Vermont Eviction Notice Requirements

Vermont's residential rental law, 9 V.S.A. § 4467, requires at least 14 days' actual notice to end a tenancy for unpaid rent. For a breach of a material lease term, the notice period is 30 days, or 14 days when the termination is based on criminal activity, illegal drug activity, or violence that threatens other residents' health or safety. Ending a monthly tenancy without cause and without a written agreement takes 60 or 90 days, depending on how long the tenant has lived there.

The notice must be in writing and must state the specific termination date. Actual notice means a written notice that is hand-delivered or mailed to the last known address, and a mailed notice is presumed received three days after mailing. For nonpayment, the tenancy does not end if the tenant pays or tenders the rent due through the end of the rental period in which payment is made. The eviction case must be filed within 60 days after the termination date in the notice.

If the tenant does not leave by the termination date, the landlord brings an ejectment action in court under 12 V.S.A. chapter 169. A copy of the rental agreement and the termination notice must be attached to the complaint, and the landlord may ask the court to order rent paid into court while the case is pending. Vermont prohibits landlords from interrupting utilities or denying a tenant access to the home or belongings except through judicial process, under 9 V.S.A. § 4463.