vacate a dwelling unit: (1) based on a fear of imminent harm to any protected tenant due to abuse, sexual assault, or stalking; or (2) if any protected tenant was a victim of sexual assault that occurred on the premises within the six months preceding the date of his or her notice of termination" (9 V.S.A. § 4472).

Question 41

Does a landlord have to provide smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Rented residential buildings (anything other than owner-occupied single-family homes) must have carbon monoxide detectors and are subject to the state fire-safety rules, which also set the smoke alarm requirements. Statute text: "Any condominium or multiple unit dwelling using a common roof, or row houses so-called, or other residential buildings in which people sleep, including hotels, motels, and tourist homes, excluding single family owner-occupied houses and premises, whether the units are owned or leased or rented, shall be subject to the rules adopted under this subchapter and shall be provided with one or more carbon monoxide detectors, as defined in 9 V.S.A. § 2881(3), properly installed according to the manufacturer’s requirements" (20 V.S.A. § 2729(d)).

Question 42

Can a landlord deny a tenant for criminal or credit history in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Vermont's Residential Rental Agreements chapter (9 V.S.A. ch. 137, reviewed by full-text search on 2026-10-16) sets no rules on screening applicants' criminal or credit history; federal fair-housing and FCRA rules still apply.

Question 43

What is the property manager licensing rule in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Vermont's real estate license law excludes leasing from the definition of broker, so managing or leasing rentals does not by itself require a Vermont real estate license. Statute text: "Any person who leases real estate or any interest therein or any improvements affixed thereon, or offers to lease, negotiates the lease of, or advertises as being in the business of leasing real estate" (26 V.S.A. § 2211(b)(8)).

Question 44

Can the city inspect my rental property in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Vermont runs a statewide, complaint-driven rental housing inspection system through the Commissioner of Public Safety. After a violation is found, the landlord may not rent the affected unit to a new tenant until it is corrected. Statute text: "the Commissioner shall design and implement a complaint-driven system to conduct inspections of rental housing" (20 V.S.A. § 2677).

Question 45

What are the Airbnb / short-term rental rules in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Vermont short-term rental operators must post the Division of Fire Safety's health and safety guidance in a conspicuous place in the rental and provide it as part of the rental, and online platforms must make that guidance available to operators. Statute text: "physically post the guidance under subsection (a) of this section in a conspicuous place in any short-term rental offered for rent in this State" (20 V.S.A. § 2678).

Question 46

Does a landlord need just cause to evict in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

The state landlord-tenant statute (9 V.S.A. ch. 137 (Residential Rental Agreements), reviewed by full-text search on 2026-10-17: full-text search for "just cause," "good cause," "for cause" and "without cause") has no general just-cause (good-cause) requirement for ending a tenancy. Local ordinances or other state or federal laws may still apply.

Question 47

What federal protections does a tenant have after foreclosure in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Federal law that applies in every state: under the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act (made permanent in 2018), whoever takes over a home through foreclosure must give a bona fide tenant at least 90 days' notice to vacate. A tenant with a bona fide lease signed before the notice of foreclosure (the date title passes) can stay until the lease ends, unless the unit is sold to a buyer who will live there as a primary residence; that buyer must still give the 90-day notice. Month-to-month and at-will tenants also get the 90 days. A tenancy is bona fide only if the tenant is not the borrower or the borrower's child, spouse or parent, the deal was at arm's length, and the rent is not far below market (unless it is subsidized). State or local laws with longer notice or more protection still apply, and any state-specific rule on this page also applies. Statute text: "the provision, by such successor in interest of a notice to vacate to any bona fide tenant at least 90 days before the effective date of such notice" (Pub. L. 111-22, SEC. 702(a)(1)).

Question 48

What is the warranty of habitability in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Every residential rental agreement includes a warranty that the landlord will deliver and maintain premises that are safe, clean, fit for human habitation and compliant with building, housing and health rules. Tenants cannot waive it.

Question 49

What disclosures must a landlord give in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

Before signing, the landlord must tell the tenant in a separate written document (on the state model form) whether any part of the rental is in a FEMA-mapped special flood hazard area.

Question 50

Does Vermont have rent control?

Accepted Answer

No state statute imposing rent control was found in 9 V.S.A. chapter 137.

Question 51

What rights does a tenant have after foreclosure in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

No state statute giving residential tenants specific protections after foreclosure was found in 9 V.S.A. chapter 137. Federal law (Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act) may apply.

Question 52

Do landlords need a rental license or registration in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

No state statute requiring landlords to register rental properties was found in 9 V.S.A. chapter 137.

Question 53

How much does it cost to file an eviction in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

$295 Civil Division filing fee. Evictions are filed as landlord/tenant cases in the Superior Court, Civil Division.

Question 54

What is the scra / military lease termination rule in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

No state statute letting service members end a residential lease early was found in 9 V.S.A. chapter 137. The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act applies.

Vermont landlord-tenant law FAQ