| 1 | 1 | | BILL AS INTRODUCED H.509 |
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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 #382621 v.1 |
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| 6 | 6 | | H.509 1 |
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| 7 | 7 | | Introduced by Representatives Berbeco of Winooski and Tomlinson of 2 |
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| 8 | 8 | | Winooski 3 |
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| 9 | 9 | | Referred to Committee on 4 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Date: 5 |
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| 11 | 11 | | Subject: Municipal and county government; municipal charters; City of 6 |
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| 12 | 12 | | Winooski; amendment 7 |
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| 13 | 13 | | Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to approve an 8 |
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| 14 | 14 | | amendment to the charter of the City of Winooski to authorize the City Council 9 |
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| 15 | 15 | | to adopt an ordinance governing the eviction of residential tenants. 10 |
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| 16 | 16 | | An act relating to approval of an amendment to the charter of the City of 11 |
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| 17 | 17 | | Winooski 12 |
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| 18 | 18 | | It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 13 |
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| 19 | 19 | | Sec. 1. CHARTER AMENDMENT APPROVAL 14 |
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| 20 | 20 | | The General Assembly approves the amendment to the charter of the City 15 |
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| 21 | 21 | | of Winooski as set forth in this act. Voters approved the proposal of 16 |
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| 22 | 22 | | amendment on March 4, 2025. 17 |
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| 23 | 23 | | Sec. 2. 24 App. V.S.A. chapter 19 is amended to read: 18 |
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| 24 | 24 | | CHAPTER 19. CITY OF WINOOSKI 19 |
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| 25 | 25 | | * * * 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.509 |
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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 #382621 v.1 |
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| 30 | 30 | | § 304. GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES 1 |
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| 31 | 31 | | * * * 2 |
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| 32 | 32 | | (b) Additional powers. In addition to powers otherwise conferred upon it 3 |
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| 33 | 33 | | by law, the City, by the action of the Council or, if specifically required by law 4 |
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| 34 | 34 | | or this charter, by the action of its voters, has the following powers and rights, 5 |
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| 35 | 35 | | including: 6 |
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| 36 | 36 | | * * * 7 |
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| 37 | 37 | | (13)(A) To adopt by ordinance protections for residential tenants, as 8 |
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| 38 | 38 | | defined in 9 V.S.A. chapter 137, from eviction without just cause. Just cause 9 |
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| 39 | 39 | | shall include: 10 |
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| 40 | 40 | | (i) a tenant’s material breach of a written rental agreement; 11 |
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| 41 | 41 | | (ii) a tenant’s violation of State statutes regulating tenant 12 |
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| 42 | 42 | | obligations in residential rental agreements; 13 |
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| 43 | 43 | | (iii) nonpayment of rent; and 14 |
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| 44 | 44 | | (iv) a tenant’s failure to accept written, reasonable, good faith 15 |
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| 45 | 45 | | renewal terms. 16 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (B) The ordinance shall: 17 |
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| 47 | 47 | | (i) exclude from the definition of just cause the expiration of a 18 |
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| 48 | 48 | | rental agreement as the sole grounds for termination of tenancy; and 19 |
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| 49 | 49 | | (ii) exempt, subject to mitigation provisions, sublets, in-unit 20 |
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| 50 | 50 | | rentals, and the following properties: 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.509 |
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| 51 | 51 | | 2025 Page 3 of 3 |
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| 52 | 52 | | |
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| 53 | 53 | | |
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| 54 | 54 | | VT LEG #382621 v.1 |
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| 55 | 55 | | (I) owner-occupied duplexes and triplexes; 1 |
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| 56 | 56 | | (II) properties being withdrawn from the rental market, 2 |
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| 57 | 57 | | including properties to be occupied by the owner or an immediate family 3 |
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| 58 | 58 | | member as a primary residence; and 4 |
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| 59 | 59 | | (III) properties in need of substantial renovations that preclude 5 |
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| 60 | 60 | | occupancy. 6 |
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| 61 | 61 | | (C) The ordinance shall include provisions that: 7 |
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| 62 | 62 | | (i) Mitigate potential negative impacts on tenants and other 8 |
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| 63 | 63 | | property owners, including requirements of adequate notice and reasonable 9 |
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| 64 | 64 | | relocation expenses. 10 |
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| 65 | 65 | | (ii) Provide for a reasonable probationary period after initial 11 |
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| 66 | 66 | | occupancy. 12 |
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| 67 | 67 | | (iii) Limit unreasonable rent increases to prevent de facto 13 |
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| 68 | 68 | | evictions or nonrenewal. This subdivision (iii) shall not be construed to limit 14 |
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| 69 | 69 | | rental rates beyond the purpose of preventing individual evictions. 15 |
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| 70 | 70 | | (D) The ordinance shall define “reasonable” and “adequate notice” in 16 |
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| 71 | 71 | | defining just cause and shall require that landlords provide notice of just cause 17 |
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| 72 | 72 | | and other legal requirements as part of the rental agreement. 18 |
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| 73 | 73 | | * * * 19 |
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| 74 | 74 | | Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 20 |
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| 75 | 75 | | This act shall take effect on passage. 21 |
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