Vermont (VT) law guide
Vermont governs residential rentals through the **Residential Rental Agreements Act**, codified at **9 V.S.A. Chapter 137**, which sets some of the most tenant-protective return and retaliation rules in New England. Unlike neighboring states, Vermont imposes no statutory ceiling on the dollar amount of a security deposit, yet it pairs that flexibility with a strict 14-day return window and the threat of double damages for willful noncompliance. Landlords and tenants operating in the Green Mountain State must also navigate a 60-day rent-increase notice requirement and a tiered no-cause termination timeline that scales with how long a tenant has lived in the unit.
Security deposit limit
No statutory cap
Deposit return deadline
14 days after discovering vacancy
Statewide rent control
None
Nonpayment eviction notice
14-day pay-or-quit notice
Vermont rental market snapshot
Population
~647,000 (2024 ACS estimate)
Renter households
~27% of households rent
Median rent
~$1,950 (2BR, 2025 estimate)
Largest rental markets
Burlington, South Burlington, Rutland, Barre-Montpelier, Brattleboro
Burlington's tight vacancy rate and status as Vermont's only true urban core push 2BR rents well above the statewide median, making the 60-day rent-increase notice requirement especially significant for tenants on fixed incomes in the Chittenden County market.
Vermont is one of the few states that places no statutory cap on security deposit amounts. Under 9 V.S.A. § 4461, a landlord may collect any sum agreed upon at lease signing, whether that equals one month's rent or several. Practically speaking, market norms in Burlington and other tight rental markets often keep deposits in the one-to-two-month range, but there is no law requiring it. Landlords should document the deposit amount clearly in the written rental agreement to avoid disputes later.
The counterweight to that uncapped flexibility is one of New England's shorter return deadlines. After a tenant vacates or the landlord discovers abandonment, the landlord has exactly 14 days to return the deposit along with a written itemized statement of any deductions. Seasonal rentals that are not used as a tenant's primary residence receive a longer 60-day window. Miss the standard 14-day deadline and Vermont law is unforgiving: the landlord automatically forfeits the right to withhold any portion of the deposit. A willful violation goes further, exposing the landlord to liability for double the wrongfully withheld amount plus the tenant's attorney fees.
Permitted deductions under § 4461 are limited to unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear and tear, and costs required by the rental agreement. Landlords who want to protect their ability to deduct should conduct a thorough move-in inspection with written documentation and photographs, because the burden of proving damage rests with the landlord when the 14-day clock has run.
Vermont has no statewide rent control or rent stabilization law. Landlords may set rents at any amount they choose and raise them by any increment, subject only to the notice requirements in 9 V.S.A. § 4455. No municipality in Vermont has enacted local rent control ordinances as of 2025, so the absence of a cap applies uniformly across Burlington, Rutland, Barre, and every other Vermont community.
What Vermont does mandate is meaningful advance notice before an increase takes effect. Under § 4455(b), a rent increase requires at least 60 days' written actual notice to the tenant, and the new amount may not take effect until the first day of the rental period that falls after that 60-day window closes. This is notably longer than the 30-day standard common in many other states and gives tenants in Vermont roughly two full rental periods to decide whether to accept the new rate or begin searching for alternative housing.
For landlords, the practical implication is clear: a rent increase announced on June 1 for a month-to-month tenant cannot take effect before August 1 at the earliest. Notices delivered by text message or email may satisfy the 'actual notice' standard if the parties have established that communication channel, but certified mail or hand delivery remains the safest documentation practice when a tenant might later dispute receipt.
Vermont prohibits self-help eviction outright. A landlord cannot change locks, remove doors or windows, shut off utilities, or take any other action designed to force a tenant out without going through the courts. The formal process begins with a written termination notice. For nonpayment of rent, 9 V.S.A. § 4467 requires at least a 14-day pay-or-quit notice delivered as actual notice to the tenant. The notice must state the amount of rent owed, and the tenancy cannot be terminated if the tenant pays or tenders the full balance due before the 14-day period expires.
For no-cause terminations on month-to-month tenancies, Vermont's notice requirement is longer and scales with the length of occupancy. Tenants who have lived in the unit two years or less are entitled to 60 days' notice; tenants with more than two years of continuous occupancy receive 90 days' notice. This graduated protection is among the strongest no-cause notice requirements in the northeastern United States and reflects Vermont's legislative intent to limit displacement of long-term tenants. Written lease agreements carry slightly shorter minimums: 30 days for tenancies of two years or less, and 60 days for tenancies longer than two years, measured before the term's end date.
Once the notice period expires without cure or voluntary departure, the landlord must file a complaint with the Vermont Superior Court's Civil Division. The landlord has a 60-day window from the termination date stated in the notice to file, or the notice lapses and a new one must be served. A writ of possession issued by the court is the only lawful mechanism to remove a tenant who refuses to leave, and only a sheriff or constable may carry out the actual eviction.
Vermont's Chapter 137 requires landlords to maintain every rental unit in a condition that is safe, clean, and fit for human habitation under 9 V.S.A. § 4457. That duty includes functional heating capable of providing reasonable warmth, adequate hot and cold running water, and compliance with applicable building, housing, and health codes. If a landlord receives proper notice of a habitability failure and does not remedy it within a reasonable time, tenants have several independent remedies available under § 4458: they may withhold rent, seek injunctive relief from a court, recover actual damages plus attorney fees, or terminate the lease entirely without penalty.
Landlord entry is tightly regulated. Under 9 V.S.A. § 4460, a landlord must provide at least 48 hours' advance notice and may only enter between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. for inspections, repairs, agreed services, or showing the unit to prospective tenants or buyers. Emergency entry to address imminent danger to persons or property is the sole exception to the notice rule. A landlord who enters outside these parameters without tenant consent is subject to a claim for damages.
Vermont law contains strong anti-retaliation protections under § 4465. A landlord may not terminate a tenancy, raise rent, reduce services, or otherwise penalize a tenant for reporting code violations to a government agency, complaining about a Chapter 137 violation, or organizing or joining a tenants' union. If a landlord takes any adverse action within 90 days of the government receiving notice of noncompliance, the law presumes that action is retaliatory and shifts the burden to the landlord to prove otherwise. Tenants who prevail on a retaliation claim are entitled to damages, reinstatement if applicable, and attorney fees.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Governing statute: Vermont Residential Rental Agreements Act, 9 V.S.A. Chapter 137. Laws change; confirm the current statute or consult an attorney before acting. Last reviewed 2026-06-04.
Vermont FAQ
Vermont law sets no maximum security deposit amount. A landlord may charge any sum agreed upon at the start of the tenancy. While there is no statutory cap, most Vermont landlords charge one to two months' rent by convention. Proposed legislation in the 2025-2026 session would cap deposits at two months' rent, but as of mid-2026 no such law has taken effect.
A Vermont landlord must return the security deposit, together with a written itemized statement of any deductions, within 14 days from the date the landlord discovers the tenant has vacated or abandoned the unit. For seasonal rentals that are not the tenant's primary residence, the deadline extends to 60 days. A landlord who misses the 14-day standard deadline forfeits the right to keep any portion of the deposit, and a willful violation can result in double damages plus attorney fees.
No. Vermont has no statewide rent control or rent stabilization law, and no Vermont municipality has enacted a local rent control ordinance as of 2025. Landlords may raise rent by any amount, but they must give tenants at least 60 days' written actual notice before the increase takes effect, and the new rent cannot begin until the first day of the rental period following that 60-day window.
Under 9 V.S.A. § 4455(b), a landlord must provide at least 60 days' actual written notice before a rent increase takes effect. The increase becomes effective on the first day of the first rental period that begins after the 60-day notice period closes. There is no cap on how much rent can be increased.
For nonpayment of rent, the landlord must first serve a written 14-day pay-or-quit notice stating the exact amount owed. If the tenant pays the full balance within those 14 days, the tenancy continues. If not, the landlord may file an eviction complaint in Vermont Superior Court within 60 days of the termination date listed in the notice. Self-help eviction methods such as changing locks or shutting off utilities are illegal in Vermont.
Generally no. Vermont law requires a landlord to give at least 48 hours' advance notice and to enter only between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. for lawful purposes such as inspections, repairs, or showing the unit to prospective tenants. The only exception is a genuine emergency involving imminent danger to persons or property, in which case entry without prior notice is permitted.
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