Vermont Subletting, Lease Endings & Tenant Death
Vermont rules on subletting, lease endings & tenant death for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: A landlord may limit or prohibit subletting in a written rental agreement and may require the tenant to give written notice of the name and contact information of any subtenant. 9 V.S.A. § 4456b
The rules in Vermont
| Subletting | A landlord may limit or prohibit subletting in a written rental agreement and may require the tenant to give written notice of the name and contact information of any subtenant. If there is no written agreement, the tenant must give the landlord written notice of the name and contact information of any subtenant. If a written lease bans subletting, the landlord or tenant may bring an ejectment action against a person occupying the unit without permission. Source: 9 V.S.A. § 4456b |
|---|---|
| When the lease ends | To end a written lease for no cause, the landlord must give notice at least 30 days before the end of the term (60 days if the tenancy has lasted more than two years; 7 days for a written week-to-week agreement). Without a written lease, monthly tenancies need at least 60 days' notice (90 days after two years) and weekly tenancies at least 21 days. If the tenant stays after the tenancy ends without the landlord's express consent, the landlord may sue for possession, damages and costs. The chapter sets no holdover rent penalty and does not address automatic-renewal clauses. Reviewed 9 V.S.A. chapter 137 (Residential Rental Agreements) on 2026-10-28; no provision on automatic-renewal clauses or a holdover rent penalty was found. Source: 9 V.S.A. §§ 4467(c), (e), 4468 |
| If a tenant dies | Vermont's residential rental law has no provision on what happens to a lease, the deposit or the tenant's belongings when a tenant dies. Reviewed 9 V.S.A. chapter 137 (Residential Rental Agreements) on 2026-10-28; no provision found. Source: 9 V.S.A. chapter 137 (reviewed) |
Vermont vs. neighboring states
| State | Subletting | When the lease ends | If a tenant dies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | A landlord may limit or prohibit subletting in a written rental agreement and may require the tenant to give written notice of the name and contact information of any subtenant. If there is no written agreement, the tenant must give the landlord written notice of the name and contact information of any subtenant. If a written lease bans subletting, the landlord or tenant may bring an ejectment action against a person occupying the unit without permission. 9 V.S.A. § 4456b | To end a written lease for no cause, the landlord must give notice at least 30 days before the end of the term (60 days if the tenancy has lasted more than two years; 7 days for a written week-to-week agreement). Without a written lease, monthly tenancies need at least 60 days' notice (90 days after two years) and weekly tenancies at least 21 days. If the tenant stays after the tenancy ends without the landlord's express consent, the landlord may sue for possession, damages and costs. The chapter sets no holdover rent penalty and does not address automatic-renewal clauses. 9 V.S.A. §§ 4467(c), (e), 4468 | Vermont's residential rental law has no provision on what happens to a lease, the deposit or the tenant's belongings when a tenant dies. 9 V.S.A. chapter 137 (reviewed) |
| Massachusetts | Not verified yet | A tenant who stays after the right to occupy ends (a 'tenant at sufferance') must pay rent for the time the tenant occupies or keeps the premises (G.L. c. 186, §3). A tenancy at will (including month-to-month) may be ended by written notice equal to the rent interval or 30 days, whichever is longer (three months if rent is paid less often), and the notice may include an offer of a new tenancy on different terms (c. 186, §12). When a home tenancy at will ends without the tenant's fault, the landlord cannot bring an eviction case until that notice period has passed, and the tenant pays rent at the same rate meanwhile (c. 186, §13). G.L. c. 186, §§3, 12, 13 | Not verified yet |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire law treats a person who rents from a tenant as a 'subtenant' only if the tenant has the landlord's authorization to sublet. A person who is not a tenant, an authorized subtenant, or an 'implied tenant' (living there with the knowledge and consent of both the tenant and the landlord) may not occupy the property without the owner's or landlord's permission, and the landlord may petition the court to remove them. RSA 540-A:1, II; RSA 540-A:3, IX; RSA 540-A:4 | For 'restricted property' (most residential rentals), a landlord may end a tenancy only for listed reasons. The end of a lease counts as a reason only if the lease was for 12 months or more (or has been renewed to a total of 12 months or more), the landlord gave the tenant written notice at least 60 days before the end date that the lease will not be renewed and the tenant must leave, and the landlord files the eviction case within 6 months after the lease expires. For 'nonrestricted property' (for example, a single-family house whose owner owns no more than 3, or a unit in an owner-occupied building of 4 or fewer units), the landlord may end any tenancy with a written notice to quit. RSA 540:1-a; RSA 540:2, I-II | New Hampshire's landlord-tenant statutes (RSA chapters 540 and 540-A) have no provision on what happens to a lease, the deposit, or the tenant's belongings when a tenant dies. RSA ch. 540 (reviewed); RSA ch. 540-A (reviewed) |
| New York | In buildings with four or more residential units, a tenant may sublet with the landlord's prior written consent, which may not be unreasonably withheld. The tenant must request consent by certified mail, return receipt requested, with the sublease term, subtenant's name and addresses, reason, the tenant's address during the sublet, any cotenant or guarantor consent, and a copy of the proposed sublease. The landlord may ask for more information within 10 days and must respond within 30 days, or consent is deemed given; the tenant stays liable under the lease. Assignment, by contrast, needs the owner's written consent, which may be withheld without cause; if consent is unreasonably withheld, the tenant's only remedy is release from the lease on 30 days' notice. N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 226-b | A landlord who will not renew, or who will raise the rent 5% or more, must give written notice: 30 days if the tenant has lived there under one year with no lease of a year or more; 60 days for one to two years or a lease of one to two years; 90 days for over two years or a lease of two years or more. If notice is late, the tenancy continues on existing terms until the notice period runs. An automatic-renewal clause binds the tenant only if the landlord gives written notice calling attention to it 15 to 30 days before the tenant's notice deadline, personally or by registered or certified mail. A tenant who stays after a term longer than one month gets no new term by holding over, but if the landlord accepts rent for a later period, a month-to-month tenancy results unless otherwise agreed. N.Y. Real Prop. Law §§ 226-c, 232-c; N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 5-905 | When a residential tenant dies, the executor, administrator, or legal representative may ask the landlord, by registered or certified mail, to consent to assigning or subletting the lease, giving the proposed assignee's or subtenant's name and addresses and any cotenant or guarantor consent. The landlord may ask for more information within 10 days and must respond within 30 days, or consent is deemed given. If the landlord refuses unreasonably or chooses to terminate, the lease ends and the estate is released from further liability as of the last day of the month in which the landlord had to respond; if the refusal is reasonable, the lease stays in force. N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 236 |
City rules that may add to state law
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Vermont Subletting, Lease Endings & Tenant Death FAQ
Can I sublet my apartment in Vermont?
A landlord may limit or prohibit subletting in a written rental agreement and may require the tenant to give written notice of the name and contact information of any subtenant. If there is no written agreement, the tenant must give the landlord written notice of the name and contact information of any subtenant. If a written lease bans subletting, the landlord or tenant may bring an ejectment action against a person occupying the unit without permission. (9 V.S.A. § 4456b)
What happens when my lease ends in Vermont?
To end a written lease for no cause, the landlord must give notice at least 30 days before the end of the term (60 days if the tenancy has lasted more than two years; 7 days for a written week-to-week agreement). Without a written lease, monthly tenancies need at least 60 days' notice (90 days after two years) and weekly tenancies at least 21 days. If the tenant stays after the tenancy ends without the landlord's express consent, the landlord may sue for possession, damages and costs. The chapter sets no holdover rent penalty and does not address automatic-renewal clauses. (9 V.S.A. §§ 4467(c), (e), 4468)
What happens to a lease when a tenant dies in Vermont?
Vermont's residential rental law has no provision on what happens to a lease, the deposit or the tenant's belongings when a tenant dies. (9 V.S.A. chapter 137 (reviewed))
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.