Laws designed to assist victim-survivors of domestic violence in leaving abusive situations by breaking a lease take effect in the ACT today. Tenants will need to provide supporting evidence like a declaration form from a professional or legal order to access the legislation. Other laws to protect renters will start next year, including around mandating break-lease fee caps.
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00:00After enduring a decade of violence, this woman fled her home in Queensland and her
00:08abusive partner.
00:09After a lot of threats, including death threats towards my children, I had to flee and try
00:15and go as far away as possible and that's what brought me here to Canberra.
00:19Her partner found her and continued the abuse, also threatening to kidnap their two children.
00:25It is scary.
00:28It is.
00:29Every night I feel like I sleep with one eye open because I do not know when he can just
00:34stomp into the house.
00:36Anna has been desperate to move but couldn't afford to break her lease, until now.
00:43From today, Canberrans can immediately terminate a rental agreement without penalty if they
00:48are victims of family violence.
00:51Previously, an application had to be made to the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal,
00:57a process that could take months to finalise.
01:00This is some fairly, I would say, minor tinkering with the Residential Tenancies Act, but for
01:07specific individuals it will have a big impact in terms of their experience.
01:12The move has been welcomed by those on the front line of the family violence crisis.
01:17We've got four current clients we're supporting in that situation right now who are feeling
01:22very relieved that we can immediately start this process supporting them with it.
01:27It can just be really overwhelming for people when they're already facing a violent situation,
01:32feeling like they don't have the option to leave.
01:34The real estate industry body has also backed the change, saying property managers often
01:39felt their hands were tied.
01:41Regardless of the way they personally feel about a situation, professionally they have
01:44to follow legislation otherwise they will be in trouble and so it will make the situation
01:49much easier to have legislation that's easier to implement in such difficult circumstances.
01:54When submitting a family violence termination notice to their landlord, tenants need to
01:58provide supporting evidence that proves their circumstances.
02:02That could be a relevant court order or, more simply, a letter from a doctor, nurse, social
02:09worker or support service.
02:11What the new laws mean to Anna is hard to overstate.
02:15It means I've got my freedom.
02:17And your safety.
02:18And my safety.
02:19And my children's safety.