Tools · Security Deposit

Vermont Security Deposit Calculator (2026)

Enter your rent and move-out date to see the most a Vermont landlord can charge and the exact date your deposit is due back — no statutory cap here, returned 14 days (60 days for seasonal, non-primary rentals) from the date the tenant vacates, or the date the landlord learns the tenant has vacated or abandoned the unit.

Cited to 9 V.S.A. §4461Source: Vermont Statutes Online, 9 V.S.A. §4461 (Security deposits).

Vermont security deposit calculator

Security deposit · Vermont

State

Monthly rent

Move-out date

Vermont rule applied to your numbers

Maximum deposit

No cap

Vermont sets no statutory maximum; your lease sets the amount. Vermont sets no statewide limit on the size of a residential security deposit (9 V.S.A. 4461). A landlord can ask for any amount, though one to two months of rent is typical. Local rules can be stricter: the City of Burlington caps the deposit at roughly one month of rent and adds its own handling requirements.

Return deadline

14 days (60 days for seasonal, non-primary rentals)

14 days (60 days for seasonal, non-primary rentals) from the date the tenant vacates, or the date the landlord learns the tenant has vacated or abandoned the unit. Enter your move-out date for the exact deadline.

These are the Vermont figures applied to what you entered: a plain summary of the rule and the dates, not a determination that anyone did or did not comply.

If a deposit is wrongly kept

A landlord who fails to return the deposit with an itemized statement within 14 days forfeits the right to withhold any part of it and must return the full amount. If the failure is willful, the landlord is liable for double the amount wrongfully withheld, plus reasonable attorney fees and court costs.

Interest on the deposit

State law does not require a landlord to pay interest on a security deposit. Local rules can differ: Burlington requires deposits to be held in an interest-bearing account, so check your city ordinance.

Local ordinances

Some Vermont cities add stricter rules. Burlington caps the deposit at about one month of rent, requires it to be held in an interest-bearing account at a Vermont bank, bars using it as last month’s rent, and lets tenants bring disputes to the Burlington Housing Board of Review. Check your city ordinance.

PlainStatute

Security deposit — Vermont

Maximum deposit: No statutory cap
Monthly rent: $2,000
Move-out date: Not entered
Return deadline: 14 days (60 days for seasonal, non-primary rentals) from the date the tenant vacates, or the date the landlord learns the tenant has vacated or abandoned the unit

Source: 9 V.S.A. §4461

https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/09/137/04461

⚠ Draft: confirm with the official source before relying on this.

Printed from plainstatute.com
Plain-language summary, not legal advice.

Informational only, not legal advice. Security-deposit rules carry exceptions (lease type, small landlords, city ordinances) this summary cannot weigh. See the full statute and exceptions on the Vermont security deposit reference, cited to 9 V.S.A. §4461.

How Vermont security deposits work

Vermont puts no cap on how much a landlord can charge for a residential security deposit, so the amount is whatever your lease sets. What Vermont does police is timing. Under 9 V.S.A. 4461, a landlord must return your deposit with a written statement itemizing any deductions within 14 days of the day you move out, or the day the landlord learns you have left. Miss that deadline and the landlord forfeits the right to keep any part of the deposit and owes you all of it. If the landlord holds it back on purpose, you can recover double the amount wrongfully withheld plus your attorney fees and court costs. Seasonal rentals that are not your primary home get a longer 60-day window, and some cities, notably Burlington, layer on their own limits and handling rules.

This calculator shows the Vermont figures applied to your own rent and dates. It is informational only and not legal advice — exceptions this summary cannot weigh may apply. For the full rules, penalties, and citations, see the Vermont security deposit reference.

Security deposit calculators for other states

Same tool, each with its own cap and return deadline.