Typical residential security deposit amount a landlord holds and later accounts for on a return statement in Vermont (2026)
A typical Vermont range, the local factors behind it, and the tools to price your own project.
Reviewed for 2026, updated September 8, 2026.
What drives the cost in Vermont
Vermont deposits sit near the national typical range in Chittenden County and below it in most of the rest of the state. State law sets no cap, requires return within 14 days with an itemized statement (longer for seasonal rentals), and allows doubled damages for willful violations, so confirm the current terms. Long winters, heating costs, and a stock of old farmhouses make ice dams, frost heave, and plaster wear common and mostly owner costs.
Tips for Vermont buyers
- With only two weeks, walk the unit on move-out day and rely on written estimates where invoices lag.
- Know whether your lease is seasonal, since the return window differs.
- Burlington turnover follows the university calendar; plan for late spring and summer.
Ranges are hedged planning estimates derived from a national typical range and a local index, not quotes. A typical single deposit on a market-rate residential rental is commonly around one month's rent, which puts most deposits somewhere in this range; actual amounts vary widely with local rents, unit size, pets, and state caps, and this is a working reference rather than a survey figure.
Price your project
- Deposit Deduction Depreciation Calculator: Estimates how much of a carpet, paint, blind, or appliance replacement a landlord can fairly deduct from a security deposit once the item's age and normal wear are taken into account.
- Security Deposit Refund Statement Calculator: Adds up the deposit held, any interest owed, and each itemized deduction to show the exact refund due to the tenant or the balance the tenant still owes.
- Late Deposit Return Penalty Exposure Calculator: Shows landlords how many days remain before a state return deadline and what missing it could cost when a statute allows forfeited deductions or multiplied damages.