If you plan on finding a tenant for that spare bedroom in your home, you’ll need to create a room rental agreement in Vermont. Just like a traditional Vermont lease agreement, room rental contracts set a non-negotiable baseline for your tenancy. Beyond that, these documents also help you comply with the state’s rental laws and avoid disputes with your tenants.
In this guide, we’ll introduce you to room rental agreements in the Green Mountain State. We’ll cover mandatory disclosures, state laws, and how property management software helps you stay organized.
Room Rental Laws
Here’s a quick summary of landlord-tenant laws in Vermont:
- Always notify tenants before entering their room.
- Never engage in landlord harassment.
- Follow safety and habitability laws.
- Make all mandatory disclosures in the lease agreement.
Before we review specific guidelines governing your room rental agreement in Vermont, let’s quickly cover contract types for your form.
Different Types of Room Rental Agreements in Vermont
Landlords can use the following formats for their Vermont room rental agreement:
Verbal agreement: Many landlords use word-of-mouth arrangements, but we don’t recommend them.
Fixed-term lease: These written contracts offer stability by defining a clear start and end date, usually between 6 months and 1 year.
Month-to-month lease: “Tenancy at will” leases are the most flexible option because they automatically renew, but you can terminate them at any time.
That said, consider your relationship to the tenant, the lease agreement’s length, and whether you prefer flexibility or stability. Next, let’s look at Vermont’s mandatory disclosures.
Required Landlord Disclosures
Most states require landlords to make numerous disclosures, but Vermont requires only two. Don’t forget to add the following to your room rental agreement in Vermont:
- Lead-based paint: Inform tenants about any lead-based paint hazards in properties that builders constructed before 1978 (42 U.S.C. § 4852d).
- Flood zone: If FEMA designates the unit in a flood zone, tell tenants before they finalize the lease agreement (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4466).
Next, here’s a rapid-fire rundown of the laws governing every Vermont room rental agreement:
Security Deposit Rules
Maximum security deposit: State law doesn’t cap security deposits, but some local ordinances do. For example, Burlington landlords can charge up to 1 month’s rent (Burlington, VT Code of Ordinances, Chapter 18, § 8-120)
Security deposit receipt: You don’t have to provide receipts in Vermont.
Deduction tracking: Give tenants an itemized list of deductions in writing (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4461).
Security deposit return: Return the deposit’s remaining balance and the itemized list of deductions within 14 days by mailing or hand delivering it (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4461).
Pet deposits: State law doesn’t cap the amount you charge. However, some local ordinances do, including Burlington (Burlington, VT Code of Ordinances, Chapter 18, § 8-120).
Rent Payment Rules
Late rent fees: Landlords may charge reasonable late fees if they are included in their lease agreement (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4455).
Right to withhold rent: Tenants typically can’t stop paying rent, even if there are habitability issues (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4458).
Grace period: State law doesn’t require you to wait a grace period (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4455).
Pet rent: Federal law prohibits landlords from charging fees for service or Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) (42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq.).
Rent Payment Increase Rules
Rent payment increase frequency: State law doesn’t limit how often you can increase rent. However, you can’t raise a tenant’s rent in the middle of a fixed-term lease unless your contract permits it.
Rent payment increase maximum: Vermont doesn’t cap rent increase amounts, but you must give tenants 60 days’ written notice (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4455).
Rent control/stabilization: There aren’t any statewide rent control or stabilization laws in Vermont.
Room Rental Agreement Breaches
Failure to pay: If tenants don’t pay rent, landlords can begin the eviction process by sending a 14-Day Notice to Pay or Quit (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4467).
Lease violations: Vermont law requires landlords to send a 30-Day Notice to Cure or Quit (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4467). Landlords may recover damages if tenants breach house rules regarding use and maintenance (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4456).
Self-help evictions: State law prohibits any illegal eviction methods, including shutting off utilities or blocking tenants from entering their room (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4463). If landlords attempt self-help eviction, tenants can pursue injunctive relief, damages, costs, and reasonable attorney fees (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4464).
Terminating a Room Rental Agreement
Month-to-month: You must give 60 days’ written notice to terminate month-to-month agreements if tenants have lived there for 2 years or less. If tenants have lived in the room for more than 2 years, you must give them 90 days’ written notice (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4467)
Fixed-term: Landlords or tenants who attempt to break a fixed-term lease before its termination date may face penalties.
Room abandonment: Tenants who abandon their room are responsible for rent until the agreement’s end date or the start of a new tenancy. Landlords must give tenants 60 days’ written notice before disposing of abandoned property (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4462).
Tenant’s right to terminate: Vermont law allows tenants to break their lease without penalty in the following circumstances:
- Landlords fail to provide safe, habitable housing (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4458)
- Tenants are victims of abuse, stalking, or sexual assault (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4472)
Landlord Access Laws
Immediate access: Landlords may enter a tenant’s room without prior consent in dangerous emergencies, such as gas leaks or fires (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4460).
Landlord harassment: You can’t disturb a tenant’s peaceful enjoyment of their room. For example, you can’t make entry threats, show up unannounced, or enter without the tenant’s permission (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4465).
Advance notice: Landlords must give tenants 48 hours’ notice before entering their room, and they can only enter between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4460).
Lease Agreement Renewal and Termination
Required renewals: If both parties want to renew a fixed-term lease agreement, they must sign a new room rental agreement in Vermont.
Required notice: For month-to-month agreements, you must give 60 days’ written notice if tenants have lived there for 2 years or less, and 90 days’ written notice if they’ve lived there more than 2 years (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4467).
Month-to-month considerations: Vermont law converts a fixed-term lease into a month-to-month tenancy if the original agreement ends and tenants continue renting the room (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4467).
Keep your Vermont room rental agreement legally compliant and seamless with property management software.
Room Rental Agreement Vermont FAQs
What to include in a Vermont room rental agreement?
- Disclosures
- Payment information (rent and security deposits)
- House rules
How do I legally rent out a room?
Create a Vermont room rental agreement and comply with the state’s rental laws. Use this guide as a quick refresher.
How to make a Vermont room rental agreement?
As a best practice, use the free, printable PDF template at the top of this article to simplify the process.
