A Vermont lease agreement is a document that creates a binding relationship between a landlord and a tenant so the landlord can rent out their property efficiently. This document contains various details, from the tenant and landlord’s names and addresses to rent payment specifics and pet rules.
Rental Lease Laws Overview
- Rent Control: No.
- Limit on Late Fees: No.
- Late Fees in Rental Agreement: Yes.
- Grace Period: No.
- License Required for Landlord: No.
Landlords can use a rental application to determine if applicants can afford the rent based on their financial situation and history.
By Type (6)
Commercial Lease Agreement
A contract granting a business the right to use a property for its operational needs.
Room Rental Agreement
A contract for individuals sharing a common living space, defining individual and collective responsibilities.
Sublease Agreement
Permits a subtenant to rent all or part of the leased property from a tenant.
Required Lease Disclosures
- Lead-Based Paint Disclosure. If a property was constructed before 1978, a landlord must inform the tenant that the property may have lead-based paint, which can lead to negative health effects. [1]
- Rent Increase Notice. If a landlord decides to raise rent, they must notify the tenant 60 days prior to the increase. [2]
Security Deposit
- Maximum Amount: No statute limits the amount a landlord may request as a deposit from a tenant.
- Receipts: Not required.
- Interest Payments: Not required by the state. However, municipalities and towns can authorize the payment of interest on a deposit. [3]
- Bank Account: Not required by the state. Municipalities and towns may not limit how the landlord holds the deposit. [3]
- Returning Requirements: A landlord must return a tenant’s security deposit within 14 days of the lease ending. [4]
- Withholding Rules: A landlord must provide a written statement itemizing any deductions within 14 days. If the landlord doesn’t provide this written statement, they forfeit the right to withhold any part of the deposit. [5]
- A willful withholding will require the landlord to pay two times the amount they wrongfully withheld. They may also have to pay reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.
Rent Payments
- Laws: The tenant must pay the rent at the time and place the landlord and tenant agree to. [6]
- Rent Control: The state doesn’t have laws governing rent control. However, the statutes don’t ban local governments from imposing their own restrictions on rent prices.
- Late Fees and Grace Period: Case law establishes that late fees must be reasonable. [7] The state doesn’t have a grace period, meaning that as soon as rent is late, the landlord can issue a 14-day notice to quit for non-payment.
- Withholding Rent: The tenant must wait 30 days from their notice to the landlord of a minor repair to proceed with the available remedy. After 30 days without action from the landlord, the tenant may seek out the repair themselves and deduct the reasonable cost of the work. The cost shouldn’t exceed one-half of one month’s rent. [8]
Landlord Right of Entry
- Notice Requirements: A landlord may enter the rental property with either the tenant’s permission or with 48 hours’ advance notice to a tenant to inspect, make repairs, or show the property to prospective buyers, tenants, and contractors. [9]
- Keys, Locks, and Security: A landlord can’t change the locks to deny access to the tenant. [10]
Property Repairs
- Landlord Responsibilities: The landlord must maintain a safe and clean rental unit fit for human habitation, including access to heating facilities and hot and cold water lines. They must comply with the requirements of applicable health, housing, and building regulations. [11]
- Tenant Repairs: The tenant shall not contribute to the non-compliance of the dwelling unit with applicable provisions of health, housing, and building regulations. They must also conduct themselves in a manner that won’t disturb other tenants’ peaceful enjoyment. Furthermore, they must not damage or destroy any fixture or furnishing of the property. [12]
- Abandonment: The landlord can end a lease if the tenant doesn’t comply with a material term, such as keeping the utilities on. The landlord must issue a 30-day notice to quit for non-compliance. [13]
Terminating a Lease
- Month-to-Month Tenancy: The landlord can issue a 60-day notice to end a month-to-month tenancy lasting less than two years or a 90-day notice to end a month-to-month tenancy lasting more than two years. [14]
- Unclaimed Property: If any tenant’s property (except for refuse, garbage, and trash) is unclaimed and the tenant has left the dwelling, the landlord must inform the tenant that they will dispose of the property after 60 days have passed. The landlord must store the property in a dry, safe, and secure location. [15]
- The tenant can claim the property by providing a written description of the property and payment for the storage costs to the landlord.
- If the tenant doesn’t claim the property within 60 days, it becomes the landlord’s property.
Sample
Download our Vermont lease agreement template as a PDF or Word file so you can start customizing your own:
