Chittenden County, VT Short-Term Rentals: Permit Requirements (2026)

Vermont counties have no regulatory authority - all STR rules come from state statute or individual town ordinances. State framework: a short-term rental is a furnished dwelling rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days and more than 14 days per calendar year. Operators must (1) register a Meals & Rooms Tax account with the Vermont Department of Taxes if collecting rent directly, (2) post the MRT account number on every advertisement (effective July 1, 2018, under 32 V.S.A. §9202), (3) self-certify with the Department of Health and Division of Fire Safety regarding life-safety standards. Tax stack: the base 9% Meals & Rooms Tax (32 V.S.A. §9241) applies to all rooms rented less than 30 days; Act 183 of 2024 adds a 3% short-term rental surcharge effective August 1, 2024, on stays under 30 days; and 32 V.S.A. §138 authorizes a 1% local option rooms tax that has been adopted by Burlington, South Burlington, Williston, and other Chittenden County towns. Combined statewide-plus-local burden on a Chittenden County STR can reach 13%. Towns may regulate further: Burlington requires STR registration and limits short-term rental of non-owner-occupied units in some districts; South Burlington and Winooski have their own permitting frameworks. Operators using only platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo) that collect tax do not need to register for an MRT account but still must comply with town permits.