Bill H.772 amends Vermont's residential rental laws to enhance tenant protections and clarify landlord responsibilities. Key changes include a new definition of "actual notice," which encompasses delivery methods like email and door posting, and extends the rebuttable presumption of receipt from three to five days. The bill prohibits landlords from charging application fees and limits security deposits to a maximum of two months' rent, with specific rules for pet deposits. It also mandates timely return of security deposits and outlines penalties for non-compliance. Additionally, the bill modifies the termination process for tenancies, reducing notice periods for nonpayment of rent and breaches of rental agreements, while providing protections for tenants who are victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking.

Further provisions include the requirement for landlords to provide specific termination notices, the ability for either party in shared occupancy arrangements to terminate with a seven-day notice, and clarification that accepting rent post-termination does not invalidate eviction grounds. The bill allows protected tenants to bifurcate rental agreements to remove abusive individuals and mandates landlords to assist in finding new housing if necessary. It also introduces a pilot program for reporting timely rent payments to credit agencies and establishes a security deposit transition period for existing agreements. The implementation of these changes is contingent upon appropriations from the General Fund for fiscal year 2027, with an effective date of July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 9-137, 13-3705
As Passed By the House -- Official: 9-137, 13-3705, 12-169
As Passed By the House -- Unofficial: 9-137, 12-169, 13-3705