A bill introduced in the Vermont House would significantly shorten eviction timelines, expand allowable methods of court service, and limit several procedural protections currently available to tenants in residential rental disputes.

H.688, introduced by Rep. Deborah Dolgin (R-Caledonia-Essex), proposes a broad rewrite of eviction notice periods and court procedures governing residential tenancies. The bill is framed as a process and timelines bill rather than a substantive change to eviction standards, but taken together, its provisions would accelerate nearly every stage of an eviction proceeding, from initial notice through possession and disposal of a tenant’s belongings .

Shorter notice periods

The most immediate change would be a sharp reduction in the amount of notice landlords must give before terminating a tenancy.

Under current law, tenants facing eviction for nonpayment of rent are entitled to at least 14 days’ notice. H.688 would reduce that period to three days. The same three-day notice would apply to terminations based on lease violations, criminal activity, illegal drug activity, or acts of violence that threaten the health or safety of others, replacing notice periods that currently range from 14 to 30 days depending on the circumstance .

Week-to-week tenancies would also see notice shortened to three days, down from 21 days. Shared housing arrangements — such as renting a room in an owner-occupied home — would drop from seven days’ notice to three days for weekly rent and from 15 days to three days for monthly rent.

Longer notice periods for “no cause” terminations in month-to-month tenancies, particularly for tenants who have lived in a unit for more than two years, would remain in place, but the bill allows landlords to issue and rely on multiple overlapping termination notices during the eviction process.

Faster court response, fewer tenant options

Once an eviction case reaches court, H.688 would impose some of the shortest response deadlines in Vermont civil law.

Tenants would be required to file an answer to an ejectment complaint within five business days of receiving it, with the clock starting the day of receipt. Failure to meet that deadline could result in default judgment.

The bill also modifies rent escrow procedures. While courts would still be able to order tenants to pay rent into court while a case is pending, the option to make partial payments is eliminated. If a tenant fails to pay the ordered amount in full and on time, the landlord would be entitled to immediate possession, with a writ of possession issued as little as 24 hours after service in some cases.

In practice, this removes a common safety valve used by tenants who are disputing rent amounts, raising habitability defenses, or temporarily unable to pay in full but attempting to remain current during litigation.

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Expanded service of process

H.688 also broadens the use of alternative service of process. Once a court authorizes an alternate method — such as posting notice at a residence or publication — that authorization would apply for the entire case, including post-judgment proceedings. Courts would be required to rule on motions for alternative service within three days in eviction cases.

Supporters say this change addresses delays caused when tenants are difficult to locate or avoid service. Critics argue it increases the risk that tenants may miss critical court deadlines without actual notice.

Quicker possession and property disposal

After judgment, the timeline continues to compress.

Writs of possession would issue immediately upon judgment unless the court orders a stay, and sheriffs could restore landlords to possession as soon as 24 hours after service, down from current waiting periods of up to 14 days.

The bill also shortens the time landlords must wait before disposing of a tenant’s personal property left behind after eviction. In most cases, landlords could discard or dispose of property 15 days after service of the writ of possession, or one day after being legally restored to possession if a stay had been in effect.

Criminal liability for property damage

H.688 clarifies that Vermont’s criminal mischief statute applies to property damage committed by tenants against leased property. The change explicitly defines “property” to include real or personal property owned by a landlord and damaged by a leaseholder, and allows landlords to recover damages and attorney’s fees in civil court.

Implications for tenants and landlords

For landlords and property owners, the bill would substantially reduce the time and uncertainty involved in removing nonpaying or noncompliant tenants, particularly in cases where court service or rent escrow disputes currently slow proceedings. Smaller landlords, who often carry mortgages and depend on rent for cash flow, could see faster resolution of problem tenancies.

For tenants, especially those with limited access to legal counsel or unstable housing situations, the compressed timelines raise the risk of default judgments, missed deadlines, and loss of housing with little opportunity to cure or contest. A three-day notice window, combined with a five-business-day answer requirement, leaves little margin for error.

The bill does not change who can be evicted or for what reasons, but it materially alters how fast those outcomes can occur. If enacted, H.688 would represent one of the most aggressive procedural accelerations of eviction law in Vermont in recent years.

If passed, the bill would take effect July 1, 2026

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Dave Soulia | FYIVT

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