Vermont landlord and tenant rules

Seayora publishes 11 Vermont rules, covering security deposits, notice periods, applications, fair housing, tenant protections, repairs, contractor sales tax. Every one is composed from the statute it cites and links to that statute on the state’s own code site.

Vermont at a glance

RuleVermont
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Vermont?14 days
How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in Vermont?14 days to pay
How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering in Vermont?48 hours
How much notice does a landlord have to give before raising the rent in Vermont?60 days
How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in Vermont?60 / 90 days by tenancy length
How much can a landlord charge for a rental application fee in Vermont?Not permitted
Can a landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher in Vermont?Protected: a landlord may not refuse one
Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Vermont?Presumed within 90 days
Can a tenant repair and deduct from rent in Vermont?Up to half a month’s rent
Do contractors charge sales tax in Vermont?Consumer of materials
Is appliance repair taxable in Vermont?Taxable, with the parts

Security deposits in Vermont

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

In Vermont, a landlord has 14 days after the tenancy ends to return the security deposit, together with an itemised statement of any deductions. 14 days; 60 days for a seasonal property. This is 9 V.S.A. § 4461.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Notice periods in Vermont

How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in Vermont?

In Vermont, before starting a nonpayment case a landlord must serve a written notice giving the tenant 14 days to pay the rent due. This is 9 V.S.A. §§ 4455(b), 4460(b), 4467(a), 4467(c), 4467(e).

A rent increase takes effect on the first day of the rental period after at least 60 days' actual notice. Without a written rental agreement, a landlord may end a monthly tenancy for no cause with 60 days' notice where the tenant has lived there two years or less, and 90 days where it has been longer. Entry: 48 hours' notice, between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., except where the landlord reasonably believes there is imminent danger. Nonpayment: at least 14 days' actual notice of the termination date — and the tenancy does not end if the tenant pays or tenders the rent due through the end of the rental period.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

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

In Vermont, a landlord must give 48 hours notice before entering an occupied rental, other than in an emergency. This is 9 V.S.A. §§ 4455(b), 4460(b), 4467(a), 4467(c), 4467(e).

A rent increase takes effect on the first day of the rental period after at least 60 days' actual notice. Without a written rental agreement, a landlord may end a monthly tenancy for no cause with 60 days' notice where the tenant has lived there two years or less, and 90 days where it has been longer. Entry: 48 hours' notice, between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., except where the landlord reasonably believes there is imminent danger. Nonpayment: at least 14 days' actual notice of the termination date — and the tenancy does not end if the tenant pays or tenders the rent due through the end of the rental period.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much notice does a landlord have to give before raising the rent in Vermont?

In Vermont, a landlord must give 60 days written notice before raising the rent. This is 9 V.S.A. §§ 4455(b), 4460(b), 4467(a), 4467(c), 4467(e).

A rent increase takes effect on the first day of the rental period after at least 60 days' actual notice. Without a written rental agreement, a landlord may end a monthly tenancy for no cause with 60 days' notice where the tenant has lived there two years or less, and 90 days where it has been longer. Entry: 48 hours' notice, between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., except where the landlord reasonably believes there is imminent danger. Nonpayment: at least 14 days' actual notice of the termination date — and the tenancy does not end if the tenant pays or tenders the rent due through the end of the rental period.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in Vermont?

In Vermont, the notice required to end a tenancy or decline to renew depends on how long the tenant has lived there: Two years or less — 60 days; More than two years — 90 days. These periods apply to a monthly tenancy with no written rental agreement; under a written agreement the no-cause notice is 30 days before the end of the term, or 60 after two years. This is 9 V.S.A. §§ 4455(b), 4460(b), 4467(a), 4467(c), 4467(e).

A rent increase takes effect on the first day of the rental period after at least 60 days' actual notice. Without a written rental agreement, a landlord may end a monthly tenancy for no cause with 60 days' notice where the tenant has lived there two years or less, and 90 days where it has been longer. Entry: 48 hours' notice, between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., except where the landlord reasonably believes there is imminent danger. Nonpayment: at least 14 days' actual notice of the termination date — and the tenancy does not end if the tenant pays or tenders the rent due through the end of the rental period.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Applications in Vermont

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

In Vermont, a landlord or a landlord’s agent may not charge any application fee to apply to rent a residential dwelling unit. For a background or credit check a landlord must accept any unexpired government-issued identification, an ITIN or a Social Security number, and may not require a Social Security number. This is 9 V.S.A. § 4456a.

For a background or credit check a landlord must accept any unexpired government-issued identification, an ITIN or a Social Security number, and may not require a Social Security number.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Fair housing in Vermont

Can a landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher in Vermont?

No, not in most cases. In Vermont, it is unlawful to refuse to rent to anyone, or set different terms, because the person is a recipient of public assistance, which the law defines to include federal, state or local housing assistance. This is 9 V.S.A. §§ 4501, 4503.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Tenant protections in Vermont

Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Vermont?

No. In Vermont, a landlord may not retaliate by changing the rental terms or bringing or threatening an action after a tenant complains to a code agency or the landlord or joins a tenants’ union, and a termination notice (other than for nonpayment) within 90 days after a government notice that the unit violates health or safety rules is presumed retaliatory. Separately, the federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising fair housing rights. This is 9 V.S.A. § 4465.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Repairs in Vermont

Can a tenant repair and deduct from rent in Vermont?

Yes, within limits. In Vermont, if a landlord does not repair a minor defect within 30 days after notice, the tenant may repair it and deduct the actual and reasonable cost, up to half a month’s rent, giving the landlord actual notice of the cost. Each step has to be followed as the statute sets it out, including the written notice and the waiting period, or the deduction can be treated as unpaid rent. This is 9 V.S.A. § 4459.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Contractor sales tax in Vermont

Do contractors charge sales tax in Vermont?

In Vermont a contractor is treated as the CONSUMER of the materials they build into real property. That means the contractor pays sales tax when they buy the materials, and does not add sales tax to the customer's invoice for that work — the tax is already inside the price. Vermont also has county, city or special-district rates on top of the state rate, so the rate depends on where the job site is, not where the contractor is based. Source: 32 V.S.A. §9701 et seq.; contractors are the consumers of materials incorporated into real property.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Is appliance repair taxable in Vermont?

Yes. Vermont taxes the LABOR on repairs to tangible personal property — an appliance, a boiler or a unit that never becomes part of the building — as well as the parts. This is a different question from work on the real property itself: the same technician on the same visit can be doing taxable work on an appliance and differently treated work on the structure, and the invoice has to tell them apart. Source: 32 V.S.A. §9701 et seq.; contractors are the consumers of materials incorporated into real property.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Sources

  • 32 V.S.A. §9701 et seq.; contractors are the consumers of materials incorporated into real property.
  • 9 V.S.A. § 4456a
  • 9 V.S.A. § 4459
  • 9 V.S.A. § 4461
  • 9 V.S.A. § 4465
  • 9 V.S.A. §§ 4455(b), 4460(b), 4467(a), 4467(c), 4467(e)
  • 9 V.S.A. §§ 4501, 4503

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.

This is a summary of a state’s published guidance, not tax or legal advice. Rates and rules change, local jurisdictions add their own, and the treatment of a specific job depends on the contract and the work. Check the citation and speak to a CPA or a state tax adviser before relying on it.

How Seayora uses these rules

Security deposits. Seayora computes the deadline this rule sets from the tenancy’s own dates, shows it on the deposit statement, and reminds the landlord before it falls due — so the answer above is not reference material sitting beside the product, it is the rule the product enforces.

Notice periods. Seayora computes the notice this rule requires from the tenancy’s own dates — for a renewal offer, a rent increase or a served notice — and will not serve one that is short unless the owner records a reason. The answer above is the rule the product enforces.

Applications. This page states what the state allows a landlord to charge somebody applying to rent, so a fee can be checked against it before it is advertised or collected.

Fair housing. This page states whether the state protects renters who pay with a housing voucher, so a listing and its screening rules can be checked against it before they are published. Seayora’s rental search assistant never filters homes by how a renter will pay the rent.

Tenant protections. When an owner prepares an eviction in Seayora, it lists any repair request opened on the unit in the last 180 days that is still open, not to stop the case but because the tenant will raise retaliation and the owner should have an answer. Every repair request keeps the date it was filed.

Repairs. Every deadline on this page runs from the tenant’s notice. A repair request filed in Seayora keeps the date it was made and every update after it, on the website and both phone apps, so owner and tenant are working from the same date.

Contractor sales tax. Seayora resolves this rule on every invoice a contractor raises — per line, from the job site’s own address — and prints the rate, the jurisdiction and this citation on the document itself, so the estimate a customer accepts is the invoice they are billed. Where the rule is more nuanced than a single answer, Seayora refuses to guess a total rather than quoting a confident wrong one.

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