Can a domestic violence victim end a lease early in Vermont?

In Vermont, a tenant who is a victim of abuse, sexual assault or stalking (or a parent, guardian or caretaker of one) may end the rental agreement without penalty or liability by giving the landlord, at least 30 days before the termination date, a written notice of termination and documentation from a court or law enforcement or other government agency, an assistance program, a professional who gave counseling or assistance, or a self-certification signed under penalty of perjury on an approved form. The right applies when the tenant reasonably believes it is necessary to vacate because of a fear of imminent harm due to abuse, sexual assault or stalking, or because a protected tenant was sexually assaulted on the premises within the six months before the notice. The notice may be revoked, and the rental agreement stays in effect, if the tenant revokes it in writing or has not vacated by the termination date and the landlord has not yet entered into a rental agreement with another tenant. A protected tenant may ask the landlord to change the locks within 48 hours, with a court order requiring the perpetrator to leave if the perpetrator is also a tenant; if the landlord does not, the tenant may change them, notify the landlord within 24 hours and give the landlord a key, and the tenant pays for the new locks unless the parties agree otherwise. A landlord who holds documentation of a tenant’s status as a victim must keep it confidential and may not provide access to another person except as the tenant authorizes, a court order or regulation requires, or as sealed evidence in a court proceeding. This is 9 V.S.A. §§ 4472, 4473, 4474.

WhatVermont
Ending the lease early30 days’ written notice with supporting documentation

What the statute says

“Not less than 30 days before the date of termination, the protected tenant shall provide to the landlord: (1) a written notice of termination; and (2) documentation from one or more of the following sources …”

Quoted word for word from the section’s text.

Source

9 V.S.A. §§ 4472, 4473, 4474

Read the statute in the Vermont Statutes (Vermont General Assembly): legislature.vermont.gov.

Checked against the statute on November 15, 2026.

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

How Seayora uses this rule

Seayora keeps every lease’s term, rent and signers in one record and dates every change to it. This page states the state’s rule so a lease’s own early-termination and sublet clauses can be checked against it before the lease is signed.

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