MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – A legislative committee at the statehouse is looking into the relationship between renters and property managers this winter.
During public comments, renters urged state lawmakers to pass a statewide no-cause eviction bill in order to provide protections against unfair evictions.
Some landlords told lawmakers, however, that they can also be strained by bad tenants and that the damages caused by them can fall on their shoulders.
The Burlington Housing Authority says even if lawmakers ban no-cause evictions, property managers can still evict tenants and it could have unintended consequences.
“If I get a for cause eviction because my landlord wants me out, I will have an eviction on my record for 10 years, which means I am almost for all intents and purposes out of the ability to rent from a private landlord.” Steven Murray from the Burlington Housing Authority said.
The discussion comes during a housing crunch, where places like Chittenden county are dealing with low rental vacancy rates.