Vermont landlord-tenant law at a glance
Vermont’s residential rental rules are in Title 9, chapter 137 of the Vermont Statutes, and evictions follow the ejectment procedure in Title 12, chapter 169. The table collects the numbers an apartment owner uses most.
| Rule | Vermont requirement | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Nonpayment of rent | At least 14 days’ notice; tenancy continues if rent due is paid before the termination date | 9 V.S.A. 4467(a) |
| Breach of the rental agreement | At least 30 days’ notice; 14 days for criminal, drug or violent activity threatening others | 9 V.S.A. 4467(b) |
| No cause, monthly, no written lease | 60 days if the tenant has lived there 2 years or less; 90 days if longer | 9 V.S.A. 4467(c) |
| No cause, written lease | At least 30 days (2 years or less) or 60 days (more than 2 years) before the end of the term | 9 V.S.A. 4467(e) |
| Building under contract for sale, no written lease | At least 30 days | 9 V.S.A. 4467(d) |
| Rent increase | At least 60 days’ actual notice, effective the first day of a rental period | 9 V.S.A. 4455(b) |
| Deposit cap | None in statute | 9 V.S.A. 4461 |
| Deposit return | 14 days, with an itemized statement (60 days for seasonal non-primary homes) | 9 V.S.A. 4461(c) |
| Entry | 48 hours’ notice, between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.; emergencies excepted | 9 V.S.A. 4460 |
| Application fees | Not allowed for residential rentals | 9 V.S.A. 4456a |
How much notice does a landlord have to give in Vermont?
It depends on the reason and the tenancy. For unpaid rent, the notice must give at least 14 days. For other breaches of the lease, it is 30 days. To end a month-to-month tenancy with no written lease and no cause, Vermont requires 60 days’ notice if the tenant has lived there two years or less and 90 days if longer.
Under a written lease, a no-cause termination at the end of the term needs at least 30 days’ notice before the end date for tenancies of two years or less, and 60 days for longer ones. Every notice must state the termination date, and an ejectment case has to be filed within 60 days after that date or the notice no longer supports it (9 V.S.A. section 4467(k)).
Example: counting a no-cause notice in Vermont
A tenant moved into a unit in March 2024 with no written lease and pays rent monthly. On October 1, 2026, the owner gives actual notice to end the tenancy without cause. Because the tenant has lived there more than two years, the notice must give at least 90 days, so the termination date can be no earlier than December 30, 2026, and the notice must state that date.
If the tenant stays past it, the owner has 60 days after the termination date, until February 28, 2027, to start an ejectment case on that notice. Serving a second notice does not cancel the first (9 V.S.A. section 4467(i)), which lets an owner serve a nonpayment notice later without losing the no-cause one.
Weekly and shared-occupancy tenancies
Some Vermont buildings include rooms rented by the week or units where the tenant shares living space with the owner. A no-cause notice for a weekly tenancy with no written lease is at least 21 days, and a written week-to-week agreement needs at least 7 days. In shared occupancy, either side can end the arrangement with 15 days’ notice if rent is monthly, or 7 days if weekly. Nonpayment notices still follow the 14-day rule.
Security deposit rules in Vermont
Vermont sets no statutory limit on the size of a security deposit, though towns may adopt ordinances that add to the state rules. A landlord may keep money only for unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear and tear, unpaid utility or other required charges, and the cost of removing abandoned items.
You must return the deposit, with a written itemized statement of any deductions, within 14 days after you learn the tenant has moved out, or 60 days for a seasonal home that is not a primary residence. Miss the deadline and you lose the right to keep any of it. If the failure is willful, the tenant can recover double the amount wrongfully withheld, plus attorney’s fees and costs.
Entry and tenant screening rules
A Vermont landlord may enter with the tenant’s consent, which the tenant may not unreasonably withhold. For inspections, repairs, agreed services or showing the unit, you must give at least 48 hours’ notice and enter only between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Entry without notice is allowed only when you reasonably believe there is imminent danger to a person or property.
Application fees for residential rentals are banned outright under 9 V.S.A. section 4456a. Since July 1, 2025, Act 69 of 2025 also requires landlords to accept a government-issued ID, an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number or a Social Security number for background and credit checks, and bars them from requiring a Social Security number or rejecting an applicant who lacks one.
The eviction process in Vermont
Vermont evictions are ejectment cases, filed in the civil division of Superior Court after the notice period ends. The statutes set out these main steps.
- Serve the right notice: 14 days for nonpayment, 30 days for other breaches, or the no-cause period that applies.
- After the termination date, file and serve the complaint, within 60 days of that date.
- Ask the court to order the tenant to pay rent into court while the case is pending. A rent escrow hearing can be held after 14 days’ notice (12 V.S.A. section 4853a).
- If the tenant misses a court-ordered rent payment, the court issues a writ of possession, and the sheriff may put you in possession no earlier than 7 days after serving it.
- If you win at trial, the writ of possession issues on the date judgment is entered, and the sheriff may put you in possession no earlier than 14 days after serving it (12 V.S.A. section 4854).
Rent increases and rent control in Vermont
Vermont has no statewide rent control, and chapter 137 sets no cap on how much rent can rise. The state rule is about notice: an increase takes effect on the first day of a rental period that follows at least 60 days’ actual notice to the tenant (9 V.S.A. section 4455). A lease with a fixed rent locks that rent in for its term.
Age-restricted housing has its own rent increase notice rule in section 4468a. If you own a senior property, read that section rather than relying on the general rule.
What happens to leases and deposits when you sell
Leases survive a sale in Vermont, and the buyer becomes the landlord on the same terms. Two rules apply specifically to sales.
First, a landlord who has contracted to sell the building may end a tenancy with no written rental agreement on at least 30 days’ notice (9 V.S.A. section 4467(d)), shorter than the usual 60 or 90 days. It does not apply to tenants with written leases. A buyer who wants vacant units should plan around the lease terms rather than assume this shortcut works.
Notice periods turn on how long each tenancy has lasted, and the tenancies carry on after the sale. A buyer should check every tenant’s move-in date before assuming a 60-day notice will work, since a tenant past the two-year mark is owed 90 days.
Second, deposits move with the building. When your interest in the property ends, the deposit must be transferred to the new landlord, who must give each tenant actual notice of the new landlord’s name and address and a statement that the deposit was transferred (9 V.S.A. section 4461(f)).
- Give the buyer a rent roll with each tenant’s rent, deposit, move-in date and lease end date. Move-in dates matter because notice periods depend on whether a tenancy is over two years.
- List which tenants have written leases and which are month to month.
- Hand over the flood hazard disclosures for each tenant if any part of the property is in a mapped flood area.
- Transfer deposits at closing and keep a record of the amounts.
Vermont landlord-tenant law changes in 2024 and 2025
- Act 69 of 2025 (S.127), effective July 1, 2025: landlords must accept a government ID, ITIN or Social Security number for screening and may not require a Social Security number. The act also amended Vermont fair housing law, which now lists citizenship and immigration status among its protected classes (9 V.S.A. section 4503).
- Act 13 of 2025 (H.21), signed May 5, 2025: any sheriff of the county where the property is located may now serve a writ of possession.
- Act 181 of 2024, effective June 17, 2024: before signing a lease, a landlord must give the tenant a separate written disclosure of whether any part of the property is in a FEMA-mapped special flood hazard area (9 V.S.A. section 4466).
Selling a Vermont apartment building with tenants
Skyline buys apartment buildings with five or more units in Vermont with tenants in place. We buy directly, close on your timeline, and can work inside 1031 deadlines. You do not need to serve notices or empty units before you sell; we take on the leases and deposits as they are.
For the tax side, see Vermont capital gains tax on real estate and the property tax rate in Vermont.
