Bill > H0688

This bill aims to expedite the residential eviction process by significantly reducing the notice periods required for landlords to terminate tenancies, from as long as 90 days down to as little as three days in many cases, and also shortens the time a tenant has to respond to an eviction complaint to five business days. It allows for alternate methods of serving legal documents, known as "service of process," throughout a civil case, including after a judgment has been made, and requires courts to rule on requests for such alternate service within three days in eviction cases. The bill removes the tenant's ability to pay only a portion of the rent owed into court as a way to halt an eviction, and clarifies that criminal mischief now includes damage to property by a leaseholder, meaning a tenant who damages the property they are renting. Furthermore, it shortens the time for serving a writ of possession, which is a court order granting the landlord possession of the property, and drastically reduces the time a landlord must wait before disposing of a tenant's personal property left behind after an eviction.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/H.688