Security deposit law in Vermont

The rule in Vermont

Vermont sets no statutory cap on the size of a residential security deposit: the source checked (Vermont General Assembly, 9 V.S.A. § 4461) states no maximum, so the amount is whatever the lease says.

The return deadline is 14 days, counted from when the landlord learns the tenant has left. The text reads: “within 14 days from the date on which the landlord discovers that the tenant vacated or abandoned the dwelling unit.”

Of the 44 jurisdictions verified here, 0 give landlords less time and 39 give more; the median is 30 days. Alaska, Hawaii, Nebraska and New York also allow 14 days.

Without a cap there is no dollar ceiling to compute. For comparison, 27 of the 44 verified jurisdictions do cap deposits, from one month's rent in states such as Alabama up to three months' rent in Nevada.

Worked date: if the clock starts on November 30, 2026, the deadline falls on December 14, 2026. The alternative 60-day period would end on January 29, 2027.

In neighbouring states with verified rules: Massachusetts allows 30 days and caps deposits at one month's rent, New Hampshire allows 30 days and caps deposits at one month's rent and New York allows 14 days and caps deposits at one month's rent.

For a seasonal rental that is not a primary residence the deadline is 60 days.

If a deposit is not returned, the small claims limit in Vermont is $10,000 (small claims rules).

Source: Vermont General Assembly, 9 V.S.A. § 4461 · last checked October 20, 2026.

If the deposit does not come back

The statute above sets the deadline; what happens after it passes is covered in general terms in the guide on a deposit that is not returned, and the way each state starts and counts the clock is compared in how deposit deadlines are counted.