Victims And Landlords Negotiated New Domestic Violence Law Protecting Renters

Starting today, domestic violence and sexual assault victims who rent their homes are better protected from future attacks and eviction, thanks to a new law that came out of intense negotiations between representatives of victims and landlords.

The law ensures three basic protections for victims who rent:  They can break their lease -- no matter how long it is -- without penalty if they have a protective order;  they can change their locks for safety reasons; and landlords cannot evict tenants based on being victims of domestic violence or sexual abuse.

The legislation is being hailed by advocates for domestic violence victims as groundbreaking, but it came out of intense negotiations. Del. Cheryl Glenn, the lead sponsor, characterized the negotiations over the terms of the bill between lobbyists for landlords and victims’ advocates as “very difficult, very emotional.”
“Nobody got everything they wanted,” Glenn said.

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