| 1 | 1 | | BILL AS INTRODUCED H.462 |
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| 2 | 2 | | 2025 Page 1 of 3 |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | VT LEG #380644 v.1 |
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| 6 | 6 | | H.462 1 |
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| 7 | 7 | | Introduced by Representative Hooper of Burlington 2 |
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| 8 | 8 | | Referred to Committee on 3 |
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| 9 | 9 | | Date: 4 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Subject: Municipal government; municipal charters; City of Burlington; 5 |
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| 11 | 11 | | amendment 6 |
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| 12 | 12 | | Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to amend the 7 |
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| 13 | 13 | | charter of the City of Burlington to authorize the City Council to adopt an 8 |
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| 14 | 14 | | ordinance prohibiting the eviction of residential tenants without just cause. 9 |
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| 15 | 15 | | An act relating to approval of an amendment to the charter of the City of 10 |
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| 16 | 16 | | Burlington concerning just cause eviction 11 |
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| 17 | 17 | | It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 12 |
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| 18 | 18 | | Sec. 1. CHARTER AMENDMENT APPROVAL 13 |
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| 19 | 19 | | The General Assembly approves the amendment of the charter of the City 14 |
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| 20 | 20 | | of Burlington as set forth in this act. Voters approved the proposal of 15 |
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| 21 | 21 | | amendment on March 2, 2021. 16 |
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| 22 | 22 | | Sec. 2. 24 App. V.S.A. chapter 3 is amended to read: 17 |
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| 23 | 23 | | CHAPTER 3. CITY OF BURLINGTON 18 |
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| 24 | 24 | | * * * 19 |
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| 25 | 25 | | § 48. ENUMERATED 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.462 |
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| 26 | 26 | | 2025 Page 2 of 3 |
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| 27 | 27 | | |
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| 28 | 28 | | |
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| 29 | 29 | | VT LEG #380644 v.1 |
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| 30 | 30 | | The City Council shall have power: 1 |
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| 31 | 31 | | * * * 2 |
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| 32 | 32 | | (67)(A) To provide by ordinance protections for residential tenants, as 3 |
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| 33 | 33 | | defined in 9 V.S.A. chapter 137, from eviction without “just cause,” where 4 |
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| 34 | 34 | | “just cause” shall include: 5 |
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| 35 | 35 | | (i) a tenant’s material breach of a written rental agreement; 6 |
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| 36 | 36 | | (ii) a tenant’s violation of State statutes regulating tenant 7 |
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| 37 | 37 | | obligations in residential rental agreements; 8 |
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| 38 | 38 | | (iii) nonpayment of rent; and 9 |
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| 39 | 39 | | (iv) a tenant’s failure to accept written, reasonable, good faith 10 |
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| 40 | 40 | | renewal terms. 11 |
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| 41 | 41 | | (B) The ordinance shall exclude from “just cause” the expiration of a 12 |
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| 42 | 42 | | rental agreement as the sole grounds for termination of tenancy. In addition to 13 |
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| 43 | 43 | | the exemptions in 9 V.S.A. chapter 137, the ordinance shall exempt from this 14 |
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| 44 | 44 | | provision, subject to mitigation provisions, sublets and in-unit rentals as well 15 |
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| 45 | 45 | | as the following properties, but not limited to: 16 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (i) owner-occupied duplexes and triplexes; 17 |
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| 47 | 47 | | (ii) those being withdrawn from the rental market, including 18 |
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| 48 | 48 | | properties to be occupied by the owner or an immediate family member as a 19 |
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| 49 | 49 | | primary residence; and 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.462 |
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| 50 | 50 | | 2025 Page 3 of 3 |
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| 52 | 52 | | |
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| 53 | 53 | | VT LEG #380644 v.1 |
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| 54 | 54 | | (iii) those in need of substantial renovations that preclude 1 |
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| 55 | 55 | | occupancy. 2 |
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| 56 | 56 | | (C) The ordinance shall include provisions that: 3 |
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| 57 | 57 | | (i) mitigate potential negative impacts on tenants and property 4 |
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| 58 | 58 | | owners, including requirements of adequate notice and reasonable relocation 5 |
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| 59 | 59 | | expenses; 6 |
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| 60 | 60 | | (ii) provide for a reasonable probationary period after initial 7 |
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| 61 | 61 | | occupancy; and 8 |
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| 62 | 62 | | (iii) limit unreasonable rent increases to prevent de facto evictions 9 |
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| 63 | 63 | | or nonrenewals, although this shall not be construed to limit rents beyond the 10 |
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| 64 | 64 | | purpose of preventing individual evictions. 11 |
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| 65 | 65 | | (D) The ordinance shall define what is “reasonable” and “adequate 12 |
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| 66 | 66 | | notice” in defining “just cause” and shall require that landlords provide notice 13 |
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| 67 | 67 | | of just cause and other legal requirements as part of the rental agreement. 14 |
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| 68 | 68 | | * * * 15 |
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| 69 | 69 | | Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 16 |
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| 70 | 70 | | This act shall take effect on passage. 17 |
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