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Read. Follow. Verify.Vermont Housing Bill Prohibits Application Fees, Caps Security Deposits, and Establishes Just Cause Eviction Rules
Last action · May 27, 2026: Roll Call, Requested by Sen. Ram HinsdaleSponsor: Marc Mihaly
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What This Bill Proposed
This bill prohibits residential rental application fees, caps s at two months' rent, establishes a just cause eviction process with confidential court records, and creates a two-year positive rental payment credit reporting pilot program through the State Treasurer. Effective July 1, 2026, the measure also provides $1,300,000 in 2027 appropriations for pilot administration, rent arrears assistance, and landlord-tenant education.
Renters gain restrictions on upfront rental costs, new protections against public housing court records for unsettled claims, and opportunities to build credit through timely rent payments, while residential property owners face regulated termination notice timelines, restricted rent increase frequencies, and mandatory just cause standards for actions.
- H.772 was introduced during the 2025-2026 legislative session in the Vermont House of Representatives by Representative Marc Mihaly. context
- The measure progressed through the House before facing opposition and ultimately failing in the Senate during the 2026 legislative proceedings. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Residential tenants
Residential tenants are protected from application fees, have security deposits capped at two months' rent, receive confidentiality for ejectment filings, and gain access to a rent payment credit reporting pilot program.
Vermont residential landlords
Landlords must adhere to new just cause eviction procedures, comply with restrictions on application fees and security deposits, limit rent increases to once annually, and follow notice rules for terminations.
Consumer reporting agencies
Consumer reporting agencies must verify whether Vermont court ejectment records are confidential before including them in tenant screening reports and are prohibited from reporting confidential records.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a landlord charge an application fee for a residential rental unit?
What happens to court records when an ejectment action is filed?
How much can a landlord increase rent under this bill?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Failed in the Senate.
Procedural history
56 actions- May 27, 2026SenateRoll Call, Requested by Sen. Ram Hinsdale
- May 27, 2026Senate3rd reading refused on roll call, requested by Senator Ram Hinsdale , Failed -- Needed 16 of 30 to Pass -- Yeas = 15, Nays = 16
- May 27, 2026SenateProposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary , as amended, agreed to
- May 27, 2026SenateProposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary amended as recommended by Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs
- May 27, 2026SenateProposal of amendment not agreed to
- May 27, 2026SenateProposal of amendment by Senator(s) Ram Hinsdale and Chittenden ; text
Show 50 earlier actions
- May 27, 2026SenateRoll Call, Requested by Sen. Weeks
- May 27, 2026SenateRoll Call, requested by Senator Weeks , Passed -- Needed 15 of 29 to Pass -- Yeas = 17, Nays = 12
- May 27, 2026SenateMotion to substitute proposal of amendment agreed to
- May 27, 2026SenateSenator(s) Hashim motion to substitute proposal of amendment; text
- May 27, 2026SenateReported favorably by Senator Norris for Committee on Appropriations
- May 27, 2026SenateReported favorably by Senator Clarkson for Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs with proposal of amendment
- May 27, 2026SenateRead 2nd time, reported favorably with proposal of amendment by Senator Hashim for Committee on Judiciary
- May 27, 2026SenateFavorable report by Committee on Appropriations
- May 27, 2026SenateFavorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs
- May 27, 2026SenateFavorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary
- May 27, 2026SenateNew Business/Second Reading
- May 26, 2026SenateFavorable report by Committee on Appropriations
- May 26, 2026SenateFavorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs
- May 26, 2026SenateFavorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary
- May 26, 2026SenateSecond Reading
- May 26, 2026SenateEntered on Notice Calendar
- May 21, 2026SenateCommitteeReferred to Committee on Appropriations per Senate Rule 31
- May 21, 2026SenateFavorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs
- May 21, 2026SenateFavorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary
- May 21, 2026SenateSecond Reading
- May 21, 2026SenateEntered on Notice Calendar
- May 7, 2026SenateCommitteeRules suspended & bill committed to Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs with the report of Committee on Judiciary intact, on motion of Senator Hashim
- Apr 1, 2026SenateIntroducedRead 1st time & referred to Committee on Judiciary
- Mar 27, 2026HouseFloorRead third time and passed
- Mar 27, 2026HouseThird division of amendment disagreed to
- Mar 27, 2026HouseWhich was disagreed to on a Roll Call Failed -- Needed 61 of 122 to Pass -- Yeas = 33, Nays = 89
- Mar 27, 2026HouseSecond division of amendment disagreed to
- Mar 27, 2026HouseRep. Headrick of Burlington demanded yeas and nays
- Mar 27, 2026HouseFirst division of amendment disagreed to
- Mar 27, 2026HouseRep. Tomlinson of Winooski asked that the question be divided
- Mar 27, 2026HouseRep. Logan of Burlington moved to amend the bill
- Mar 27, 2026HouseRep. Stevens of Waterbury, Burrows of West Windsor, and LaMont of Morristown moved to amend the bill, which was disagreed to
- Mar 27, 2026HouseAction Calendar: Action postponed until March 27, 2026
- Mar 26, 2026HouseRep. Mihaly of Calais moved to postpone action until March 27, 2026 , which was agreed to
- Mar 26, 2026HouseAction Calendar: Third Reading
- Mar 25, 2026HouseThird Reading ordered
- Mar 25, 2026HouseWhich was agreed to on a Roll Call Passed -- Needed 71 of 141 to Pass -- Yeas = 120, Nays = 21
- Mar 25, 2026HouseReport of Committee on General and Housing , as amended, agreed to
- Mar 25, 2026HouseRep. Cina of Burlington demanded yeas and nays
- Mar 25, 2026HouseRep. Goodnow of Brattleboro, Kornheiser of Brattleboro, and Krasnow of South Burlington moved to amend the report of the Committee on General and Housing , as amended, which was agreed to
- Mar 25, 2026HouseRep. LaLonde of South Burlington and Burditt of West Rutland moved to amend the report of the Committee on General and Housing , as amended, which was agreed to
- Mar 25, 2026HouseReport of Committee on General and Housing amended as recommended by Committee on Appropriations
- Mar 25, 2026HouseRep. Bluemle of Burlington recommended for the Committee on Appropriations
- Mar 25, 2026HouseRep. Krasnow of South Burlington reported for the Committee on General and Housing
- Mar 25, 2026HouseRead second time
- Mar 25, 2026HouseAction Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- Mar 24, 2026HouseNotice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- Feb 27, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to Committee on Appropriations per Rule 35(a)
- Feb 27, 2026HouseNotice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- Jan 23, 2026HouseIntroducedRead first time and referred to the Committee on General and Housing
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Confidentiality of Ejectment Filings
The legislation establishes that all newly filed ejectment records are confidential upon filing, shifting tenant screening practices by preventing consumer reporting agencies from exposing unjudicated eviction filings.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.vermont.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
- Controversy75Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz60Current news / social attention level
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