Vermont: Eviction Notice Requirements

Requirements one by one

Governing law

Vermont's landlord-tenant rules are in the Residential Rental Agreements Act,
9 V.S.A. chapter 137. The entire menu of termination-notice periods lives in one
section, § 4467, so almost every question about how much warning a tenant gets
turns on which subsection applies. Two supporting sections matter: § 4451 defines
"actual notice" (the method the landlord must use), and § 4465 bars retaliatory
evictions. A notice, by itself, never removes a tenant — after the notice period
runs and the tenancy is terminated, the landlord must bring an ejectment action
for possession under § 4468 and 12 V.S.A. chapter 169. Vermont did not adopt the
Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.

Notice for unpaid rent

Unpaid rent gets a 14-day notice, and Vermont pairs it with an unusually
strong right to stay. The landlord terminates "by providing actual notice to the
tenant of the date on which the tenancy will terminate, which shall be at least 14
days after the date of the actual notice" (§ 4467(a)). But "the rental agreement
shall not terminate if the tenant pays or tenders rent due through the end of the
rental period in which payment is made or tendered" — so paying before the
termination date keeps the tenancy. And a landlord who accepts a partial payment
does not waive the right to pursue the rest; partial payment "shall not constitute
a waiver."

Notice for a lease violation

A material, non-rent breach gets 30 days. The landlord may terminate "for
failure of the tenant to comply with a material term of the rental agreement or
with obligations imposed under this chapter by actual notice given to the tenant
at least 30 days prior to the termination date" (§ 4467(b)(1)). Note what the
statute does not say: unlike the nonpayment rule, it gives no express right to
cure the breach and keep the tenancy. Vermont trial courts are even split on
whether the notice must describe a chance to cure at all. Practically, fixing the
problem may help you negotiate, but it does not automatically stop the clock the
way paying rent does.

Unconditional quit (no cure allowed)

Vermont's one shortened fault notice is for dangerous conduct. When termination is
"based on criminal activity, illegal drug activity, or acts of violence, any of
which threaten the health or safety of other residents," the landlord may set a
termination date "at least 14 days from the date of the actual notice"
(§ 4467(b)(2)). No cure is offered. There is no separate, faster notice for
ordinary waste or nuisance — those run through the 30-day breach notice above.

Ending a month-to-month tenancy

Vermont lets a landlord end a periodic tenancy for no reason, but the notice is
long and scales with how long you've lived there. With no written agreement and
monthly rent, it is "at least 60 days" for a tenancy of two years or less and "at
least 90 days" for a longer one (§ 4467(c)(1)); a weekly tenancy takes 21 days
(§ 4467(c)(2)). If there is a written agreement, the no-cause notice is at least
30 days before the term ends (two years or less) or 60 days (more than two years),
and 7 days for a written week-to-week lease (§ 4467(e)). A landlord who has signed
a contract to sell can give 30 days on a no-written-agreement tenancy (§ 4467(d)),
and someone renting out rooms in their own home gives 15 days (monthly) or 7 days
(weekly) (§ 4467(h)).

How the notice must be served

The notice must be "actual notice," which § 4451 defines as "receipt of written
notice hand-delivered or mailed to the last known address." Mailing has a built-in
timing rule: a first-class or certified mailing creates "a rebuttable presumption
that the notice was received three days after mailing." Every notice must state
the specific termination date (§ 4467(f)), and a nonpayment notice must state how
much rent is due. Simply posting the notice on the door is not a listed method.
Because the tenancy is not terminated until a proper notice runs, a defective
notice cannot support the later ejectment action (§ 4468).

Tenant's right to cure/reinstate

The clearest reinstatement right is for rent: pay or tender all rent due through
the end of the rental period before the termination date and the tenancy survives
(§ 4467(a)). Beyond that, Vermont gives tenants a retaliation defense. A landlord
"may not retaliate... by bringing or threatening to bring an action" against a
tenant who complained to a housing or health agency, complained to the landlord of
a violation of chapter 137, or organized or joined a tenants' union (§ 4465(a)); a
tenant facing a retaliatory eviction "has a defense in any retaliatory action for
possession" and can recover damages and attorney's fees (§ 4465(b)). The statute
even builds in a presumption: if the landlord serves a non-rent termination within
90 days after a government notice that the premises violate health or safety rules,
retaliation is presumed (§ 4465(c)).

What trips people up

Paying rent — not "curing" — is what saves a nonpayment tenancy. Section
4467(a) lets you keep the unit by paying all rent due through the end of the rental
period before the termination date. That is a stronger, clearer right than tenants
get for a lease-violation notice, where the statute promises no cure at all.

The no-cause clock depends on how long you've lived there. Two years is the
dividing line: 60 days' notice at two years or less, 90 days once you pass it
(§ 4467(c)(1)). A landlord who serves a 60-day notice on a tenant who has actually
been there longer than two years has given short notice.

Mailing starts a three-day receipt clock, not the termination clock. Under
§ 4451(1), a mailed notice is presumed received three days after mailing. The
14/30/60/90-day period is measured from that "actual notice," so mailing
effectively adds a few days before the real countdown begins.

Common questions

How many days do I get if I fall behind on rent? At least 14, and you keep your
tenancy if you pay all the rent due before the termination date in the notice
(§ 4467(a)).

Does my Vermont landlord need a reason to make me move out? No. Vermont has no
statewide just-cause law — a landlord can end a month-to-month tenancy for no
reason, but must give 60 days' notice (90 if you've lived there more than two
years) (§ 4467(c)).

Can my landlord evict me faster if there's drug activity in the building? Yes.
A termination based on criminal activity, illegal drug activity, or violence that
threatens other residents needs only 14 days' notice, with no cure (§ 4467(b)(2)).

My landlord filed to evict me right after the town cited the apartment for code
violations. Is that legal? It is presumed retaliatory. A non-rent termination
served within 90 days of a government health/safety notice triggers a rebuttable
presumption of retaliation, which is a defense to the eviction (§ 4465(c)).

Statutes and sources

• 9 V.S.A. § 4467 — every termination-notice period: 14 days nonpayment (a); 30-day breach and 14-day criminal/drug/violence (b); 60/90-day and 21-day no-cause (c); 30-day sale (d); written-agreement periods (e); required termination date (f); shared-occupancy 15/7 days (h).
  https://law.justia.com/codes/vermont/title-9/chapter-137/section-4467/ (accessed 2026-07-11)
• 9 V.S.A. § 4451 — "actual notice" defined; three-day rebuttable presumption of receipt after mailing.
  https://law.justia.com/codes/vermont/title-9/chapter-137/section-4451/ (accessed 2026-07-11)
• 9 V.S.A. § 4465 — retaliatory conduct prohibited; defense to a retaliatory possession action; 90-day presumption after a government health/safety notice.
  https://law.justia.com/codes/vermont/title-9/chapter-137/section-4465/ (accessed 2026-07-11)
• 9 V.S.A. § 4468 — after a valid termination, the landlord may bring an action for possession under 12 V.S.A. chapter 169.
  https://law.justia.com/codes/vermont/title-9/chapter-137/section-4468/ (accessed 2026-07-11)