Vermont · Evictions · Updated Oct 2026

Vermont eviction rules for tenants

The notices a landlord in Vermont must give, how long you have to respond in court, why a lockout is illegal and where to get free legal help fast.

Short answer

Written notice ending the tenancy at least 14 days after you receive it.

Notice for unpaid rent
14 days
Time to respond in court
Generally 21 days after the sheriff serves you, by filing a written answer with the court and sending a copy to the landlord.
Lockouts
Banned

If you get an eviction notice

  1. Read it closely: the kind of notice, the amount, the dates and how it was delivered. Use the timeline below.
  2. Don't move out or stop paying because of a notice alone. Only a court can order an eviction; the notice is the first step.
  3. Get free legal help now. Legal aid and the court's self-help center can check whether the notice is valid.
  4. If you are served with court papers, respond by the deadline and go to every hearing. Missing one can mean losing by default.
  5. Keep copies of the notice, your lease, rent receipts, texts and photos.

Eviction in Vermont

Notice for unpaid rent
Written notice ending the tenancy at least 14 days after you receive it. The tenancy does not end if you pay or offer all rent due through the end of the rental period in which you pay. The landlord must file the court case within 60 days after the termination date in the notice.
Notice for a lease violation
30 days' notice for breaking a material lease term or your legal duties (no cure period is stated). 14 days for criminal activity, illegal drug activity or violence that threatens other residents' health or safety.
Ending a month-to-month tenancy
Landlord, no written lease, monthly rent: 60 days if you have lived there 2 years or less, 90 days if more than 2 years; weekly rent: 21 days. With a written lease, no-cause notice must come at least 30 days (2 years or less) or 60 days (more than 2 years) before the lease ends; written week-to-week: 7 days. If the building is being sold and there is no written lease: 30 days. Shared housing in the owner's home: 15 days (monthly) or 7 days (weekly). Tenant: unless a written lease says otherwise, give the landlord actual notice at least one full rental period before your move-out date (9 V.S.A. 4456(d)).
Time to respond to an eviction lawsuit
Generally 21 days after the sheriff serves you, by filing a written answer with the court and sending a copy to the landlord. If you don't, the landlord can ask for a default judgment. If the landlord asks for rent to be paid into court, you can file a written response at least 14 days before that hearing; if you attend that hearing before your answer is due, your answer deadline becomes 14 days after the hearing (Vermont Judiciary). If the court orders you to pay rent into court and you don't, the landlord can get possession quickly (12 V.S.A. 4853a).
Lockouts and utility shutoffs
Yes. The landlord may not shut off utilities (except temporary emergency repairs), lock you out, or keep you from your belongings without going through court. You can sue for a court order, damages, costs and attorney fees. 9 V.S.A. 4463, 4464.
Court self-help
The court's eviction self-help page
Law
9 V.S.A. 4463, 4464, 4467; 12 V.S.A. 4853a, 4854

Eviction notice timeline for Vermont

Got a notice from your landlord? Enter the kind of notice and the day you got it to see the dates that follow from your state's rule, what your landlord may not do, and where to get free help fast.

This is not legal advice. Eviction deadlines are short and missing one can cost you your home. Read your notice carefully and contact legal aid or your court's self-help center right away.

Enter the date you got the noticeThe timeline appears when you pick a date.

Dates are estimates from the rule in our data. We skip weekends only where the rule counts business or court days, and we don't skip holidays.

Where to get free help in Vermont

Retaliation in Vermont

The landlord may not change your lease terms or bring or threaten an eviction because you complained to a code or health agency, complained to the landlord about a violation of the landlord-tenant law, or joined or organized a tenant union. You can recover damages and attorney fees, and use it as a defense. If the landlord gives a termination notice (other than for nonpayment) within 90 days after a town or state agency notifies the landlord of health or safety violations, retaliation is presumed. 9 V.S.A. 4465.

Rent increases and rent control in Vermont

Notice of a rent increase
At least 60 days' actual notice. The increase takes effect on the first day of the rental period after the 60 days. 9 V.S.A. 4455(b). Age-restricted (senior) housing: 60 days' notice on a state form to residents and the Department of Housing and Community Development (since June 2024).
Rent control
No statewide rent control. No state law we found bars a town from adopting local rules, so check with your town.

Questions about eviction in Vermont

How much notice does a landlord have to give for unpaid rent in Vermont?

Written notice ending the tenancy at least 14 days after you receive it. The tenancy does not end if you pay or offer all rent due through the end of the rental period in which you pay. The landlord must file the court case within 60 days after the termination date in the notice.

How much notice for a lease violation in Vermont?

30 days' notice for breaking a material lease term or your legal duties (no cure period is stated). 14 days for criminal activity, illegal drug activity or violence that threatens other residents' health or safety.

How much notice is needed to end a month-to-month lease in Vermont?

Landlord, no written lease, monthly rent: 60 days if you have lived there 2 years or less, 90 days if more than 2 years; weekly rent: 21 days. With a written lease, no-cause notice must come at least 30 days (2 years or less) or 60 days (more than 2 years) before the lease ends; written week-to-week: 7 days. If the building is being sold and there is no written lease: 30 days. Shared housing in the owner's home: 15 days (monthly) or 7 days (weekly). Tenant: unless a written lease says otherwise, give the landlord actual notice at least one full rental period before your move-out date (9 V.S.A. 4456(d)).

How long do I have to respond to an eviction lawsuit in Vermont?

Generally 21 days after the sheriff serves you, by filing a written answer with the court and sending a copy to the landlord. If you don't, the landlord can ask for a default judgment. If the landlord asks for rent to be paid into court, you can file a written response at least 14 days before that hearing; if you attend that hearing before your answer is due, your answer deadline becomes 14 days after the hearing (Vermont Judiciary). If the court orders you to pay rent into court and you don't, the landlord can get possession quickly (12 V.S.A. 4853a).

Can my landlord lock me out or shut off utilities in Vermont?

Yes. The landlord may not shut off utilities (except temporary emergency repairs), lock you out, or keep you from your belongings without going through court. You can sue for a court order, damages, costs and attorney fees. 9 V.S.A. 4463, 4464.

More for Vermont renters

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Sources

Last checked: Oct 2026.