Vermont Rent Increase Laws for Landlords (2026)

What Vermont law requires

Vermont has a statute that speaks directly to raising rent. Under 9 V.S.A. § 4455(b), “an increase in rent shall take effect on the first day of the rental period following no less than 60 days' actual notice to the tenant.” Actual notice means written notice hand-delivered or mailed to the tenant's last known address (9 V.S.A. § 4451).

So the tenant has to receive the notice at least 60 days before the start of the rental period in which the new rent begins. A mailed notice is presumed received three days after mailing, so build those days in when you count.

Citation: 9 V.S.A. § 4455(b) · read the source

How much can you raise it in Vermont?

There is no statutory ceiling. Section 4455(b) controls when an increase takes effect, not how big it can be.

Only four US jurisdictions cap the size of an increase - California, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia. Vermont is not one of them, so the amount is a business decision, not a legal one. The usual constraint is practical: a tenant who leaves over an increase costs you a turnover, and a turnover costs more than the increase was worth.

Can you raise rent mid-lease in Vermont?

Not unless the lease says so. A fixed-term lease fixes the rent for its term, whatever the statute does or does not require about notice. An increase belongs at renewal, or on a month-to-month tenancy after proper notice.

Serving the notice so it holds up

Most rent increases that fall apart fall apart on the date, not the amount: the notice went out too late, or nobody can prove when it went out. Count the days from delivery, not from the day you wrote it, and keep the proof.

LandlordPro generates the notice against the state's rule, dates it, records when it was sent, and carries the new rent onto the rent roll on the right day so the ledger and the notice agree.

Key statute for Vermont

Authority: 9 V.S.A. § 4455(b)

Statute text not quoted here yet — read it at the link above.

What this means: Vermont requires 60 days' written notice before a rent increase takes effect, under 9 V.S.A. § 4455(b), and there is no cap on the amount.

Citation from our review of the chapter cited above (see "How we checked"); statute text not quoted here yet.

Frequently asked questions

How much notice does a landlord have to give to raise rent in Vermont?

60 days in writing. Under 9 V.S.A. § 4455(b), an increase takes effect on the first day of the rental period that follows at least 60 days' actual notice to the tenant.

Is there a limit on how much rent can be raised in Vermont?

No. Vermont sets no cap on the size of an increase. Only California, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia cap the amount.

Can rent be raised during a lease in Vermont?

No, unless the lease itself provides for it. A fixed-term lease fixes the rent for the term; an increase belongs at renewal or on a month-to-month tenancy after notice.

Does a Vermont rent increase notice have to be in writing?

Yes.

Do city rules change this in Vermont?

We found no local rent regulation in Vermont, but ordinances change faster than statutes. Check with the municipality before serving notice on a large increase.

Related

• Rent increase notice periods in all 51 US jurisdictions
• Vermont late fee laws
• Vermont eviction process
• Vermont security deposit law
• Prorated rent calculator