Municipalities

This information is intended to offer guidance for municipalities and town health officers about rental housing standards in Vermont. It covers the duties and responsibilities of a town health officer with regard to rental housing, and addresses specific housing issues that might be encountered in the course of performing these duties.

This information comes from Vermont laws and codes on residential rental properties, as well as the Vermont Town Health Officer Manual. Links to this and other resources, including the complete text of Vermont housing laws and codes can be found in the list of resources below and throughout the website at relevant points.

The information on this website is a guide only; it is not comprehensive and does not constitute a legal opinion or advice.

Please note that some municipalities in Vermont have their own codes and laws that also apply to landlords and are often stricter and include additional requirements. You should check with your town health officers for more information on your local regulations.

Some towns also have additional laws governing the rights and responsibilities or landlords and tenants.

Role and duties of a town health officer

General role of a town health officer
General duties of a town health officer
Town health officer duties in residential rental housing

General process and procedure for town health officer involvement in residential rental housing

Complaint

A town health officer will receive complaints or information about possible health hazards or code violations, and should respond and investigate these complaints accordingly

Investigation

Steps a town health officer should follow after receiving a complaint about rental housing

Enforcement

Issuing a health order for a rental housing concern:

Regular health orders
Emergency health orders

Issues and areas of housing concern

Details about common rental housing issues, what the specific role of the town health officer is, and the procedures he or she should follow.