Bill that lets abuse victims break leases advances in House

Victims of domestic violence could soon break their leases early without having to pay penalties imposed by landlords.

House lawmakers gave initial approval Thursday to a measure supporters say is necessary to protect victims of domestic violence from their abusers.

The bill, which has been approved by the Senate, now moves to a final House vote and could land on Gov. Janet Napolitano’s desk for approval in a matter of days.

If the bill becomes law, victims of abuse by a partner or family member could end their leases early and move in order to hide from the abusers.

The victims, mostly women, often can’t come up with the money to terminate their rental contracts. That, victims rights advocates say, leaves them vulnerable to further abuse because they can’t move to a safer location.

“This is a potentially deadly and lethal situation,” said Rep. Pete Hershberger, R-Tucson, who is supporting measure.

The measure sailed through the House on a voice vote without opposition.

That was a stark contrast to the Senate, where the bill fought off strong opposition from groups representing landlords who feared some renters could take advantage of the new law to slip out of their financial obligations.

Terry Feinberg, director of the Arizona Multihousing Association, opposed the bill because he said it could allow renters to exploit their landlords by making false claims of abuse.

But Feinberg worked out a deal with lawmakers that he says offers landlords at least some assurance that they won’t be scammed.

The bill, as it’s worded now, requires victims of domestic violence to provide an order of protection or a document from a law enforcement agency saying they’ve been abused in order to terminate their lease early.

No date has been set for a final vote in the House.