Vermont Rental Application

What information should landlords collect?

Including the right questions when screening tenants is pivotal to selecting your next renter, and a fillable online rental application can make the process quick and easy.

Use a free Vermont application to collect the following information:

• Personal information: Names of applicants, co-applicants, and co-signers, date of birth, Social Security numbers, email,s phone numbers, emergency contacts, and other basic details
• Financial information: Employment status, current income, and income history to confirm the applicant can afford rent
• Rental history: Current and previous addresses, length of stay, and landlord contact details to verify past tenancy
• Professional and rental references: Employer contact information and previous landlords who can speak to reliability and payment history
• Pets: Details about pets or service animals, including type, size, and any applicable documentation
• Screening consent: Written permission to run credit, criminal, and eviction background checks as part of the review process

Landlords collect sensitive information during tenant screening, so federal and state laws regulate what they can ask and how they can use that information in their decision-making process.

We’ll review these legal requirements as we cover pre-screeners, federal and state laws, pets, denial processes, and more.

Pre-Screener 

A pre-screener helps landlords identify qualified candidates from the first interaction. This brief set of questions should appear before the official application and allow landlords to flag potential issues that could lead to neighbor complaints or rent collection headaches.

Every pre-screener should ask for:

• Personal/contact information,
• Employment status,
• Income,
• Self-reported credit score,
• Move-in date,
• Household size,
• Pet information, and
• Smoking status.

After reviewing the pre-screener, landlords can decide whether to send the interested party a complete application. And though a pre-screener is a time-saving first step, it should never replace the standard residential rental application form.

Federal Application Laws

Whether they’re accepting applications for a farmhouse on a few acres or a duplex in Downtown Burlington, all Vermont landlords must comply with federal laws. Here are the five federal laws you need to know:

Fair Housing Act (FHA): This law prohibits landlords from discriminating against applicants based on the following protected characteristics:

• Race,
• Color,
• National origin,
• Religion,
• Sex,
• Familial status, and
• Disability.

Screening parties can’t ask questions about protected characteristics, use discriminatory advertising, or offer unequal rental terms. This law applies to landlords, property managers, and employees responsible for selecting renters (42 U.S.C. §§ 3601–3619).

Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA): The ECOA protects applicants who receive public assistance or have lived in public housing. The ECOA also outlines how landlords assess credit reports and sets reporting guidelines for applicants (15 U.S.C. §§ 1691–1691f).

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Landlords can’t deny an applicant solely based on a disability and must accommodate the renter’s condition if they approve them as a tenant (42 U.S.C. §§ 12101–12213).

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): Before pulling a credit report, landlords must obtain the applicant’s written consent and must notify the applicant if they deny the application based on a tenant screening report (15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.).

Civil Rights Act of 1866: Landlords can’t discriminate based on race or color and must treat all applicants equally (42 U.S.C. § 1981).

Vermont Application Laws

Vermont also enforces its own tenant screening laws, including the Vermont Fair Housing and Public Accommodations Act and Vermont landlord-tenant laws.

In addition to federally protected characteristics, Vermont law also prohibits discrimination based on:

• Marital status,
• Age,
• Sexual orientation,
• Gender identity,
• Whether the applicant intends to occupy a dwelling with one or more minor children,
• Whether the applicant receives public assistance, or
• Whether the applicant is a victim of abuse, sexual assault, or stalking.

Keep in mind, landlords can’t deny an applicant based on any of the above characteristics (9 V.S.A. § 4503).

Here’s additional information Vermont landlords should know:

Source of income: Landlords can’t discriminate against applicants who receive public assistance, including Section 8 vouchers (9 V.S.A. § 4503).

Criminal history & eviction history: In Vermont, landlords can consider criminal and eviction history when denying an applicant.

Sexual orientation and gender identity: These are protected characteristics in Vermont, so landlords can’t discriminate against or deny housing based on them (9 V.S.A. § 4503).

Portable tenant screening reports: Vermont landlords may accept portable tenant screening reports, but state law does not require them to do so.

Pets, ESAs, and Service Animals 

70% of Vermont households own pets. Naturally, pets and service animals need to be included in the rental application, too.

Pet information: Include application questions that address the number of animals, types, breeds, sizes, and vaccination statuses.

ESAs and service animals: Landlords can’t discriminate against applicants with emotional support animals (ESAs) or service animals. These animals are not considered pets under federal law, so standard pet restrictions don’t apply. However, tenants must cover the cost of any property damage caused by the animal(s).

Denial Process

Vermont landlords must follow a uniform, legal process when denying applicants. Landlords can deny applicants based on:

• Insufficient income,
• Credit history,
• Rental history,
• Criminal background, or
• False or incomplete information.

Denial notice: Vermont law does not require landlords to notify applicants whom they do not select.

Credit/Background denials: If a denial relies on information from a credit or background check, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires landlords to send an adverse action notice that includes the reporting agency’s name, contact information, and a statement of the applicant’s right to dispute inaccuracies (15 U.S.C. § 1681m).

Document storage: Vermont law does not require landlords to store application documents or screening reports. But as a best practice, landlords should keep these records on file to help defend against potential discrimination claims. Store digital copies with TurboTenant to reduce paperwork and stay protected.