✓ Law Verified June 2026
Facing eviction in Vermont? This guide explains the vermont eviction process step by step — the exact notice periods, the court timeline, your defenses, and what your landlord legally cannot do. All figures are from Vermont law, verified as of June 2026.
In This Vermont Guide:
Vermont Eviction Notice Periods
Before a landlord can file an eviction lawsuit in Vermont, they must serve you a written notice. The number of days depends on the reason:
| Reason for Eviction | Notice Period |
|---|---|
| Nonpayment of rent | 14 days written notice under 9 V.S.A. § 4467(a). The tenant may pay the overdue rent within the 14-day window to avoid eviction proceedings. Mobile home park tenants get 20 days to cure nonpayment under 10 V.S.A. § 6237. |
| Lease violation | 30 days written notice under 9 V.S.A. § 4467(b)(1) for material noncompliance with the rental agreement. Important: Vermont does NOT require the landlord to offer a cure period — the 30-day notice is simply a notice to vacate, not a fix-it-or-quit notice. For criminal activity, illegal drug activity, or acts of violence threatening the health or safety of other residents, the notice period is only 14 days under 9 V.S.A. § 4467(c), with no opportunity to cure. |
| No-cause / end of tenancy | No-cause termination IS allowed in Vermont. For month-to-month or no written lease: 60 days if the tenancy has lasted 2 years or less, 90 days if more than 2 years, and 21 days for weekly tenancies, under 9 V.S.A. § 4467(d). For tenants with a written lease: 30 days before the lease expiration date if the tenancy is 2 years or less, 60 days before the lease expiration date if more than 2 years. Mobile home park tenants may NOT be evicted without cause — only for nonpayment or substantial lease violation under 10 V.S.A. § 6237. |
| Holdover tenant | Vermont has no separate holdover notice category. If a tenant remains after the lease expires without the landlord giving proper advance notice, the tenancy typically converts to month-to-month and the landlord must provide the applicable no-cause termination notice (60 or 90 days depending on length of tenancy). If proper notice was already given before the lease end date, the landlord may proceed directly to filing an ejectment action. |
| Tenant must respond within | 21 days after service of the Summons and Complaint to file a written Answer with the court. The Answer must include all affirmative defenses and counterclaims, or they may be waived. If the court holds a hearing on a landlord’s request for rent escrow, the tenant’s Answer is due 14 days after that hearing instead. If the tenant fails to file an Answer, the landlord may seek a default judgment. |
| Realistic total timeline | For nonpayment: approximately 84 to 123 days (roughly 3 to 4 months) from the initial notice to physical removal, assuming no continuances or appeals. This breaks down as: 14 days notice + 5 to 14 days for filing and service + 21 days tenant answer period + 30 to 60 days for court scheduling and hearing + 14 days writ of possession. For no-cause terminations, add the 60- or 90-day notice period, pushing the total to roughly 5 to 7 months. Contested cases with appeals or court backlogs can take significantly longer. |
How the Eviction Lawsuit Is Filed in Vermont
The landlord files an ejectment complaint in Vermont Superior Court, Civil Division, in the county where the rental property is located. The filing fee is approximately 295 (some sources cite 90 for ejectment-specific filings — tenants should confirm with the county clerk). Fee waivers are available for low-income tenants.
The landlord must file within 60 days of the termination date stated in the notice, or the notice expires and a new one must be served per 9 V.S.A. § 4467(f). The Summons and Complaint must be served on the tenant by sheriff or constable.
Hearing timeline: There is no statutory guaranteed timeline. Hearings are typically scheduled within 30 to 60 days of filing, but this varies by county and court backlog. Check with your local Superior Court clerk for current scheduling estimates.
Writ of possession / lockout: After judgment for the landlord, a Writ of Possession is issued and served on the tenant by the sheriff. The tenant has 14 days after service of the Writ to vacate. If the tenant missed a rent escrow payment ordered by the court, the deadline is shortened to 7 days.
The Writ is valid for 60 days from issuance. If the tenant does not leave by the deadline, the sheriff may forcibly remove the tenant and the tenant’s belongings.
Tenant Defenses Against Eviction in Vermont
Depending on your situation, you may be able to raise defenses such as:
- Improper notice — the notice did not meet the requirements of 9 V.S.A. § 4467 (wrong number of days
- not actual notice
- wrong content
- or landlord failed to file within 60 days of the termination date). Retaliatory eviction under 9 V.S.A. § 4465 — you may have a defense if the landlord is evicting you because you complained to a government agency about building
- housing
- or health code violations
- complained to the landlord about violations of Chapter 137
- or organized or joined a tenants’ union. There is a rebuttable presumption of retaliation if the eviction notice was served within 90 days of a government finding of noncompliance. Warranty of habitability under 9 V.S.A. § 4457 — you may defend if the landlord failed to maintain the premises in compliance with health and safety codes. Discrimination under the Vermont Fair Housing and Public Accommodations Act (9 V.S.A. § 4503) — eviction based on race
- color
- religion
No defense is guaranteed — but raising a valid one can delay or stop the eviction.
What Your Landlord CANNOT Do
In Vermont, a landlord cannot evict you without a court order. Under 9 V.S.A. § 4463, it is illegal for a Vermont landlord to engage in self-help eviction. A landlord CANNOT change the locks on your unit, shut off your utilities (water, heat, electricity), remove doors or windows, remove your belongings from the unit, physically bar you from the premises, or take any other action to deny you access to the premises — except through a proper court order and enforcement by the sheriff.
If a landlord does any of these things, you may seek emergency injunctive relief in court, recover actual damages, and recover costs and reasonable attorney’s fees. The landlord may also face criminal liability.
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Free legal help: Vermont Legal Aid at 1-800-889-2047 provides free legal help for low-income, elderly, and disabled tenants facing eviction. Vermont Tenants (CVOEO) at 802-864-0099 runs a tenant hotline with eviction counseling. VT Law Help at vtlawhelp.org offers online legal information, self-help tools, and eviction answer forms. Legal Services Vermont at legalservicesvt.org provides free civil legal assistance.
The Vermont Judiciary Access and Resource Center at 802-879-1185 or [email protected] can help with court forms and procedural guidance. Many tenants facing eviction may qualify for free legal representation — contact Vermont Legal Aid as early as possible after receiving a notice.
Other Vermont eviction rules: Vermont does NOT require landlords to offer a cure period for lease violations — the 30-day notice under 9 V.S.A. § 4467(b)(1) is a notice to vacate only, not a fix-it-or-quit notice.
This is a significant Vermont-specific distinction from many other states. Vermont uniquely ties no-cause termination notice lengths to a 2-year tenancy threshold (60 days for 2 years or less, 90 days for more than 2 years).
Mobile home park tenants receive enhanced protections under 10 V.S.A. Chapter 153 — they can only be evicted for nonpayment or substantial lease violation (no-cause eviction is not allowed for mobile home park tenants), and they get 20 days to cure nonpayment versus 14 days for standard tenants.
Landlords must file the ejectment action within 60 days of the termination date in the notice under 9 V.S.A. § 4467(f), or the notice expires and a new notice must be served. Courts may order rent escrow during pending eviction proceedings — if you miss an escrow payment, the writ of possession vacate period shrinks from 14 days to 7 days.
After eviction, the landlord must store your abandoned property for 15 days and provide written notice before disposing of it. Vermont does NOT have a statutory prohibition on winter evictions. No COVID-era eviction protections remain in effect as of 2026.
You May Also Like
Official Vermont Sources & Resources
- Vermont Courts / Judiciary: https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/civil/eviction-process
- Vermont Eviction Statute: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/chapter/09/137
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: hud.gov
- Cornell Legal Information Institute: law.cornell.edu/wex
Understanding the Vermont Eviction Process
The Vermont eviction process follows a strict legal sequence — notice, then filing, then hearing, then judgment, then enforcement. A landlord who skips any step in the Vermont eviction process is acting illegally, and you may have grounds to have the case dismissed. Understanding the Vermont eviction process gives you the ability to spot errors in the notice, raise valid defenses, and buy time to find housing or legal help.
Never ignore an eviction notice — responding within the deadline is the most important step in the entire Vermont eviction process.
This Vermont eviction guide was last verified against official sources in June 2026. If you are facing eviction, contact a local legal-aid office immediately.
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Disclaimer: This guide is informational only and is not legal advice. Landlord-tenant laws change and vary by city and county within a state. Verify current rules with your state, your local court, or a free legal-aid office before acting. If you are facing eviction, contact a local tenant attorney or legal-aid organization right away.