Vermont Statutes Title 9 Sec. 4457
Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 9 Sec. 4457
- Dwelling unit: means a building or the part of a building that is used as a home, residence, or sleeping place by one or more persons who maintain a household. See
- Landlord: means the owner, lessor, or where applicable, the sublessor of a residential dwelling unit or the building of which it is a part. See
- Premises: means a dwelling unit, its appurtenances and the building, and the grounds, areas, and facilities held out for the use of tenants generally or whose use is promised to the tenant. See
- Rental agreement: means all agreements, written or oral, embodying terms and conditions concerning the use and occupancy of a dwelling unit and premises. See
- Tenant: means a person entitled under a rental agreement to occupy a residential dwelling unit to the exclusion of others. See
§ 4457. Landlord obligations; habitability
(a) Warranty of habitability. In any residential rental agreement, the landlord shall be deemed to covenant and warrant to deliver over and maintain, throughout the period of the tenancy, premises that are safe, clean, and fit for human habitation and that comply with the requirements of applicable building, housing, and health regulations.
(b) Waiver. No rental agreement shall contain any provision by which the tenant waives the protections of the implied warranty of habitability. Any such waiver shall be deemed contrary to public policy and shall be unenforceable and void.
(c) Heat and water. As part of the implied warranty of habitability, the landlord shall ensure that the dwelling unit has heating facilities that are capable of safely providing a reasonable amount of heat. Every landlord who provides heat as part of the rental agreement shall at all times supply a reasonable amount of heat to the dwelling unit. The landlord shall provide an adequate amount of water to each dwelling unit properly connected with hot and cold water lines. The hot water lines shall be connected with supplied water-heating facilities that are capable of heating sufficient water to permit an adequate amount to be drawn. This subsection shall not apply to a dwelling unit intended and rented for summer occupancy or as a hunting camp. (Added 1985, No. 175 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)