Title 09, Title 09: Commerce and Trade

§ 4455. Tenant obligations; payment of rent (a) Rent is payable without demand or notice at the time and place agreed upon by the parties. (b) An increase in rent shall take effect on the first day of the rental period following no less than 60 days’ actual notice to the tenant. …

§ 4456. Tenant obligations; use and maintenance of dwelling unit (a) The tenant shall not create or contribute to the noncompliance of the dwelling unit with applicable provisions of building, housing, and health regulations. (b) The tenant shall conduct himself or herself and re…

§ 4456a. Residential rental application (a) 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 subsection shall not be construed to prohibit a person from …

§ 4456b. Subleases; landlord and tenant rights and obligations (a)(1) A landlord may condition or prohibit subleasing a dwelling unit under the terms of a written rental agreement and may require a tenant to provide written notice of the name and contact information of any subles…

§ 4457. Landlord obligations; habitability (a) Warranty of habitability. In any residential rental agreement, the landlord shall be deemed to covenant and warrant to deliver over and maintain, throughout the period of the tenancy, premises that are safe, clean, and fit for human …

§ 4458. Habitability; tenant remedies (a) If the landlord fails to comply with the landlord’s obligations for habitability and, after receiving actual notice of the noncompliance from the tenant, a governmental entity or a qualified independent inspector, the landlord fails to ma…

§ 4459. Minor defects; repair and deduct (a) If within 30 days of notice, the landlord fails to repair a minor defect in order to comply with this chapter or a material provision of the rental agreement, the tenant may repair the defect and deduct from the rent the actual and rea…

§ 4460. Access (a) A landlord may enter the dwelling unit with the tenant’s consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld. (b) A landlord may also enter the dwelling unit for the following purposes between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 9:00 P.M. on no less than 48 hours’ notice:…

§ 4461. Security deposits (a) A security deposit is any advance, deposit, or prepaid rent, however named, which is refundable to the tenant at the termination or expiration of the tenancy. The function of a security deposit is to secure the performance of a tenant’s obligations t…

§ 4462. Abandonment; unclaimed property (a) A tenant has abandoned a dwelling unit if: (1) there are circumstances that would lead a reasonable person to believe that the dwelling unit is no longer occupied as a full-time residence; (2) rent is not current; and (3) the landlord h…

§ 4463. Illegal evictions (a) No landlord may willfully cause, directly or indirectly, the interruption or termination of any utility service being supplied to the tenant, except for temporary interruptions for emergency repairs. (b) No landlord may directly or indirectly deny a …

§ 4464. Remedies for illegal evictions (a) Any tenant who sustains damage or injury as a result of an illegal eviction may bring an action for injunctive relief, damages, costs, and reasonable attorney’s fees. (b) A court may award reasonable attorney’s fees to the landlord if, u…

§ 4465. Retaliatory conduct prohibited (a) A landlord of a residential dwelling unit may not retaliate by establishing or changing terms of a rental agreement or by bringing or threatening to bring an action against a tenant who: (1) has complained to a governmental agency charge…

§ 4466. Required disclosure; model form (a) A landlord shall disclose in advance of entering a rental agreement with a tenant whether any portion of the premises offered for rent is located in a Federal Emergency Management Agency mapped special flood hazard area. This notice sha…

§ 4467. Termination of tenancy; notice (a) Termination for nonpayment of rent. The landlord may terminate a tenancy for nonpayment of rent by providing actual notice to the tenant of the date on which the tenancy will terminate, which shall be at least 14 days after the date of t…

§ 4468. Termination of tenancy; action for possession If the tenant remains in possession after termination of the rental agreement without the express consent of the landlord, the landlord may bring an action for possession, damages, and costs under 12 V.S.A. chapter 169, subcha…

§ 4468a. Age-restricted housing; rent increase; notice (a) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, an owner of privately owned age-restricted residential property within the State that is not licensed pursuant to 33 V.S.A. chapter 71 or 8 V.S.A. chapter 151 shall pr…

§ 4469a. Termination of occupancy of farm employee housing (a) As used in this section: (1) “Farm employee” means an individual employed by a farm employer for farming operations. (2) “Farm employer” means a person earning at least one-half of his or her annual gross income from …

§ 4471. Definitions As used in this subchapter: (1) “Abuse” has the same meaning as in 15 V.S.A. § 1101. (2) “Protected tenant” means a tenant who is: (A) a victim of abuse, sexual assault, or stalking; (B) a parent, foster parent, legal guardian, or caretaker with at least parti…

§ 4472. Right to terminate rental agreement (a) Notwithstanding a contrary provision of a rental agreement or of subchapter 2 of this chapter, a protected tenant may terminate a rental agreement pursuant to subsection (b) of this section without penalty or liability if he or she …

§ 4473. Right to change locks; other security measures Notwithstanding any contrary provision of a rental agreement or of subchapter 2 of this chapter: (1) Subject to subdivision (2) of this subsection, a protected tenant may request that a landlord change the locks of a dwelling…

§ 4474. Confidentiality An owner, landlord, or housing subsidy provider who possesses documentation or information concerning a protected tenant’s status as a victim of abuse, sexual assault, or stalking shall keep the documentation or information confidential and shall not allow…

§ 4475. Limitation of liability; enforcement Except in the case of gross negligence or willful misconduct, a landlord is immune from liability for damages to a protected tenant if he or she acts in good faith reliance on: (1) the provisions of this subchapter; or (2) information …