Vermont rental application law: no application fee and no required Social Security number

What does the ban cover?

Subsection (a) says a landlord or a landlord's agent shall not charge an application fee to any individual in order to apply to enter into a rental agreement for a residential dwelling unit. The ban applies to residential units only. The same subsection says it should not be read to stop anyone from charging a fee to apply to rent commercial or nonresidential property.

The section as I read it has no exception for the cost of a credit or background report. So the practical rule in Vermont is that the report cost is yours unless you choose a path where the applicant buys their own report outside your application, and local counsel can tell you where that line sits.

What identification must you accept?

Subsection (b)(1) says that in order to conduct a background or credit check, a landlord shall accept any of three things: an original or copy of any unexpired government-issued identification, an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or a Social Security number. Subsection (b)(2) adds that a landlord shall not require a Social Security number to complete a residential rental application, or refuse to accept an application for lacking one. This part was added by a 2025 act that took effect on July 1, 2025.

Example a made-up applicant has an unexpired passport but no Social Security number. The landlord must accept the passport for the background check and cannot turn the application away for lacking the number.

How should an application page change?

• Remove any application fee field, including fees called processing, administrative or review fees.
• Make the Social Security number field optional, and offer a government ID upload and an ITIN as equal choices.
• Say on the page that no application fee applies.
• If you run a check, absorb its cost into your own budget or ask the applicant to bring their own report, with local counsel's view on the second path.

A lease deposit is a separate matter. This section deals with the application, and the security deposit rules sit in section 4461.

What to say instead

Because the ban is so clear, the work in Vermont is about the rest of your process. Tell applicants plainly that applying is free, so they do not assume a hidden charge. Decide in advance how you will pay for screening and whether you will screen every applicant or only finalists, since the cost is yours. Write your criteria down and apply them the same way to everyone, because a fee cannot filter out casual applicants for you. A clear written rule also makes it easier to treat applicants with an ITIN or only a government ID the same as those with a Social Security number. Review the page once a year against the statute text, because the identification part changed as recently as 2025, and keep a dated copy of each version of your application so you can show what applicants saw.

How DoorKeeping handles Vermont

For a Vermont unit, DoorKeeping's application link asks for no fee and treats an ID, an ITIN or a Social Security number as equal options. Screening is offered only as landlord-paid there. Tenants never pay a fee to DoorKeeping. Screening is passed through at cost. DoorKeeping never holds your money and sends a payment only when you approve it. This is general information, not legal advice. Check the current statute or ask a local attorney before you rely on it.

Sources

1. 9 V.S.A. 4456a, Residential rental application (Vermont General Assembly), read Oct 30, 2026

Questions

Can a Vermont landlord charge an application fee?

Not for a residential dwelling unit. 9 V.S.A. 4456a(a) bars any application fee for a home, though commercial applications are not covered.

Can a Vermont landlord require a Social Security number?

No. A landlord must accept a government ID, an ITIN or a Social Security number for a background or credit check and may not require the Social Security number.

When did the identification rule start?

The text shows an amendment by a 2025 act effective July 1, 2025.