Skip to main content

VT · Flood-disclosure law

Does a Vermont seller have to disclose flooding?

Vermont enacted a mandatory flood-risk disclosure (27 V.S.A. § 380, via Act 181 / H.639), effective June 17, 2024. Sellers of residential real property must disclose whether the property is in a FEMA-mapped special or moderate flood hazard area; any flooding or flood damage to the property during the seller's ownership (including inundation, erosion, or landslide); and whether the seller maintains flood insurance. Vermont was historically caveat emptor with no general condition-disclosure form; this is a flood-specific mandate.

Vermont at a glance

Flood-specific disclosure

The statute or the state-mandated form has dedicated flood questions — flood-zone status, flood history, prior claims, or flood-insurance history.

DisclosureRequired
Opt-outNone
Corroborated (secondary)· verified June 16, 2026
27 V.S.A. § 380 (Act 181, 2024)

The 4-card answer

Vermont flood-disclosure, decoded

Whether the seller must disclose, what triggers it, the penalties, and any opt-out gotcha — each card cites its source.

Does the seller have to disclose flooding?

Disclosure required

Flood-specific disclosure

Vermont enacted a mandatory flood-risk disclosure (27 V.S.A. § 380, via Act 181 / H.639), effective June 17, 2024. Sellers of residential real property must disclose whether the property is in a FEMA-mapped special or moderate flood hazard area; any flooding or flood damage to the property during the seller's ownership (including inundation, erosion, or landslide); and whether the seller maintains flood insurance. Vermont was historically caveat emptor with no general condition-disclosure form; this is a flood-specific mandate.

The statute or the state-mandated form has dedicated flood questions — flood-zone status, flood history, prior claims, or flood-insurance history.

27 V.S.A. § 380 (Act 181, 2024)Corroborated (secondary)· verified June 16, 2026

What triggers the duty

  • Sale of residential real estate in Vermont (post-June 17, 2024)
  • Seller's knowledge of flood hazard status, flood history during ownership, and insurance status

Penalties & remedies

For knowing failure to disclose, buyers may seek damages, attorney's fees, and punitive damages.

Buyer remedy: Buyer may terminate the contract before title transfer or occupancy if the required disclosure is not provided, and may seek damages (plus attorney's fees and, for knowing withholding, punitive damages).

Opt-out gotchas

No statutory opt-out or waiver-for-credit mechanism identified. Sellers have a safe harbor for errors/omissions in information drawn from public sources or relied-upon licensed professionals.

Research note ▾

State Flood Ready page (floodready.vermont.gov) is an official VT government source confirming the disclosure requirement; the precise codified § 380 text, the June 17 2024 effective date, and remedies are corroborated by two independent legal sources, but the Vermont Legislature statute/Act PDF repeatedly timed out and could not be fetched directly in-session. Treat statute_citation as accurate per the official state page; remedy specifics are secondary.

Buyer's rights

If you're buying in Vermont

Your rights re-framed from the buyer's side, plus a pre-closing checklist that holds in every state.

What Vermont law gives you as a buyer

Vermont requires a seller disclosure (see the answer cards), so you have a statutory document to rely on — and a remedy if the seller knowingly withheld a material flood fact. Buyer may terminate the contract before title transfer or occupancy if the required disclosure is not provided, and may seek damages (plus attorney's fees and, for knowing withholding, punitive damages).

27 V.S.A. § 380 (Act 181, 2024)

Your pre-closing checklist (works in every state)

  • Pull a free FEMA flood-zone lookup

    Enter the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center to see the property's flood-zone designation (Special Flood Hazard Area = Zone A/V). This is public and free, regardless of what the seller discloses.

    msc.fema.gov ↗

  • Request a CLUE / loss-history report

    A C.L.U.E. (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) report shows insurance claims filed on the property in the last ~7 years, including water and flood claims. The current owner can pull theirs free once a year from LexisNexis.

    LexisNexis consumer disclosure ↗

  • Get an independent inspection — ask about water

    Hire your own inspector and specifically flag drainage, grading, sump pumps, and signs of past water intrusion (staining, efflorescence, fresh paint in basements). An inspection contingency protects you if problems surface.

  • Get a flood-insurance quote before you waive contingencies

    Quote NFIP or private flood coverage early. Homeowners' insurance does NOT cover flood damage. A federally backed mortgage on a property in a Special Flood Hazard Area generally requires flood insurance — budget for it.

    floodsmart.gov ↗

Compare another state

Switch states without leaving

The decoder below is pre-selected to this state. Pick another to compare.

Step 2 — Your answer

Vermont

Does the seller have to disclose flooding?

Disclosure required

Flood-specific disclosure

Vermont enacted a mandatory flood-risk disclosure (27 V.S.A. § 380, via Act 181 / H.639), effective June 17, 2024. Sellers of residential real property must disclose whether the property is in a FEMA-mapped special or moderate flood hazard area; any flooding or flood damage to the property during the seller's ownership (including inundation, erosion, or landslide); and whether the seller maintains flood insurance. Vermont was historically caveat emptor with no general condition-disclosure form; this is a flood-specific mandate.

The statute or the state-mandated form has dedicated flood questions — flood-zone status, flood history, prior claims, or flood-insurance history.

27 V.S.A. § 380 (Act 181, 2024)Corroborated (secondary)· verified June 16, 2026

What triggers the duty

  • Sale of residential real estate in Vermont (post-June 17, 2024)
  • Seller's knowledge of flood hazard status, flood history during ownership, and insurance status

Penalties & remedies

For knowing failure to disclose, buyers may seek damages, attorney's fees, and punitive damages.

Buyer remedy: Buyer may terminate the contract before title transfer or occupancy if the required disclosure is not provided, and may seek damages (plus attorney's fees and, for knowing withholding, punitive damages).

Opt-out gotchas

No statutory opt-out or waiver-for-credit mechanism identified. Sellers have a safe harbor for errors/omissions in information drawn from public sources or relied-upon licensed professionals.

Research note ▾

State Flood Ready page (floodready.vermont.gov) is an official VT government source confirming the disclosure requirement; the precise codified § 380 text, the June 17 2024 effective date, and remedies are corroborated by two independent legal sources, but the Vermont Legislature statute/Act PDF repeatedly timed out and could not be fetched directly in-session. Treat statute_citation as accurate per the official state page; remedy specifics are secondary.

Summary of Vermont law as of June 2026. Not legal advice.

Full Vermont page
Editorial review

Professional review in progress

We are recruiting a licensed real-estate attorney or title professional to review these summaries before this site applies for advertising. Until then, treat every page as informational only.

Related states

UtahAll statesVirginia