Leases and other rental agreements

A rental agreement represents the terms agreed upon between a landlord and tenant for the rules and responsibilities of each party during a tenancy. Though rental agreements allow for a landlord and tenant to set the particular terms of the tenancy, rental agreements may not take away any rights or responsibilities mandated by law (Title 9, Chapter 137, 9 V.S.A. § 4454).

A written rental agreement between landlord and tenant is not required by law to rent property in Vermont. Oral agreements between landlords and tenants on the terms of a rental are as binding as written agreements; however, written agreements provide documentation of the agreement terms that can protect both parties from issues that might arise in the future.

Leases

• Leases are written agreements that are signed by both tenant and landlord
• After signing, both parties should keep a copy of the signed lease in their records to refer back to about any questions or issues that come up regarding the terms of the tenancy
• Leases may be:
  • For a set period of time (a term lease); or
  • Open-ended, such as a month-to-month or week-to-week lease
• The amount of notice a landlord must give a tenant before ending a tenancy varies depending on what kind of lease there is and the reason for termination
• Tenants with open ended leases must give landlords notice of one full rental payment period before they can terminate a lease