Vermont (9 V.S.A. §4461) runs one of the fastest clocks in America with one of the sharpest consequences: fourteen days, hand-delivered or postmarked, or the landlord keeps nothing.
How much can a landlord charge?
No statutory cap statewide — though Burlington and a few municipalities layer local rules, including interest requirements. One month's rent is customary.
The 14-day rule
Within 14 days of the landlord discovering the tenant has vacated (or abandonment), the deposit must be returned or an itemized statement hand-delivered or mailed — for unpaid rent, unpaid utilities, damage beyond normal wear and tear, and removal of abandoned items. Miss the 14 days and the landlord forfeits the right to withhold any portion, period. Vermont courts enforce the forfeiture mechanically.
The penalty
Beyond forfeiture, willful noncompliance makes the landlord liable for double the amount wrongfully withheld plus reasonable attorney's fees.
Why Vermont deposit disputes are documentation disputes
Fourteen days means the landlord's itemization is assembled fast — and challenged slow, in small claims months later, where the itemization's claims meet whatever condition evidence exists. Vermont's speed rewards the party who documented before the sprint started.
SealMove is that preparation. Every photo and video is cryptographically sealed the instant it's captured, independently timestamped, and locked with Face ID into a tamper-evident archive. At move-out, the walkthrough lines up room-by-room against the sealed baseline — and either party can send the other a report to review and acknowledge, no app required.