A Vermont Rental Application is helpful for property management companies, property owners, and landlords. The information you collect from a rental application helps you review prospective tenants’ backgrounds to verify they can pay rent regularly.
Laws
- Application Fee – Not permitted
- Fee Limits – N/A
- Security Deposit – § 4461 – No limit to what landlords can charge for security deposits.
State Laws
For Landlords
Landlords need to ensure they vet their applicants thoroughly. Some of the information that they might want to ask for include:
- Income: Landlords must ensure their renters have the ability and resources to pay rent. Asking about their source of income can be beneficial.
- Number of Tenants: One person might be responsible for paying the rent, but the landlord may want to know how many people will live on the property. That way, they can make sure they have a safe environment.
- Security Deposit: Landlords also want to ask for a security deposit. This deposit can cover nonpayment of rent, unpaid utility charges, and potential damage caused to the property other than normal wear and tear. There is no limit on the amount of security deposit the landlord can charge a tenant, as per § 4461, but there are rules on the timely return of the deposit minus any permitted deductions.
Property owners need to make sure the renter can afford the property and that the property is protected.
Other Resources
- State Sex Offender Registry: landlords can access the state’s sex offender registry to be aware of any registered sex offenders applying as tenants.
- State Fair Housing Laws: landlords must adhere to the state’s Fair Housing laws, prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, familial status, or source of income.
For Tenants
Tenants must know their rights.
A few key areas that tenants have to keep in mind include:
- Application Fee: As per § 4456a, landlords cannot charge a fee.
- Discrimination: There are several questions that landlords are not allowed to ask about on an application. § 4503 details that a landlord cannot discriminate based on an applicant’s race, national origin, age, religion, race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, marital status, family status, receipt of public assistance, or status as a victim of abuse, sexual assault or stalking.
- Credit Checks: A landlord can perform a background and credit check on the applicant if the applicant has given the landlord their consent to check that credit history.
Landlords must ensure they do not violate these provisions during the application process. You can proceed with a lease agreement once a suitable tenant has been selected.