Vermont Lease Termination

A Vermont lease termination notice is a written document used by a landlord, property manager, or tenant to formally communicate the intent to end a rental agreement. It specifies the move-out date, the type of notice, and the reason for termination, and must comply with Vermont's notice requirements under Vermont Statutes Title 9, Chapter 137 and Title 12, Chapter 169 to be legally valid.

Vermont law ties the required notice period to the type of tenancy and how long the tenant has occupied the unit (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4467):

• 7 days' notice for a week-to-week tenancy with a written lease, or a week-to-week tenancy in a shared dwelling
• 15 days' notice for a month-to-month lease in a shared dwelling (where the tenant shares living spaces with the landlord)
• 30 days' notice for a tenant renting by the month in a no-cause termination where the tenancy has no written agreement (21 days for week-to-week)
• 60 days' notice for a landlord terminating a month-to-month tenancy when the tenant has lived in the unit for two years or less
• 90 days' notice for a landlord terminating a month-to-month tenancy when the tenant has lived in the unit for more than two years
• 14 days' notice for nonpayment of rent (14-Day Notice to Pay Rent)
• 30 days' notice for a material lease violation (30-Day Unconditional Quit Notice)
• 14 days' notice for criminal activity, illegal drug activity, or acts of violence threatening the health or safety of other residents (14-Day Unconditional Quit Notice)
• Mutual agreement - landlord and tenant may agree in writing to a different termination date

Note: In Burlington, if there is no written rental agreement, a tenancy cannot be terminated for no cause without 90 days' notice if the tenancy has lasted under two years, or 120 days if the tenancy has lasted over two years. Always check local ordinances, especially in Burlington, which has its own just-cause eviction rules.

Vermont landlords do not have to provide a specific reason when issuing a 60-day or 90-day no-cause termination notice for month-to-month tenancies — they only need to give the state-mandated notice period based on how long the tenant has occupied the unit. However, Burlington has a just-cause eviction ordinance that imposes additional requirements. Landlords in Burlington and other municipalities with local ordinances should verify local rules before issuing a no-cause notice.

A valid Vermont lease termination notice should include:

• Full address of the rental property
• Names of all tenants on the lease
• Type and length of notice (7-day, 15-day, 30-day, 60-day, 90-day, 14-day pay-or-quit, or 30/14-day unconditional quit)
• Reason for termination (if issuing a cause-based eviction notice)
• The specific termination date (all Vermont notices must note the specific termination date)
• Instructions for key return and property handover
• Signature and date of the issuing party
• Proof of delivery method

Vermont law allows landlords to deliver a written termination notice to the tenant by hand-delivering it to them, sending it by first-class mail to the tenant's last known address, or sending it by certified mail.

With mailed notice, Vermont law presumes the receiving party has received it after three calendar days, unless there is evidence to the contrary. Note that in almost all cases, notice is legally served when it is received by the other party, not when it's sent.

Improper delivery can invalidate the notice and require the process to restart, so documenting the delivery method is essential.

Yes. Tenants may terminate a lease early under certain circumstances, including:

• Active military duty under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)
• Landlord's material breach of the lease or habitability obligations
• Domestic violence situations (under 9 V.S.A. § 4474a)
• Uninhabitable conditions that the landlord refuses to remedy
• Tenant is age 62 or older and is entering a residential care facility
• Mutual written agreement with the landlord

Early termination without a qualifying reason may result in the tenant remaining liable for rent until the landlord re-rents the unit or the lease term expires. Vermont landlords have a duty to mitigate damages by making reasonable efforts to re-rent the property.

Under 9 V.S.A. § 4461, Vermont landlords must return the security deposit along with a written statement itemizing any deductions within 14 days from the date on which the landlord discovers that the tenant vacated or abandoned the dwelling unit, or the date the tenant vacated, provided the landlord received notice from the tenant of that date. For seasonal occupancy and rental of a dwelling unit not intended as a primary residence, the security deposit and written statement must be returned within 60 days.

If a landlord fails to return the security deposit with a statement within 14 days, the landlord forfeits the right to withhold any portion of the security deposit. If a landlord fails to return the deposit within 14 days, Vermont law provides for 2x the wrongfully withheld amount as damages

IIf a landlord wants a tenant to leave and the tenant does not move out by the deadline in the notice, the tenancy ends and the landlord can file an eviction lawsuit. This is done by filing through the Civil Division of Vermont Superior Court. The process requires court filings, service of the summons and complaint, and a hearing. If a tenant remains in possession after the agreement term has ended without the landlord's agreement (a holdover), the tenant must pay double the original monthly rent, computed and prorated for each day that the tenant continues to reside on the premises. Self-help evictions — such as changing locks, removing belongings, or shutting off utilities are illegal under Vermont law and can expose landlords to significant liability.

Not exactly. A lease termination notice formally ends the tenancy and gives the tenant time to vacate voluntarily. An eviction notice (such as a 14-Day Notice to Pay Rent or a 30-Day Unconditional Quit Notice) is a precursor to the formal eviction process if the tenant does not comply. A length-of-tenancy or no-cause termination notice is used to end a tenancy without a lease violation, while a 14-day or 30-day eviction notice addresses nonpayment or specific violations.

You can download and use a Vermont Lease Termination Form here:

https://www.simplifyem.com/forms/vermont-lease-termination