Vermont security deposit law: know your rights.
Understand the return, deduction and notice rules in Vermont. Check which conditions apply to your rental, then choose your next step.
Your deposit rights in Vermont
- Return timing
- Deposit plus a written itemized statement due within 14 days after the tenant vacates (60 days for certain seasonal rentals).
- Accounting for deductions
- The deposit must come back with a written statement itemizing any deductions; permitted: unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear, unpaid utilities, and removal of abandoned property.
- Deposit interest
- The state deposit statute does not require interest. Check any additional lease or local rule.
Registry review: August 2026. Review dates refer to the cited rules, not an attorney review of your case.
Does this rule apply to your rental?
Check the type of tenancy, the lease and any local or housing-program rules before relying on the statewide summary.
9 V.S.A. § 4461 ↗What starts the return clock?
Deposit plus a written itemized statement due within 14 days after the tenant vacates (60 days for certain seasonal rentals).
9 V.S.A. § 4461 ↗Check your return timing
Optional estimate from your move-out date. Read the start conditions above before treating that estimate as the return deadline. You can start the free analysis without completing this check.
Check what the landlord deducted
No receipts requirement; only the itemized written statement.
Match each charge to the work alleged, the lease provision and the records supporting the amount. Keep refunds and charges you accept separate from those you dispute.
9 V.S.A. § 4461 ↗What could you recover?
Automatic forfeiture of all deductions when late; if the failure is willful, the landlord is liable for double the amount wrongfully withheld plus reasonable attorney's fees and costs (9 V.S.A. § 4461).
Start with the unpaid amount you dispute. Any additional statutory recovery depends on the conditions in 9 V.S.A. § 4461(e), including applicable notice requirements. A multiplier that already includes the deposit should not be added to that deposit again.
9 V.S.A. § 4461 ↗Put the rules to work
See how the rules fit your deposit dispute
Free analysis
Add the refund, charges and records. Review the deductions and possible remedies with an explanation tied to your facts.
Full case package $29-$49
Turn your case into a demand letter, organized exhibits and a next-step plan. Review the analysis before deciding to buy.
Your entered dates and deposit amount carry forward. Additional timing details are saved in case notes. The next step asks for the refund and charges so you can build on this check.
Choose your next step
Small-claims limit: $10,000. Filing: $65-$90 by claim size (verify current schedule). The court guide explains the applicable limits and additional costs.
Questions about Vermont deposit rights
How long does a Vermont landlord have to return a security deposit?
Deposit plus a written itemized statement due within 14 days after the tenant vacates (60 days for certain seasonal rentals).
9 V.S.A. § 4461 ↗See the timing rules →What happens if my landlord does not follow the deposit return rules in Vermont?
Missing 14 days forfeits the right to withhold any portion - the entire deposit becomes due regardless of damage claims. Keep proof of the dates, any refund, and the itemized statement.
9 V.S.A. § 4461 ↗Understand the possible recovery →What accounting should I ask for in Vermont?
The deposit must come back with a written statement itemizing any deductions; permitted: unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear, unpaid utilities, and removal of abandoned property. No receipts requirement; only the itemized written statement.
9 V.S.A. § 4461 ↗