How to Delay an Eviction in Vermont

In Vermont, you can be evicted for a number of different reasons, including not paying rent or violating the lease. However, there may be a few things you can do to postpone the eviction, or perhaps even stop it altogether.

Understanding Your Eviction Notice

If your landlord decides to evict you, you will first receive a written notice that states the reason for the eviction and a time period to either comply with the notice, if possible, or move out of the rental unit. In Vermont, you could typically receive one of three types of eviction notices, depending on the reason for the eviction:

• Fourteen-day notice to pay rent: You can receive this notice if you fail to pay rent when it is due. Under this notice, you will have 14 days to pay rent or move out of the rental unit (see Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 9 § 4467(a)).
• Thirty-day unconditional quit notice: You can receive this notice if you violate a material term of the lease or rental agreement. Under this notice, you will have 30 days to move out of the rental unit (see Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 9 § 4467(b)(1)).
• Fourteen-day unconditional quit notice: You can receive this notice if you have committed an illegal act, participated in illegal drug activity, or committed an act of violence. Under this notice, you will have 14 days to move out of the rental unit (see Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 9 § 4467(b)(2)).

If you have a month-to-month lease that your landlord wants to end, the type of notice you receive depends on whether you have a written lease or rental agreement and how long you have lived at the rental unit.

If you do not have a written lease or rental agreement and you have lived at the rental unit for less than two years, then your landlord must give you a 60-day notice of termination. If you have lived at the rental unit for more than two years, then your landlord must give you a 90-day notice of termination.

If you have a written lease or rental agreement and you have lived at the rental unit for less than two years, then your landlord only needs to give you a 30-day notice of termination. If you have lived there for more than two years, then your landlord needs to give you a 60-day notice of termination. Under all of these notices, you will need to move out of the rental unit by the end of the stated period of time (see Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 9 §§ 4465(c) and (e)).

It is important to note that you are not automatically evicted when the time period runs out. An eviction is a legal proceeding. If you did not comply with the eviction notice by the time the notice period ends, your landlord can then go to court and file the necessary paperwork to begin the eviction lawsuit against you. Depending on how busy the courts are, it could take anywhere from a week to months before a sheriff is ordered to evict you on a certain date. You can remain living in the rental unit until the sheriff is ordered to evict you, but remember that you will be required to pay the landlord rent until the day you move out of the unit.

Also, keep in mind that there are negative consequences to being evicted, other than losing your home. An eviction will have a negative impact on your credit report, and it could affect your prospects for future housing. Some landlords will not rent to people who have been evicted from a previous location.

For more information on the eviction process in Vermont, see The Eviction Process in Vermont. Also, if you are being evicted because the rental property is being foreclosed, see the Nolo article Rights of Renters in Foreclosure.

If you are considering filing for bankruptcy to stop your eviction, you should look at Evictions and the Automatic Stay in Bankruptcy. Filing for bankruptcy may not stop an eviction, and you should carefully consider your options before doing so.

Talk to Your Landlord

If you receive an eviction notice, you should first try talking to your landlord. You may be able to come to an agreement without going to court. An eviction will cost both of you money (as well as time), and your landlord may be willing to stop the eviction if you agree to certain terms, such as paying rent you owe or stopping behavior that violates the lease. If you can't come to an agreement that prevents you from moving out, perhaps you can agree on a certain date and time for when you will move out of the rental unit.

If you and the landlord are able to agree on anything, be sure to get the agreement in writing, signed and dated by both of you.

Comply With the Eviction Notice, If Possible

If you are being evicted for not paying rent, then your eviction notice will state how much you owe and the date by which you need to pay the rent in full. If you comply with the eviction notice by paying all the rent due and owing, then, in Vermont, the landlord must not proceed with the eviction (see Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 9 § 4467(a)).

If you are not able to pay rent in full within 14 days of receiving the notice, then you should talk to your landlord. Perhaps your landlord would agree to let you pay by the end of the month instead. If your landlord agrees to terms that are different from the eviction notice, then you should get the agreement in writing.

Attend the Eviction Hearing

If you do not comply with the eviction notice and you and your landlord are not able to reach an agreement, then your landlord can file the eviction lawsuit with the court. You will receive a copy of the paperwork after your landlord files, and you will then be required to file an answer in response to your landlord's complaint. An answer is a document that allows you to state the reasons why you should not be evicted. This is where you need to put any defenses to the eviction, such as the landlord discriminating against you. In Vermont, it is illegal for the landlord to evict you based on your race, nationality, or religion, among other factors. If your landlord is evicting you based on one of these protected categories, then you might be able to use that as a defense against the eviction (see the Federal Fair Housing Act and the Vermont Fair Housing Act). You should also contact a lawyer to ensure you are using the best defenses available to you.

You must file an answer if you wish to postpone or stop the eviction. If you do not file an answer, then the judge will likely rule in the landlord's favor, and the eviction will proceed, most likely without a hearing. For more information on the eviction process, see the Eviction Process published by Vermont Law Help.

If you do file an answer, then a hearing will be scheduled. You must attend this hearing. At the hearing, the judge will consider both sides of the argument and make a decision.

Even if you don't have any defenses against the eviction, you should still attend the hearing and talk to the judge. Depending on your circumstances (such as if you have minor children living at home or health issues), the judge might not schedule the eviction right away. The judge might give you a little extra time to prepare and move out of the rental unit before ordering a sheriff to perform the eviction. Keep in mind, though, that you will still owe your landlord rent until you move out of the rental unit.