Landlord Entry Notice Requirements in Vermont
At a glance
| Governing law | 9 V.S.A. § 4460 ('Access'), the access section of Vermont's Residential Rental Agreements act (Title 9, ch. 137). Entry rests on either the tenant's consent or 48 hours' notice for a listed purpose. Added 1985 (No. 175 (Adj. Sess.), § 1) |
|---|---|
| Advance notice required | At least 48 hours for a non-consent entry. The landlord 'may also enter the dwelling unit for the following purposes between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 9:00 P.M. on no less than 48 hours' notice' (§ 4460(b)). Alternatively the landlord may enter with the tenant's consent at any time, and that consent 'shall not be unreasonably withheld' (§ 4460(a)). The same 48-hour rule covers showings |
| Reasons a landlord may enter | When necessary to inspect the premises; to make necessary or agreed repairs, alterations, or improvements; to supply agreed services; or to exhibit the unit to prospective or actual purchasers, mortgagees, tenants, workers, or contractors (§ 4460(b)). Entry with the tenant's consent (§ 4460(a)) is not limited to this list, but a landlord relying on 48 hours' notice instead of consent may enter only for these purposes |
| Permitted hours | A hard window: 'between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 9:00 P.M.' (§ 4460(b)). A non-consent entry outside those hours is not authorized; an imminent-danger entry is exempt |
| When no notice is needed | One: imminent danger. 'A landlord may only enter the dwelling unit without consent or notice when the landlord has a reasonable belief that there is imminent danger to any person or to property' (§ 4460(c)) — Vermont's emergency exception, such as an apparent fire or gas leak. Contemporaneous consent (§ 4460(a)) also dispenses with the 48-hour notice |
| Form and delivery of the notice | The statute requires at least 48 hours' notice but does not prescribe a form (written or oral) or a delivery method — it fixes the timing (48 hours) and the hours of entry (9 a.m.–9 p.m.), not the manner of the notice (§ 4460(b)) |
| Special rules for showings | No separate showing rule. Exhibiting the unit to purchasers, mortgagees, tenants, workers, or contractors is one of the listed purposes and carries the same 48-hour notice and 9 a.m.–9 p.m. window as any other non-consent entry (§ 4460(b)). See the advance-notice column |
| Tenant's remedies for unlawful entry | Section 4460 sets no penalty for a wrongful entry. A tenant's recourse is common-law and general — a claim for breach of the covenant of quiet enjoyment or trespass, an injunction to stop repeated intrusions, and damages; an entry with no consent, no 48-hour notice, and no imminent danger is unauthorized and can support that claim. The mirror duty runs to the tenant: consent to a lawful entry 'shall not be unreasonably withheld' (§ 4460(a)) |
Requirements one by one
Advance notice required
Vermont builds its rule around two paths. The landlord may enter with your consent at any time, and you "shall not [] unreasonably withhold[]" that consent (§ 4460(a)). Without your consent, the landlord must give "no less than 48 hours' notice" and may enter only "between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 9:00 P.M." (§ 4460(b)). So 48 hours is the floor for any entry you have not separately agreed to, and it applies to showings just as to repairs.
Reasons a landlord may enter
For a 48-hour-notice entry, § 4460(b) lists the purposes: to inspect the premises; to make necessary or agreed repairs, alterations, or improvements; to supply agreed services; or to exhibit the unit to prospective or actual purchasers, mortgagees, tenants, workers, or contractors. A consented entry under § 4460(a) is not tied to this list — but if the landlord is relying on notice rather than your agreement, the entry must be for one of these reasons.
Permitted hours
Vermont fixes a clock: a non-consent entry may occur only "between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 9:00 P.M." (§ 4460(b)). An entry outside that window needs either your consent or a genuine imminent-danger situation.
When no notice is needed
Vermont's emergency exception is phrased as imminent danger: "A landlord may only enter the dwelling unit without consent or notice when the landlord has a reasonable belief that there is imminent danger to any person or to property" (§ 4460(c)). An apparent fire, a gas leak, or a burst pipe fits; a landlord's general curiosity does not. Your contemporaneous consent (§ 4460(a)) also removes the need for 48 hours' notice.
Tenant's remedies for unlawful entry
Section 4460 does not set a dollar penalty. A tenant facing entries with no consent, no 48-hour notice, and no imminent danger can treat them as unlawful and pursue common-law relief — an injunction to stop repeated intrusions, damages, and a claim for breach of the covenant of quiet enjoyment or trespass. The access right runs both ways: your consent to a lawful, properly-noticed entry "shall not be unreasonably withheld" (§ 4460(a)).
What trips people up
It's 48 hours, and only 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Vermont pairs a two-day notice with a hard daily window (§ 4460(b)). A next-day notice, or a 7 a.m. or 10 p.m. entry, does not comply unless you consented or there is imminent danger.
"Imminent danger," not just any "emergency." Section 4460(c) lets a landlord skip consent and notice only on a "reasonable belief that there is imminent danger to any person or to property." It is a narrow test — a real, immediate threat, not a convenience.
Consent is a real alternative — and you can't unreasonably refuse it. If you agree to a time, the landlord need not wait 48 hours; and § 4460(a) says you "shall not [] unreasonably withhold[]" consent to a lawful entry.
Common questions
How much notice does my Vermont landlord need to enter? At least 48 hours, and only between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., for one of the listed purposes — unless you consent or there is imminent danger (§ 4460).
Can my landlord enter without notice in an emergency? Only for imminent danger: the landlord "may only enter ... without consent or notice when the landlord has a reasonable belief that there is imminent danger to any person or to property" (§ 4460(c)).
Does my landlord need 48 hours if I say yes to a time? No. Entry "with the tenant's consent" is allowed at any time (§ 4460(a)); the 48-hour rule is for entries you have not agreed to.
What can I do about repeated entries with no notice? Vermont's statute sets no fixed penalty, but you can seek an injunction and damages and raise a breach of quiet enjoyment or trespass; document each entry.
Statutes and sources
- 9 V.S.A. § 4460 — the access section: entry with the tenant's consent, not to be unreasonably withheld (a); the 48-hour notice, 9 a.m.–9 p.m. window, and the listed entry purposes (b); and the imminent-danger exception permitting entry without consent or notice (c). https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/09/137/04460 (accessed 2026-07-11)
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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