The Vermont residential lease agreement (“rental agreement”) is used to formalize an agreement between a landlord and tenant to lease residential property in exchange for a fee (”rent”). Once the agreement is signed, the document becomes legally binding for both parties.
Vermont Lease Agreement Disclosures
The below disclosure is required for all residential lease agreements in Vermont.
| Disclosure | Applicable to |
|---|---|
| Lead Paint | All Units Prior to 1978 |
Lead-Based Paint Disclosure
Applicable to any rental units built prior to 1978.
It is a federal law in the United States that any home built prior to 1978 must disclose the risks posed by lead-based paints. This law requires landlords in Vermont to:
- Fill out and attach this lead-based paint disclosure form to the lease agreement.
- Provide the tenant with an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved pamphlet about the dangers of lead-based paint.
- Provide additional records or reports about the presence or hazards of any known lead-based paint in the unit. For multi-unit buildings with common areas, this includes information from building-wide evaluations.
Download: Vermont Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Form (PDF)
Optional Disclosures & Addendums (Recommended)
The following lease agreement disclosures and addendums are not required by Vermont law. These disclosures can be helpful to include to help reduce future conflicts with tenants or reduce legal liability for landlords.
| Optional Disclosure | How the Disclosure is Helpful |
|---|---|
| Asbestos | This disclosure informs tenants if there is asbestos at the property. If there is asbestos a tenant can take certain precautions to minimize the chance of disturbing the asbestos fibers. |
| Bed Bugs | If the rental unit has a history of infestation, landlords should provide information on how to handle a bed bug infestation. This disclosure notifies the tenant of their obligation to cooperate with bed bug prevention and immediately report any sign of infestation to the landlord. |
| Landlord’s Name & Address | Creates a line of communication for important notices and demands between tenant and landlord. Landlords or any authorized individual to act on behalf of the property should provide contact information (including their address) within or alongside the lease. |
| Late/Returned Check Fees | Landlords should disclose if they will charge a late fee or a returned check fee in the lease agreement. In Vermont a landlord may only charge tenants for the actual charges he/she incurred due to the tenant’s rent being paid late. There is no limit on returned check fees. |
| Medical Marijuana Use | Inform tenants if medical marijuana use on the property is permittable. Some state laws allow landlords to restrict marijuana usage to non-smoking methods only or inform tenants of designated smoking areas to not interfere with other tenants’ enjoyment of the premises. |
| Mold Disclosure | Informing the tenant of the current mold status of a property protects the landlord against future liability of mold damages. |
| Move-in Checklist | A move-in checklist holds the tenant accountable for future damages that they may cause. |
| Non-Refundable Fees | A non-refundable charge must be written in the lease agreement. If a non-refundable charge is not written in the lease, the tenant may be subject to a refund upon termination of the lease. |
| Shared Utilities Arrangements | For rental units with shared utilities, a landlord should disclose the specifics of how they are shared, and how each party’s bill is calculated. Providing this information to tenants will give them a reasonable expectation of what they owe each month. |
| Smoking | Inform tenants of designated smoking areas to not interfere with other tenants’ enjoyment of the premises. |
Consequences of Not Including Mandatory Disclosures
Disclosures outline the important health, safety, and property information and vary by state. If a landlord does not provide the tenant with the federally or state-mandated disclosures, they could face legal repercussions or monetary penalties.
If a landlord fails to disclose the lead-based paint hazard disclosure, they can face fines of up to $18,364 per violation. (24 CFR § 30.65)
It’s best to check with your local and state laws on which disclosures you must provide to your tenant.
