Vermont Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) recently released a digital version of its “Illustrated Guide to Vermont Renters’ Rights.” The guide includes visually-appealing images that explain tenant rights and responsibilities throughout the rental process and identifies local and statewide resources for renters who find themselves in need of assistance. Images in the guide appear alongside text describing each right and responsibility. The full guide is available in English, French, Arabic, and Nepali, reflecting the language access needs of the largest limited-English proficiency populations in Vermont.
Vermont renters’ rights on which the guide educates consumers include: fair housing protections, including protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and source of income; legal limits on the amount of money a landlord may charge a renter as a security deposit and the right for a renter to receive their security deposit with interest upon move-out; a minimum of 60 days’ notice before rent increases (90 days in the city of Burlington); and protections against retaliatory eviction in response to renters exercising their tenants’ rights.
Cartoonist, artist and educator Sophie Yanow illustrated the guide, and CVOEO worked with a group of Vermont tenants to create the accompanying text. The Vermont Arts Council, Jean Murray & Vermont Legal Aid, Paw Print & Mail, the CVOEO Fair Housing Project all contributed financial support.
The English version of the “Illustrated Guide to Vermont Renters’ Rights” is available at: http://bit.ly/2mxObTG