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Tenants facing domestic violence can end year-to-year or fixed-term leases early without financial penalty.

Changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will allow victims to work with the Department of Justice’s Victim Services program to end a year-to-year or a fixed-term lease with one month’s notice and without paying a penalty.

Under a year-to-year lease, a tenant normally ends their lease by giving notice three months before the anniversary date. A fixed-term lease normally ends at the end of the term. Otherwise, the tenant is financially responsible for their rent for the period of their lease.

The changes to the Residential Tenancies Act reduce that financial responsibility, allowing tenants to leave for their own safety.

Tenants with week-to-week or month-to-month leases have as part of their lease the option of ending their tenancy with one week’s or one month’s notice.

For more information or to begin the process of ending a year-to-year or fixed-term lease, call Victim Services, at 1-888-470-0773.