Vermont Rental Lease Agreement Templates

The Vermont Rental Lease Agreements are a set of agreements that allow a property owner or manager to temporarily transfer control of their property over to another party. This page covers both residential and commercial leases, although commercial leases are much more common. Unlike the vast majority of states, you do not need any sort of license to sell or lease property in Vermont.

Most residential leases are required to be made up of simple, easy to understand language, to minimize the risk of a tenant accidentally breaking it due to a misunderstanding. Regardless of the language in the lease, it should still be read carefully, so that the tenant is familiar with it before signing. In addition, both landlord and tenant should be aware of any local or state laws that might relate to their lease before signing any of the following agreements.

Form Description Types

Vermont Commercial Lease Agreement

The Vermont Commercial Lease Agreement is a special kind of lease designed to rent out the property to a for-profit organization for commercial reasons. Only a commercial entity can use this type of lease, a non-profit or charitable organization, for…Read more ›

Vermont Month to Month Rental Agreement

The Vermont Month to Month Lease Agreement is a lease used for shorter term, more fluid living situations. Unlike a One Year Lease, this type of lease agreement ends at the end of every pay period and renews when the…Read more ›

Vermont Rental Application

The Vermont Rental Application Form is not a legal agreement, but rather a kind of application used by landlords to screen potential tenants for issues with previous landlords, to minimize their risk of having a problematic tenant. A landlord has…Read more ›

Vermont Sublease Agreement

The Vermont Sublease Agreement is an agreement that allows the current tenant of a property (known as the sublessor) to rent out their property to another party (known as the sublessee). In a sublease agreement they can rent out or…Read more ›

Vermont Residential Lease Agreement

The Vermont Standard One (1) Year Lease Agreement is the most common form of a long term lease. Unlike a Month to Month Lease, a One Year Lease will run for a full twelve (12) months before terminating. It’s designed…Read more ›

Vermont Rental Laws

Laws are pursuant to Vermont State Code, Title 9 Chapters 137 and 139.

Security Deposit

The vast majority of landlords will want to charge a security deposit, to pay for any damages accrued during a tenancy. There are no laws in Vermont limiting how much a landlord can charge for a security deposit. Vermont landlords are required to return a security deposit fourteen (14) days after the tenant, unless the property is rented seasonally, in which case the deposit must be returned sixty (60) days after the tenant moves out.

Rent

Regardless of what kind of lease it is, how much rent is, when it is due, in what form and where it must be delivered to will all be spelled out in the lease. If a tenant fails to pay rent on time, they may be subject to a late fee. While there are no laws limiting how much a late fee is, or when it can be imposed, a late fee policy must be spelled out in the lease. If no late fee policy is spelled out in the lease, the landlord cannot charge one.

Rent Increases

In a One Year Lease, a landlord cannot increase rent until the lease has ended, unless a provision in the lease itself allows for an increase. In a Month to Month Lease, a landlord has to give the tenant thirty (30) days written notice

Eviction

In a One Year or longer Lease, a landlord can attempt to evict a tenant by issuing an Unconditional Quit Notice to the tenant. In Vermont these can be served after the tenant has either violated the lease in such a way that call for eviction, or once the tenant has received written notice for failure to pay rent three times in twelve (12) months. From that point, the tenant has thirty (30) days to move out before the landlord can file for eviction.

In a Month to Month Lease, a landlord can serve the tenant with written notice to move out at their discretion, giving the tenant thirty (30) days to move out before filing for eviction. In either case, if the tenant fails to comply, the landlord must go to the local court system and obtain an Eviction Notice.

Until a landlord has obtained an Eviction Notice, they cannot take any steps to attempt to force a tenant to move out, including (but not limited to): tampering with utilities, changing locks, installing a deadbolt or removing the tenant’s property.

Discrimination

In Vermont, it is illegal to discriminate (IE, claim housing isn’t available when it is, evict, alter rent, charge more for a security deposit) for the following reasons:

  • race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status, marital status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, receipt of public assistance, physical or mental disability

Landlord’s Right to Enter

In Vermont, a landlord must give the tenant 48 hours notice before entering the property to perform inspections or repairs, and can enter any day of the week, between 9AM and 9PM. In an emergency setting these are suspended and no notice or consent from the tenant is required.