Chittenden County, Vermont Eviction Risk: Elevated

Chittenden County posts a county-wide average eviction-risk score of 5.5/10 (Moderate) across 21 cities, placing it 6th of 14 Vermont eviction laws counties, meaning 5 counties carry more risk and 8 are more landlord-friendly. That middle-of-the-pack position does not mean uniformly calm conditions: the intra-county range runs from 4.3 to 5.3, a full point of spread that reflects real differences in local tenant demographics, court filings, and political environment. With average rent at $1,637 and a rent burden rate of 31.5%, renters here are stretching budgets, which can translate to payment stress for landlords when economic conditions tighten.

Nearly half of all housing units in the county are occupied by renters, with an average renter share of 49.1%. That dense rental market attracts investors but also means higher competition for tenants and a population that, at a 15.1% average poverty rate, may have limited financial cushion. Vermont eviction laws's tenant-protective statutory framework amplifies that underlying risk, so landlords need to understand both the score and the law before committing capital here.

The cities inside Chittenden County

The highest-risk city in the county is Winooski at 5.3/10, a dense urban enclave of 8,293 residents where renter concentration and poverty levels push risk to the county ceiling. Burlington, the county seat and largest city at 44,675 people, scores 5.2/10 alongside Essex Junction (10,803 residents, 5.2/10). Richmond and several smaller communities also score 5.2/10, making the upper tier of this county quite consistent.

At the lower end, South Burlington, the county's second-largest city at 20,756 residents, scores 4.8/10, and Jericho comes in at 4.9/10. Shelburne sits at an even 5/10. The lesson for investors is that risk is hyper-local: a landlord operating in South Burlington eviction risk faces meaningfully different conditions than one operating in Winooski eviction risk, even though both cities sit within the same county boundary and share the same state statutes.

State-level laws that apply here

Every property in Chittenden County is governed by Vermont state law under 9 V.S.A. § 4451 et seq. (Residential Rental Agreements). Vermont requires a 14-day notice for non-payment of rent, a 30-day notice for lease violations or end-of-term no-cause terminations, and 48 hours advance notice before entering a unit. Vermont is a just-cause eviction state, meaning landlords generally must have a qualifying reason to terminate a tenancy. There is no statewide rent cap formula in effect, but local preemption is not guaranteed, so investors should verify Burlington eviction risk's local ordinances separately. Understanding the full Vermont eviction process before purchasing rental property here is essential, because uncontested cases take 30 to 60 days and contested matters run 60 to 150 days.

On the cost side, Vermont eviction costs include court filing fees of $295 to $340, sheriff lockout fees of $60 to $150, and attorney fees ranging from $750 to $3,000 for a defended case. Those figures add up quickly in a contested proceeding. Vermont security deposit limits and Vermont tenant protections under 9 V.S.A. § 4465 (retaliation) and § 4457 (habitability) layer additional compliance obligations on top, so landlords who are new to this market should review both before signing leases.

With an average poverty rate of 15.1% and nearly half of all residents renting, financial fragility is present across the county; landlords evaluating individual cities should weigh each community's score against the county grid above to calibrate their risk exposure before acquiring property.