A new state law taking effect August 1st will allow victims of stalking and cyberstalking to break their apartment leases without penalty. Current Louisiana law already gives that option to victims of domestic abuse. New Orleans Representative Mandie Landry says the change came after hearing about a real-life case where a stalking victim had no legal way to leave a dangerous situation.
“While he was not physically abusing her, he was potentially threatening her life; and there was nothing she could do to move. And so we were able to improve our law that already existed,” Landry said.
To end a lease, a tenant must complete the state’s certified domestic abuse form notifying the landlord of the safety risk. A qualified third party, such as a domestic violence resource center, must also verify the claim.
Landry says she worked with the Louisiana Apartment Association and the Louisiana Realtors Association, and both supported expanding the law to include victims of stalking and cyberstalking.
“Not that just stalking should be in it, but that cyberstalking; that’s something that would not have been considered years ago when this was passed,” Landry explained.
Landry hopes victims learn about the new law, saying it gives people being stalked a way to escape dangerous situations without being trapped by a lease.
“You have someone who feels like they can’t go anywhere because they can’t afford to lose six months on a lease, and then they just don’t know what to do. They think that they’re stuck,” Landry noted.