What are squatters’ rights in Vermont?
In Vermont, an action to recover land or its possession must be started within 15 years after the cause of action first accrues. The section yields to a separate one-year limit for actions against a grantee under a recorded tax collector’s deed who has been in continuous and open possession and has paid the taxes. In an ejectment action, the landlord, the landlord’s agent or the tenant may move for immediate possession against a person occupying a dwelling unit without right or permission when the written rental agreement prohibits subleasing. The motion needs an affidavit and a copy of the lease, and a hearing may be held any time after 10 days’ notice to the parties. If the court grants it, a writ of possession issues the same day and the sheriff puts the plaintiff in possession no sooner than five days after serving the writ. Until that period has run, a person occupying property without permission has no claim to its title. This is 12 V.S.A. § 501; 32 V.S.A. § 5263; 12 V.S.A. § 4853b.
| What | Vermont |
|---|---|
| Adverse possession period | 15 years |
| Removing an unauthorized occupant | Through a court proceeding, after notice |
Source
12 V.S.A. § 501; 32 V.S.A. § 5263; 12 V.S.A. § 4853b
Read the statute in the Vermont Statutes (Vermont General Assembly): legislature.vermont.gov.
Checked against the statute on November 13, 2026.
This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.
How Seayora uses this rule
Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.
Guides on this rule
- Squatters’ Rights by State: Adverse Possession and Removal — How long adverse possession takes in 51 states, what the statutes require, and which states let law enforcement remove a squatter without an eviction case.
Compare this rule in every state
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The same question in other states
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