MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – A key Vermont legislative committee is taking a hard look at landlord-tenant relationships.
As the state battles one of the lowest rental vacancy rates in the country, the Landlord-Tenant Law Study Committee is looking into whether landlord and rental laws need a refresh.
They’re also curious about how evictions impact rental housing availability.
Members of the public urged lawmakers to enact rent control, a statewide rental registry and just-cause eviction protections.
“As nurses, educators and social workers like myself are increasingly unable to make ends meet in Vermont, the reality is that when any of us are forced to endure inhumane living conditions, the health and safety of our entire community is degraded,” said Meghan Downey, a Winooski renter.
But some landlords tell lawmakers that certain cost drivers– like water, heat rates and property taxes– are out of their control.
The committee is expected to make a recommendation to state lawmakers next month.