Are you a tenant?: Learn about eviction in Vermont during the COVID-19 crisis.
Do you need help paying for utilities?: Explore programs that can help you pay for heat, water, electricity and other utilities.
Eviction is the legal process of forcing a tenant to move out of a rental unit. You cannot be evicted until the entire process is over and you have been delivered a court order.
Your landlord cannot file a court case against you until your landlord has given proper written notice that your tenancy is terminated. In order to be evicted, your landlord must have legal grounds to evict you. See our Notice to Terminate Tenancy page for details.
Your landlord must follow the proper legal steps. See our page about the Court Process: Steps in an Eviction Case.
Do you rent in a mobile home park? If so, see our page about Mobile Home Park Evictions.
Vermont Veterans facing eviction or foreclosure can contact the Safely Home project for advice and help.
Important things to remember about evictions
- You have rights. They include the right to raise defenses to the eviction and the right to have the landlord follow the proper legal steps.
- To keep your rights, you have to make a written response to just about every court paper you get from the landlord or the landlord's lawyer.
- Everything that requires a written answer or response has a deadline. It can be as short as five days or as long as 30 days. Do not wait to ask for help.
- The worst thing you can do is ignore court papers. It is far easier to prevent an eviction and to hold on to your right to tell your side of the story if you deal with it and call for help immediately.
- Read our pages about the Notice to Terminate Tenancy and the Court Process: Steps in an Eviction Case.
- Evictions and legal rights can be hard to understand. Ask for legal advice for the eviction process.
- If you get written notice that your landlord wants you to move out, you can contact us for quick legal advice. If you get a Summons and Complaint for eviction, contact us right away for legal help. Fill out our form and we will call you back or call us at 1-800-889-2047.
