Discrimination is Illegal
Next, you should know that federal and state laws make it illegal, with a few exceptions, for landlords to refuse to show or to rent property to you or to require different rental terms because of your age, sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, physical or mental disability, or ethnic background, or because you receive public assistance or have minor children. The Vermont Human Rights Commission is authorized to investigate claims of housing discrimination. Their number is 802-828-2480.
Safe and Decent Housing
Vermont’s warranty of habitability law requires that the home you rent be safe, clean and fit to live in. It must also comply with any local housing codes and state plumbing and electrical codes. The law requires landlords to promptly fix any condition that could harm your health or safety—water from a leaky roof dripping on electrical wiring, for instance. Another Vermont law requires all apartments and rented homes to be equipped with smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors near bedrooms and in the basement of the building.
If the landlord fails to provide housing that meets code, it is the tenant’s responsibility to notify the landlord of any problem in writing. If the landlord does not respond to the tenant's concerns, the tenant should also contact the town health officer or housing inspector and ask for an inspection to verify that the problem is a violation of the housing code. Once the health officer or town board of health issues an order, the landlord must make the repairs within a reasonable amount of time. The meaning of "a reasonable amount of time" will vary depending on the severity of the problem. To find out who your town health officer or housing inspector is, call the Department of Health at 1-800-464-4343.
If the tenant gives the landlord written notice of a problem that materially affects the health and safety of the tenant, and the landlord fails to make repairs within a reasonable amount of time, there are several remedies available to the tenant. These include:
1. Withholding rent until the problem is corrected. 2. Getting an order from a judge telling the landlord to correct the problem.
3. Suing for damages, costs, and attorney’s fees. 4. Terminating the rental agreement on reasonable notice.
38 On Your Own, 2008 Edition
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