Eviction is the legal process of forcing a tenant to move out of a rental unit. You cannot be evicted until the entire process is over and you have been delivered a court order.
Your landlord cannot file a court case against you until your landlord has given proper written notice that your tenancy is terminated. In order to be evicted, your landlord must have legal grounds to evict you. See our Notice to Terminate Tenancy page for details.
Your landlord must follow the proper legal steps. See our page about the Court Process: Steps in an Eviction Case.
Do you rent in a mobile home park? If so, see our page about Mobile Home Park Evictions. Vermont Veterans facing eviction or foreclosure can contact the South Royalton Legal Clinic at VLGS for advice and help.
Important things to know about evictions
- You have rights. They include the right to raise defenses to the eviction and the right to have the landlord follow the proper legal steps.
- To keep your rights, you have to make a written response to just about every court paper you get from the landlord or the landlord's lawyer.
- Everything that requires a written answer or response has a deadline. It can be as short as five days or as long as 30 days. Do not wait to ask for help.
- The worst thing you can do is ignore court papers. It is far easier to prevent an eviction and to hold on to your right to tell your side of the story if you deal with it and call for help immediately.
- Read our pages about the Notice to Terminate Tenancy and the Court Process: Steps in an Eviction Case.
- Evictions and legal rights can be hard to understand. See where you may be able to get legal advice.
- If the court sends you a Summons and Complaint for eviction:
- Contact us right away for legal help.
- But if you are a tenant in the following counties, contact Steph Berube, Support Staff, for help at 802-424-4701 or sberube@vtlegalaid.org:
- Lamoille County
- Rutland County
- Windham County
- Windsor County
Help paying back rent
Local Community Action Programs work with a program called the Housing Opportunity Program Grant (HOP) to help Vermonters who are homeless or at risk of not having a home. HOP may be able to help you pay:
- back rent
- first month's rent
- security deposits
- utilities
- moving costs, or
- short-term rental help.
Funds are limited and for rental housing only. Contact your local Community Action Program to see if HOP is an option for you.
