Vermont landlord rules: deposits, late fees and notices

Security deposit

Maximum deposit

No statewide cap

Return deadline

14 days after the tenancy ends

Penalty for late return

late return forfeits the right to withhold; willful violation doubles it

Interest owed

Not in our data

Work out the return date for a move-out

Source: 9 V.S.A. §4461

Late fees

Rule

none set by statute

Grace period

Not in our data

No statute cited in our data

Notice periods

Notice to pay or quit

14 days

Ending a month-to-month tenancy

60 (<2 yr) / 90 (2 yr+)

Notice before entering a unit

48 hours

Work out the last day of a notice

No statute cited in our data

Screening

Source-of-income protection

Yes, statewide. Refusing a housing voucher is illegal.

No statute cited in our data

Licensing

To manage for others

No license required.

No statute cited in our data

How long an eviction takes

Slow: about 2 to 4 months. This is a rough tier from our data, not a court timeline.

A federal rule that can override this

Notice for nonpayment on covered properties

30 days

Note

Applies to 'covered properties' (federally backed mortgage or federal housing program). The 30-day notice requirement has no statutory sunset and courts are split - safest practice is a 30-day nonpayment notice on any covered property, regardless of shorter state timelines.

Source: CARES Act §4024