Measure would let Nevada victims of stalking, rape break a housing lease
CARSON CITY Nevada renters who are victims of sexual assault, stalking or harassment would be legally allowed to break their lease early with no financial penalty if a bill heard Monday by a Nevada Assembly committee is passed into law.
Assembly Bill 247, proposed by freshman Assemblyman Steve Yeager, D-Las Vegas, expands the scope of a current law that applies to victims of domestic violence. That law, passed in 2013, says landlords must allow victims of domestic violence to break their lease if a police report or court-issued protective order is presented to the landlord within 90 days of an alleged attack.
The real motivation here is to make sure victims are not forced to stay in rental properties where they are not or do not feel safe, Yeager said Monday before the Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor. Lack of money should not serve as a barrier to safety, especially when it pertains to these types of crimes.
Victims sharing a rented property with their abuser would be able to break their portion of a lease, leaving the perpetrator with the full bill, Yeager said.
Read more: https://lasvegassun.com/news/2017/mar/14/measure-would-let-nevada-victims-of-stalking-rape/