Rutland County, Vermont Eviction Risk: Moderate

Rutland County carries an average eviction-risk score of 5/10, placing it in the Elevated tier and ranking it 3rd of 14 Vermont counties by risk. Only 2 counties in the state score higher, meaning 11 are more landlord-friendly. For investors and operators active in Vermont eviction laws, that context matters: this county sits in the higher-risk third of the state, where tenant-protection statutes, just-cause requirements, and a 30.1% average rent burden combine to create conditions where eviction is a real and recurring cost of doing business.

With 20 cities or places tracked and individual scores running from 4.7 to 5.8, the county is not monolithic. The average rent of $988 and a renter share of 35.4% of households point to a market that is meaningfully renter-occupied but not dominated by large apartment complexes. Landlords here tend to be smaller operators for whom a contested eviction is a significant financial and operational disruption.

The cities inside Rutland County

The highest-risk locations in the county all score 5.8/10: Poultney (population 1,033), Castleton Four Corners, North Clarendon, and Benson each sit at the county ceiling. Wallingford comes in just behind at 5.7/10, followed by West Rutland at 5.6/10 (population 2,125). These communities are smaller in population but their risk profiles are elevated relative to the county average, which means local income volatility and renter distress indicators push scores toward the top of the range.

The county seat, Rutland, is by far the largest market at 15,712 residents and scores 5.4/10, sitting below the county average. Pittsford also scores 5.4/10. The lowest score anywhere in the county is 4.7/10, demonstrating that risk is genuinely hyper-local: a landlord operating across two or three towns in the same county can be working in materially different risk environments. Reviewing city-level scores before acquiring or renewing leases is not optional in a market like this.

State-level laws that apply here

Vermont state law under 9 V.S.A. § 4451 et seq. governs all residential tenancies in Rutland County. For nonpayment of rent, landlords must serve a 14-day notice before proceeding. Lease-violation cures and no-cause end-of-term terminations each require a 30-day notice. Vermont requires just cause to terminate a tenancy, which narrows a landlord's exit options and is a meaningful constraint when a problem tenant is otherwise technically compliant. The Vermont eviction process runs 30 to 60 days on an uncontested case and 60 to 150 days if contested. The Vermont eviction costs landlords can expect include a court filing fee of $295 to $340, sheriff fees of $60 to $150, and attorney fees ranging from $750 to $3,000 depending on complexity and whether the case is disputed.

Vermont does not currently cap rent statewide, and local preemption of rent control is not in place, meaning municipalities retain some latitude. Source-of-income discrimination is protected under Vermont law, so screening criteria tied to payment source require careful review. Landlords should also note that Vermont security deposit limits and tenant-protection rules apply uniformly across the state, including in every city in Rutland County. Entry requires 48 hours advance notice under 9 V.S.A. § 4457.

With a poverty rate of 13.6% across the county, the renter pool carries real income fragility; the city-level risk grid above breaks down where that pressure concentrates most, helping you prioritize due diligence at the local level before committing capital.