Vermont rental housing laws

What it would do: Modifies Vermont residential rental laws by reducing notice periods for nonpayment terminations, increasing notice requirements for no-cause terminations, capping security deposits at two months' rent, prohibiting application fees, and creating a two-year positive rental payment credit reporting pilot program.

What it would do: Requires landlords to clearly advertise utilities and estimated costs that tenants must pay versus those included in rent, document this information in rental agreements, and provide individual metering or ensure tenant utility costs reflect actual use where possible.

What it would do: Authorizes municipalities to acquire abandoned residential and commercial property in downtown or village areas through sale or foreclosure for public housing purposes, enforce rental habitability standards and rent increase controls, and requires state-funded housing developments to incorporate universal design and ADA compliance.

What it would do: Disallows the sales tax exemption for fuel at properties used as short-term rentals or second homes in the past 12 months or owner-occupied fewer than 183 days annually. Imposes a three percent surcharge on fuel sales to such properties, with revenue directed to the Home Weatherization Assistance Fund.

What it would do: Amends residential rental laws to prohibit application fees, limit security deposits to two months' rent, reduce termination notice periods for breach, create a Superior Court ejectment process for just cause evictions, make ejectment records confidential, establish a positive rental payment credit reporting pilot program, and provide landlord-tenant education.

What it would do: This bill makes multiple changes to Vermont housing and land use law, including requiring municipalities to allow accessory dwelling units and manufactured housing, establishing a positive rental payment credit reporting pilot program, prohibiting common interest communities from restricting residential leasing or family child care homes, and modifying Act 250 and zoning appeal procedures.

What it would do: Reduces notice period for termination based on criminal activity, human trafficking, or violence to seven days; requires defendants to answer ejectment complaints within five business days; increases penalties for human trafficking and drug sales in dwellings to 10 years imprisonment or $500,000 fine; creates landlord assistance program with $2,000,000 appropriation.

What it would do: Allows a landlord to serve a no trespass order prohibiting a tenant's invitees or licensees from entering the dwelling unit or common areas if the tenant consents, the invitee/licensee violated the lease, or violated state or federal law. Permits appeal by small claims action within seven days.

What it would do: Reduces notice periods for residential evictions from 14 to 3 days for nonpayment and breach, requires defendants to answer within 5 business days, allows alternate service of process throughout proceedings, shortens writ of possession timelines from 14 to 24 hours, and clarifies criminal mischief includes property damaged by leaseholders.

What it would do: Approves amendments to the Town of Bennington charter to authorize the town to impose a one percent local option tax on non-owner-occupied short-term rentals, subject to Select Board recommendation and voter approval.

What it would do: Extends the Tenant Representation Pilot Program administered by Vermont Legal Aid in Lamoille and Windsor counties, shifting reporting deadlines to November 30, 2025 and 2026, with final report due July 31, 2027, and moving program implementation start date to November 1, 2024.

What it would do: Creates a two percent rooms tax surcharge and a Housing Investments Special Fund administered by the Vermont Housing Conservation Board, funded by the surcharge and existing short-term rental surcharge. Imposes a $0.01 per ounce excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages and syrups sold by distributors, with revenue directed to the Education Fund.

What it would do: Limits security deposits to three months' rent for residential tenancies and three months' lot rent for mobile home parks, and requires landlords and park owners to maintain security deposits in interest-bearing accounts. Existing deposits exceeding this limit may be retained until July 1, 2026, when they must be moved to interest-bearing accounts.

What it would do: Approves an amendment to the City of Winooski charter authorizing the City Council to adopt an ordinance protecting residential tenants from eviction without just cause, with specified exemptions and mitigation requirements.

What it would do: Approves an amendment to the City of Burlington charter authorizing the City Council to adopt an ordinance prohibiting eviction of residential tenants without just cause, including material breach, statutory violations, nonpayment of rent, or failure to accept renewal terms, with specified exemptions and mitigation requirements.

What it would do: Restricts landlord termination of tenancies to nonpayment of rent, breach of rental agreement, or limited no-cause circumstances requiring 90 days notice and relocation expenses. Caps annual rent increases at three percent plus Consumer Price Index or eight percent, whichever is lower, with 90 days notice required.

What it would do: Establishes tenant protections including written rental agreements, prohibits application fees, limits no-cause evictions and annual rent increases to one percent plus CPI or five percent whichever is less, creates a rental registry, establishes an Office of Tenant's Rights Advocate, provides right to counsel in evictions and eviction record expungement, and grants tenants right of first refusal to purchase rental buildings.

What it would do: Requires short-term rental owners to register annually with the Department of Housing and Community Development and imposes statewide host-occupancy and one-rental-per-parcel restrictions, unless a municipality votes by ballot to exempt itself from these restrictions.

What it would do: Prohibits landlords from requesting Social Security numbers on rental applications and requires acceptance of any government-issued identification. Adds citizenship and immigration status as protected classes in public accommodations and housing discrimination laws.

What it would do: Amends Vermont law to prohibit mobile home park owners from proposing lot rent increases exceeding one percentage point above the U.S. Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers, Housing Component, and establishes a mediation process for disputed increases.