Vermont Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
Vermont rules on privacy, guests & animals for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: No landlord camera statute, but Vermont's voyeurism law expressly prohibits intentionally conducting surveillance of, or photographing, filming or recording, a person without the person's knowledge and consent while the person is in a place where the person would have a reasonable… 13 V.S.A. § 2605(b)-(d); 9 V.S.A. § 4460
The rules in Vermont
| Cameras & privacy | No landlord camera statute, but Vermont's voyeurism law expressly prohibits intentionally conducting surveillance of, or photographing, filming or recording, a person without the person's knowledge and consent while the person is in a place where the person would have a reasonable expectation of privacy within a home or residence. It also bars viewing or recording a person's intimate areas or sexual conduct without consent where privacy is expected. Landlord entry requires consent or at least 48 hours' notice, between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., for listed purposes, except in an emergency. Audio-recording (eavesdropping) rules were not covered here. |
|---|---|
| Guests & occupants | No statute — no statewide occupancy limit or guest rule; the lease governs. Vermont law allows a landlord to condition or prohibit subleasing in a written lease and to require written notice of any sublessee's name and contact information (without a written lease, the tenant must give that notice). The tenant must ensure persons on the premises with the tenant's consent do not disturb other tenants or damage the premises. The Rental Housing Health Code treats guests entitled to live and sleep in a unit as 'occupants' for code purposes (§ 4.12). Source: 9 V.S.A. § 4456(b)-(c); § 4456b |
| Service & support animals (state law) | Vermont fair housing law makes it unlawful to discriminate in renting a dwelling because a person relies on aids such as specially trained animals, or to refuse reasonable accommodations in rules, policies or services needed for a person with a disability to use and enjoy a dwelling. No state statute sets emotional-support-animal documentation rules, pet-fee limits or a housing misrepresentation penalty; federal Fair Housing Act standards govern those questions. Source: 9 V.S.A. § 4503(a)(9)-(10) |
Related questions
- Can a landlord put cameras in or around a rental?
- Can a landlord limit overnight guests or roommates?
- Can a landlord deny a service or emotional support animal?
Vermont vs. neighboring states
| State | Cameras & privacy | Guests & occupants | Service & support animals (state law) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | No landlord camera statute, but Vermont's voyeurism law expressly prohibits intentionally conducting surveillance of, or photographing, filming or recording, a person without the person's knowledge and consent while the person is in a place where the person would have a reasonable expectation of privacy within a home or residence. It also bars viewing or recording a person's intimate areas or sexual conduct without consent where privacy is expected. Landlord entry requires consent or at least 48 hours' notice, between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., for listed purposes, except in an emergency. 13 V.S.A. § 2605(b)-(d); 9 V.S.A. § 4460 | No statute — no statewide occupancy limit or guest rule; the lease governs. Vermont law allows a landlord to condition or prohibit subleasing in a written lease and to require written notice of any sublessee's name and contact information (without a written lease, the tenant must give that notice). The tenant must ensure persons on the premises with the tenant's consent do not disturb other tenants or damage the premises. 9 V.S.A. § 4456(b)-(c); § 4456b | Vermont fair housing law makes it unlawful to discriminate in renting a dwelling because a person relies on aids such as specially trained animals, or to refuse reasonable accommodations in rules, policies or services needed for a person with a disability to use and enjoy a dwelling. No state statute sets emotional-support-animal documentation rules, pet-fee limits or a housing misrepresentation penalty; federal Fair Housing Act standards govern those questions. 9 V.S.A. § 4503(a)(9)-(10) |
| Massachusetts | No landlord-specific statute. Massachusetts is an all-party-consent state: secretly recording a conversation without the prior authority of ALL parties is a crime. It is also a crime to secretly photograph, videotape or electronically surveil someone who is nude or partially nude where they would reasonably expect privacy, without their knowledge and consent. The penalty is up to 2½ years in a house of correction and/or a $5,000 fine. Visible cameras in common areas aren't specifically regulated, but audio recording in those cameras raises wiretap concerns. M.G.L. c. 272, § 99 (definition of 'interception'); c. 272, § 105(b) | No statute on guests versus tenants or roommate rights — the lease governs. The State Sanitary Code sets occupancy limits: at least 150 square feet of habitable floor space for the first occupant and 100 square feet for each additional occupant. Each bedroom needs at least 70 square feet for one person, or 50 square feet per person if shared. 105 CMR 410.420(D); M.G.L. c. 186 and c. 239 (checked) | State fair housing law bans discrimination against tenants because of a disability or because they have a trained dog guide due to blindness or hearing impairment. Landlords must make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies and services when needed for a person with a disability to use and enjoy housing, which covers exceptions to no-pet rules for assistance animals. No state statute sets documentation rules, pet-fee limits, or penalties for misrepresenting an animal in housing. M.G.L. c. 151B, § 4(6), (7), (7A) |
| New Hampshire | No landlord-specific camera statute, but it is a class A misdemeanor to install or use, without consent, any device to observe, photograph, record, or transmit images or sounds in a private place (which includes the interior of one's dwelling), or from outside a private place to capture images, location, movement, or sounds not ordinarily perceptible outside it. A landlord may not enter without the tenant's prior consent except for emergency repairs or under a court order. RSA 644:9, I-II; RSA 540-A:3, IV and V-d | No statute — lease governs guests and occupancy. A person who is not a tenant, subtenant, or implied tenant may not occupy residential property without permission of the owner, landlord, or agent. RSA 540-A:3, IX | Service animals may accompany their handler or trainer into any housing accommodation. Under state law a service animal performs work or tasks for a person with a disability; providing emotional support, comfort, or companionship does not count. It is a misdemeanor to fit an animal with a vest, harness, sign, or tag representing it as a service animal when it is not, or to impersonate a person with a disability to obtain service-dog accommodations. Disability discrimination in rentals is prohibited by the state fair-housing law. No state statute sets emotional support animal documentation rules or pet-fee limits. RSA 167-D:1, 167-D:2, 167-D:4, 167-D:8, 167-D:10; RSA 354-A:10 |
| New York | No landlord-specific camera statute. Unlawful surveillance in the second degree (class E felony) includes using or installing an imaging device to surreptitiously view, broadcast, or record a person dressing or undressing or their intimate parts where they expect privacy, or to surreptitiously record in a bedroom, bathroom, changing room, or shower with no legitimate purpose (device use in those rooms creates a rebuttable presumption of no legitimate purpose). N.Y. Penal Law § 250.45 | The 'Roommate Law': a landlord may not restrict occupancy to the tenant and immediate family. A sole tenant may live with immediate family, one additional occupant, and that occupant's dependent children; on a multi-tenant lease, total tenants plus occupants (excluding occupants' dependent children) may not exceed the number of tenants on the lease. The tenant or spouse must use the unit as a primary residence, and the tenant must tell the landlord an occupant's name within 30 days of move-in or of the landlord's request. Occupants gain no tenancy rights. Lease waivers are void. N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 235-f | Housing providers must make reasonable accommodations in rules and policies for persons with disabilities, including permitting an assistance animal. It is an unlawful discriminatory practice to deny access to or discriminate against a person with a disability accompanied by a guide, hearing, or service dog, and no additional charge may be imposed for admittance of such a dog. No state statute sets documentation rules for emotional support animals or penalizes service-animal misrepresentation in housing. N.Y. Exec. Law § 296(14), (18)(2); N.Y. Civ. Rights Law § 47-b |
City rules that may add to state law
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Vermont Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules FAQ
Can a landlord put cameras in or around a rental in Vermont?
No landlord camera statute, but Vermont's voyeurism law expressly prohibits intentionally conducting surveillance of, or photographing, filming or recording, a person without the person's knowledge and consent while the person is in a place where the person would have a reasonable expectation of privacy within a home or residence. It also bars viewing or recording a person's intimate areas or sexual conduct without consent where privacy is expected. Landlord entry requires consent or at least 48 hours' notice, between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., for listed purposes, except in an emergency. (13 V.S.A. § 2605(b)-(d); 9 V.S.A. § 4460)
Can a landlord limit guests or roommates in Vermont?
No statute — no statewide occupancy limit or guest rule; the lease governs. Vermont law allows a landlord to condition or prohibit subleasing in a written lease and to require written notice of any sublessee's name and contact information (without a written lease, the tenant must give that notice). The tenant must ensure persons on the premises with the tenant's consent do not disturb other tenants or damage the premises. (9 V.S.A. § 4456(b)-(c); § 4456b)
Can a landlord deny a service or emotional support animal in Vermont?
Vermont fair housing law makes it unlawful to discriminate in renting a dwelling because a person relies on aids such as specially trained animals, or to refuse reasonable accommodations in rules, policies or services needed for a person with a disability to use and enjoy a dwelling. No state statute sets emotional-support-animal documentation rules, pet-fee limits or a housing misrepresentation penalty; federal Fair Housing Act standards govern those questions. (9 V.S.A. § 4503(a)(9)-(10))
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.