Free Vermont Rental Application Form

A Vermont rental application is a legal document used by landlords and property managers to assess and choose an appropriate tenant for a rental property. They are sometimes known by other common names, such as:

• Tenant applications 

• Rental lease applications

• Lease applications

• Applications for a rental property

Having a rental application can prove highly important to make sure you get the right tenant into your property. The process of screening prospective residents in this way allows you to discover any issues such as their inability to pay rent or the likelihood to cause a nuisance before signing a contract.

There are two main types of rental applications in Vermont. You must select the most relevant one depending on the type of property being rented, local laws, and the type of leasing agreement that will be used. 

When you create a rental application in Vermont, there are two types of templates that are most commonly used. Depending on the property, its designation, and the location it’s being rented in, you could need either of the following forms.

1. Standard/General Vermont rental application: The most common form used by Vermont landlords. These can be adjusted and modified to fit the precise needs of you or a property manager, as well as the data you want to acquire from the applicant.

2. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Rental Application: This is a type of rental application used by owners or managers of Section 8 Housing. The HUD rental application is designed and optimized to screen tenants who qualify for subsidized housing. 

Both landlords and tenants need to provide specific information on a Vermont rental application. This is so it complies with state laws and allows an informed decision to be made. The details each party should provide can be seen below.

The information offered by either the landlord or tenant will vary from application to application. However, it is vitally important that both sides get the clearest picture possible about the nature of the lease before signing an agreement.

Vermont has many rules and statutes regulating its housing market. These must be fully considered when preparing an application for rental properties in the state. 

Application Fee

Vermont expressly forbids the charging of an application fee for rental properties (§ 4456a). Therefore, you cannot legally charge one when screening prospective tenants. 

Security Deposit

Vermontdoesn’t set any limits (§ 4461) on how much you can charge as a security deposit. However, it is recommended not to charge more than 1-2 months’ rent for this amount. Additionally, any deposit amount collected must be kept in a separate interest-bearing account. 

Housing Discrimination Law

In Vermont, there is no specific state law relating to housing discrimination. However, the Fair Housing Act (FHA) is in place. The FHA states that it is illegal to discriminate based on the following characteristics: 

• Race

• Nationality

• Religion

• Sex

• Familial status

• Disability

As a consequence, you are not allowed to ask for any of these details on a Vermont Rental Application form, nor to include them in the decision-making process.

Notice of Eligibility

You must disclose the screening criteria used during the application process, as well as anything that could lead to a refusal. To make sure individuals understand this in advance of the application, they must provide a signature of acknowledgment on the application.

Background Check

There are several types of background checks that can be run on an applicant. 

• Credit check 

• Eviction check 

• Criminal history check 

It is not possible for a landlord to charge an application fee, but landlords can charge a potential applicant for a background check. 

To run a credit check on an applicant you must have their written permission.

Consent Credit Check

Within Vermont, federal law is in effect that requires potential renters to provide written consent for a credit history check during the application process. This is known as the Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). 

Before starting your own Vermont rental application, it’s a good idea to look over a sample document first. Use our example rental application below to get a clearer idea of what you should include and how the final form will appear.

It is important to stay on top of your rented real estate. By using the right legal forms, this is a much easier task so that you can remain legally compliant with the rules in Vermont.

Use one of our real estate legal forms below to make sure everything runs smoothly:

• Vermont Residential Lease Agreement

• Vermont Eviction Notice