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Map of Vermont eviction risk by county

Late Rent Notice Requirements in Vermont 2025

Grace period, late fee cap, and pay-or-quit notice rules

None Grace period before late fee / notice
14 days Pay-or-quit notice period
None / Lease Late fee cap
$1,107/mo Statewide median gross rent (ACS 2023)
Vermont Quick Rule: No statutory grace; 14-day notice.

In Vermont, a landlord cannot file to evict for unpaid rent until the tenancy has been properly terminated. For nonpayment, that means serving a 14-day notice under 9 V.S.A. § 4467(a) stating the date the tenancy ends, which must be at least 14 days after the tenant receives the notice. Vermont has no separate late-fee grace period baked into this statute and no federal law setting the count for a typical private rental, the CARES Act 30-day rule reaches only federally subsidized or federally backed properties. The rules that decide whether your notice holds up are the ones below: proper actual notice, the tenant's right to cure by tendering rent, and the deadline to file.

The 14-day nonpayment notice

Under 9 V.S.A. § 4467(a), a landlord may terminate a tenancy for nonpayment of rent by giving the tenant actual notice of the date the tenancy will end. That termination date must be at least 14 days after the date of the actual notice, not 14 days after you drop it in the mail, but 14 days after it is received (see the service rules below). The notice must specifically state the termination date; a notice that only says "pay within 14 days" without a stated end date invites a challenge. There is no shorter track for repeat nonpayment: every nonpayment termination runs on the same 14-day floor.

How the notice must be served (actual notice)

Vermont ties the clock to actual notice, defined in 9 V.S.A. § 4467(g) as written notice hand-delivered to the tenant or mailed to the tenant's last known address. Verbal notice does not count. If you mail it by first-class or certified U.S. mail, the statute gives you a rebuttable presumption that the tenant received it three days after mailing, so build those three days into your count before the 14 days even begins to run. The safest practice is to hand-deliver or mail (keeping the certified receipt), and to calendar the termination date from the presumed or actual date of receipt, not the postmark.

The tenant's right to cure by paying

The 14-day notice is a pay-or-quit notice, not an automatic eviction. Under § 4467(a), the rental agreement does not terminate if the tenant pays or tenders the rent due through the end of the rental period in which the payment is made. If the tenant hands you the full amount owed within the window, the termination is defeated and you cannot proceed on that notice. Because the cure right runs to the end of the rental period, a tenant who tenders before then stops the clock even close to the deadline. Document any tender, including a tender you refuse, because a valid tender you turn away can sink the case.

Partial payments and waiver traps

Vermont law protects landlords who accept something rather than nothing. Under § 4467(a), acceptance of a partial rent payment is not a waiver of your nonpayment remedies and is not an accord and satisfaction. You can take a partial payment and still enforce the notice for the balance. That said, if a partial payment brings the account current through the end of the rental period, it functions as a full tender and cures the default. Track exactly what is owed as of each payment so you can show the court the tenant did not fully cure.

Filing the eviction and the 60-day deadline

If the termination date passes without a full cure, the tenancy has ended and you may file an ejectment action in the Vermont Superior Court, Civil Division. Watch the back-end deadline: under 9 V.S.A. § 4467(e), a termination notice will not support a judgment of eviction unless the proceeding is commenced within 60 days of the termination date stated in the notice. Miss that window and the notice goes stale, you must start over with a fresh 14-day notice. Note that no-cause terminations run on different clocks (at least 30 days for a tenancy of two years or less and 60 days for longer tenancies); those periods do not apply to a straight nonpayment case.

The Pay-or-Quit Notice Process in Vermont

Once rent is late and no grace period applies, the landlord must serve a formal 14-day pay-or-quit notice (9 V.S.A. § 4467) before filing for eviction. This notice must state the total amount owed and give the tenant the option to either pay in full or vacate. If the tenant does neither, the landlord may file an unlawful detainer action in Vermont court.

Fill-In Notice Template, Vermont

NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR QUIT VERMONT TO: [Tenant Full Name(s)] PROPERTY ADDRESS: [Street Address, City, VT ZIP] NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that rent is past due for the following period: Rental Period: [Month and Year] Monthly Rent: $[RENT AMOUNT] Balance Due: $[TOTAL OWED] YOU HAVE 14 DAYS from the date this notice is served to either: (1) Pay the full balance of $[TOTAL OWED] to: [Landlord name and payment address or method] OR (2) Vacate and surrender possession of the premises. FAILURE to comply within 14 days will result in eviction proceedings being filed in Vermont court pursuant to 9 V.S.A. § 4467. Date Served: [Date] Landlord: [Printed Name] Signature: ___________________________ Phone: [Contact Number]

This page summarizes Vermont's residential nonpayment termination rules under 9 V.S.A. § 4467 (Title 9, Chapter 137) as they stand in 2026. Statutes and court practice change, and individual cases turn on their facts. Confirm current text on the Vermont Statutes Online site and the Vermont Judiciary's eviction resources at vtcourts.gov before serving a notice or filing, and consult a Vermont landlord-tenant attorney for advice on a specific matter.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many days is a late rent notice in Vermont?

At least 14 days. Under 9 V.S.A. § 4467(a), the termination date in a nonpayment notice must be at least 14 days after the tenant receives actual notice.

Can the tenant stop the eviction by paying?

Yes. The tenancy does not terminate if the tenant pays or tenders the rent due through the end of the rental period in which payment is made. A full tender within the window defeats the notice.

How do I have to deliver the notice?

By actual notice under § 4467(g): hand-deliver it to the tenant or mail it to the last known address. First-class or certified mail creates a rebuttable presumption of receipt three days after mailing. Verbal notice is not enough.

If I accept a partial payment, do I lose the right to evict?

No. Vermont law states that accepting a partial rent payment is not a waiver of your nonpayment remedies and not an accord and satisfaction. You may accept it and still pursue the balance, unless the payment fully cures the amount owed through the rental period.

How long do I have to file after the notice period ends?

Under § 4467(e), you must commence the eviction proceeding within 60 days of the termination date stated in the notice. After that the notice is insufficient to support a judgment and you must serve a new one.

Does federal law set the notice period?

No. For a typical private Vermont rental, the 14-day period comes from 9 V.S.A. § 4467. The federal CARES Act 30-day notice requirement applies only to covered federally subsidized or federally backed properties, not to ordinary private units.

Related Guides for Vermont Landlords

← Vermont Eviction Risk Overview Vermont Eviction Notice Templates Vermont Security Deposit Limits Vermont Rent Increase Calculator Late Rent Rules, All States

Data sourced from Vermont published statutes (9 V.S.A. § 4467), U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2023 5-Year Estimates. Last updated August 28, 2026. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney for your specific situation.