Vermont tenant screening and landlord-tenant law

Vermont generally bans residential rental application fees outright — not just capping them. Under 9 V.S.A. §4456a (as amended by 2025, No. 69, §10, effective July 1, 2025), "a landlord or a landlord's agent shall not charge an application fee to any individual in order to apply to enter into a rental agreement for a residential dwelling unit." This does not apply to commercial or nonresidential property. The statute does not prohibit a landlord from paying a third-party screening vendor directly; it prohibits passing an application fee to the applicant.

Vermont's general fair-housing statute, the Fair Housing and Public Accommodations Act (9 V.S.A. §§4500–4508), does not contain a criminal-history-specific provision. Vermont has no statewide law restricting how landlords may consider criminal records in a rental decision and no state-level "fair chance" or lookback-period law for housing. Criminal history screening in Vermont is governed by FCRA's general accuracy and use requirements; confirm any local ordinance before finalizing a screening policy.

Vermont does not use the phrase "source of income" in its statute, but its Fair Housing and Public Accommodations Act does prohibit refusing to rent, or otherwise discriminating, because a person "is a recipient of public assistance" (9 V.S.A. §4503(a)(1)–(2)). This functions similarly to a source-of-income protection for applicants receiving public benefits, though the statute doesn't define "public assistance" within that provision, so exactly which benefit types (for example, housing vouchers versus other assistance) are covered is a legal-interpretation question landlords should confirm with counsel. Separately, the statute also bars income-based discrimination specifically in local land-use and housing-permitting decisions (9 V.S.A. §4503(a)(12)) — a narrower application than the general rental-refusal provision.

Vermont has no consumer-reporting statute equivalent to FCRA. Federal FCRA — including the §615 adverse action notice requirements — is therefore the controlling framework for the mechanics of pulling and acting on a consumer report in Vermont.

Vermont does not cap the dollar amount of a security deposit, but 9 V.S.A. §4461 sets several other rules: permitted deductions are limited to unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear and tear, unpaid utility or other charges the tenant owed directly, and costs to remove abandoned property. Return and itemization are generally due within 14 days of the landlord learning the tenant vacated (or 60 days for seasonal, non-primary-residence units), with a written statement itemizing any deductions. Missing the deadline forfeits the right to withhold anything, and a willful violation makes the landlord liable for double the wrongfully withheld amount plus attorney's fees. Towns and municipalities may adopt their own supplemental ordinance on security deposits — for example, authorizing interest payments — as long as it doesn't weaken the statute's minimum protections or restrict how the deposit is held.

Vermont has no statewide rent control and no general just-cause eviction requirement. Under 9 V.S.A. §4467, a landlord may generally terminate a tenancy for no cause, but the required notice period scales with how long the tenant has lived there and the type of tenancy — for example, at least 60 days' notice for a tenancy of two years or less (90 days if longer) where there's no written agreement setting a different term, or 30/60 days under a written agreement's own no-cause provisions. Nonpayment of rent generally requires at least 14 days' actual notice (and the tenancy doesn't terminate if rent is paid before the notice period ends); a material breach generally requires at least 30 days' notice, shortened to at least 14 days if the breach involves criminal activity, illegal drug activity, or violence threatening other residents' safety.

Vermont's local government is organized into towns and cities rather than the city/unincorporated-county structure found in some other states — nearly all Vermont land sits inside an organized town or city, with only a small number of sparsely populated "unorganized towns and gores" in remote areas that aren't generally relevant to residential rental housing. Confirm whether Burlington, Montpelier, Rutland, or Winooski have their own tenant-screening, criminal-history, or source-of-income ordinances, and whether any town has exercised its statutory option under 9 V.S.A. §4461(g) to require interest on security deposits. Verify current municipal code before making city-specific claims.

Can a landlord charge an application fee in Vermont? Generally, no. Vermont law prohibits landlords from charging an application fee to apply for a residential rental unit (9 V.S.A. §4456a).

Is source of income a protected class in Vermont? Vermont's fair-housing law protects applicants who are "recipients of public assistance" from rental discrimination, which functions similarly to a source-of-income protection, though it isn't labeled that way in the statute (9 V.S.A. §4503).

Is there a cap on security deposits in Vermont? Vermont has no dollar cap. Deposits are instead regulated through permitted-deduction rules and a 14-day return/itemization deadline (9 V.S.A. §4461).

Does Vermont require just cause for eviction? Generally, Vermont has no statewide just-cause requirement. Landlords may generally terminate a tenancy for no cause with notice that scales by tenancy length (9 V.S.A. §4467).

Checkr helps landlords and property managers run tenant screening reports designed to support FCRA compliance while giving you visibility into the specific state and local rules that apply. Get started with Checkr to build a screening process suited to Vermont's requirements.

The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.