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Landlord's Desk

State law guide · Checked November 14, 2026

Vermont landlord rules: late fees, deposits and rent increases

Vermont's residential rental agreements chapter says nothing on late fees or the size of a deposit. It is specific about returning deposits and about notice for a rent increase. Here is what title 9, chapter 137 of the Vermont Statutes says, with the section for each rule.

All states

The short version

  • The statute sets no late fee cap and no required grace period. Your lease sets both.
  • There is no limit on deposit size.
  • Return the deposit, with a written statement itemizing deductions, within 14 days from the date you discover the tenant vacated or abandoned the unit.
  • A landlord who misses the deadline loses the right to withhold any of the deposit, and owes double the amount wrongfully withheld if the failure is willful.
  • A rent increase takes effect after no less than 60 days' actual notice, and no statute caps the amount.

Late fees in Vermont

Limit
None in the statute. Vt. Stat. tit. 9, ch. 137
Grace period
None in the statute. Rent is payable without demand or notice at the time and place agreed upon by the parties. Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4455(a)
Other conditions
None in the statute. Vt. Stat. tit. 9, ch. 137

Security deposits in Vermont

Maximum deposit
The statute sets no limit. Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4461
Return deadline
14 days from the date the landlord discovers the tenant vacated or abandoned the unit. If the landlord received notice of the date the tenant vacated, the 14 days run from that date. For a seasonal rental that is not the tenant's primary residence, the deadline is 60 days. Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4461(c)
Itemized deductions
Required, in writing, with the deposit within the same 14 days. Deliver the statement and any payment by hand or by mail to the tenant's last known address. The 60-day deadline applies to the seasonal rentals above. Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4461(c), (d)
Interest
The statute doesn't require it. A town ordinance may authorize the payment of interest on a security deposit. Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4461(g)
How it's held
No special account or bond in the statute. A town ordinance may not limit how a security deposit is held. Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4461(g)
Penalty
The landlord loses the right to withhold any part of the deposit. If the failure is willful, the landlord is liable for double the amount wrongfully withheld, plus reasonable attorney's fees and costs. Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4461(e)

Rent increases in Vermont

Notice to raise rent
No less than 60 days' actual notice to the tenant. The increase takes effect at the start of the rental period that follows the 60 days' notice. Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4455(b)
Statewide cap
None in the statute. Vt. Stat. tit. 9, ch. 137
City rent control
The statute doesn't address it. Chapter 137 has no rule that allows or bars local rent control. Vt. Stat. tit. 9, ch. 137

This page covers Vermont state law for ordinary residential rentals. Cities and counties can add their own rules, and subsidized housing and mobile home lots follow different ones.

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Questions landlords ask

Is there a late fee limit for rent in Vermont?

Not in Vermont's residential rental agreements chapter (9 V.S.A. ch. 137). The lease sets the late fee and any grace period, and the statute says rent is payable at the time and place the parties agree (9 V.S.A. § 4455(a)).

How long does a Vermont landlord have to return a security deposit?

14 days from the date the landlord discovers the tenant vacated or abandoned the unit, with deductions itemized in writing (9 V.S.A. § 4461(c)).

How much notice does a Vermont landlord have to give to raise rent?

No less than 60 days' actual notice, and the increase takes effect at the start of the rental period that follows (9 V.S.A. § 4455(b)).

Free templates you can use in Vermont

These are plain templates that aren’t tied to one state. Fill in the numbers your statute and lease call for.

Keep Vermont rent and deposits on one ledger

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This guide is general information, not legal advice. It summarizes state statutes as read on November 14, 2026; laws change and courts interpret them. Check the current statute (Vermont Statutes, title 9, chapter 137) or talk to a local attorney before you act.