Vermont Rental Applications 2025: Landlords Can't Require a Social Security Number
by Platuni | 06 Oct, 2026 | 5 mins read
Platuni
06 October, 2026
5 mins read
1. Why the SSN requirement was removed rather than just made optional
The statute doesn't just make an SSN optional alongside other acceptable documents; it specifically states a landlord can't require one, and can't refuse an application for lacking one.
[Cite: 9 V.S.A. 4456a, as amended by Act 69 (S.127), Sec. 10, 2025 Vt. Acts]
That dual framing matters because a landlord technically offering alternative documents but still treating SSN-less applications less favorably, slower processing, extra scrutiny, would still run against the statute's intent; the law is built to put all 3 accepted documents on genuinely equal footing.
2. Why 3 specific document types were chosen
The statute names an unexpired government-issued ID, an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or a Social Security number as the accepted identification for background or credit checks.
[Cite: 9 V.S.A. 4456a]
Those 3 options cover the realistic range of documentation an applicant might actually hold; an ITIN specifically serves applicants who have a federal taxpayer identifier but aren't eligible for an SSN, which is the gap this provision was designed to close.
3. Why "unexpired" matters for the government-ID option
The statute specifies an unexpired government-issued ID, not simply any ID the applicant happens to have on hand.
[Cite: 9 V.S.A. 4456a]
A landlord reviewing an application with an expired driver's license or an expired passport can reasonably ask for a current, unexpired document instead; the statute's accommodation is about the type of document, not about accepting documents that have already lapsed.
4. Why landlords need to check their background-check vendor's capabilities
Since the law requires accepting an ITIN as valid identification for a background or credit check, a landlord has to confirm their specific screening vendor can actually run that check using an ITIN rather than an SSN.
[Cite: 9 V.S.A. 4456a]
A landlord whose existing screening platform was built assuming every applicant provides an SSN may need to update that system or switch vendors; simply accepting an ITIN on the application form isn't enough if the underlying check still can't be completed with it.
5. Why this doesn't eliminate background and credit checks themselves
This provision governs which identification document can be used to run a background or credit check; it doesn't restrict a landlord's ability to run that check in the first place.
[Cite: 9 V.S.A. 4456a]
A landlord can still screen every applicant for rental history, credit, or criminal background; the change is narrowly about not conditioning that screening on an SSN specifically, while still allowing it to proceed using one of the other 2 accepted document types.
6. Why the application-fee ban travels alongside this provision, but with a narrower scope
The same section of law that removed the SSN requirement also prohibits charging application fees for residential rentals, though that fee ban doesn't apply to commercial properties.
[Cite: 9 V.S.A. 4456a]
A property manager handling both residential and commercial listings needs to track that distinction carefully; the fee restriction is residential-specific, while the identification-document requirement discussed here is also framed around residential rental applications specifically.
7. Why this connects to Vermont's broader fair housing expansion the same year
This SSN provision was enacted in the same bill, S.127, Act 69, that also added citizenship and immigration status as protected categories under Vermont's fair housing law.
[Cite: Act 69 (S.127), 2025 Vt. Acts, Secs. 10-13]
A landlord should read this identification requirement alongside that broader fair housing expansion; both provisions work toward the same underlying goal of not excluding otherwise-qualified applicants over documentation tied to immigration status.
8. Why landlords should update application forms immediately, not just internal screening practice
Since the statute specifically addresses what an application can require, a landlord's actual paper or digital application form, not just the internal screening process behind it, needs to drop any SSN-required field.
[Cite: 9 V.S.A. 4456a]
A landlord who updated internal screening practice but left an old application template with a mandatory SSN field in place is still presenting a form that conflicts with the statute; both the form and the process behind it need to reflect this change.
9. Why documentation of which identification type was used protects landlords too
A landlord who accepts an ITIN or government ID in place of an SSN benefits from keeping a clear record of which document the applicant actually provided and used for the background check.
[Cite: 9 V.S.A. 4456a]
That documentation protects a landlord if a later dispute arises over how an application was processed; being able to show the applicant was screened using one of the statute's accepted document types, rather than treated differently for lacking an SSN, is a straightforward compliance record to keep.
10. Why this reflects a broader trend toward documentation flexibility in tenant screening
This provision fits a pattern seen in other states expanding which identification documents satisfy a rental application's screening requirements, generally moving away from an SSN-only default.
[Cite: Act 69 (S.127), 2025 Vt. Acts]
A property manager operating in multiple states should expect to see similar flexibility requirements elsewhere, and building a screening process that already accommodates multiple identification types puts that manager ahead of the curve in jurisdictions that haven't yet adopted this specific rule.
11. What property managers should do now
The practical starting point is auditing every rental application template, paper and digital, to remove any mandatory SSN field and replace it with language accepting a government ID, an ITIN, or an SSN.
Confirming with the specific background-check vendor that its system can process an ITIN-based check, not just an SSN-based one, closes the gap between what the application form promises and what the actual screening process can deliver.
Frequently asked questions
When did Vermont's SSN-free rental application requirement take effect?
July 1, 2025, under Act 69 (S.127), Section 10, amending 9 V.S.A. Section 4456a.
Can a landlord still require some form of identification?
Yes. A landlord has to accept an unexpired government-issued ID, an ITIN, or an SSN, whichever the applicant can provide, for a background or credit check.
Can a landlord refuse an application because the applicant has no SSN?
No. The statute specifically prohibits refusing an application due to the lack of a Social Security number.
Does this change whether a landlord can run a background or credit check?
No. It changes which identification document can be used to run that check; it doesn't restrict the landlord's ability to screen applicants.
Does the related application-fee ban apply to commercial properties too?
No. That fee ban is limited to residential rentals and doesn't extend to commercial property applications.
What should a landlord confirm with their background-check vendor?
That the vendor's system can actually process a background or credit check using an ITIN, not only a Social Security number.
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