Law changes allow sexual violence victims to break leases

The provincial government hopes new legislation will help victims of sexual violence escape a bad situation.

On Wednesday the Saskatchewan government introduced amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act, which governs housing rentals and leases. The changes would allow people who have experienced sexual violence to break long-term leases without penalty.

“Saskatchewan is committed to providing as much protection to survivors as possible,” said Gordon Wyant, the justice minister and attorney general, in a media release. “We know these situations can be extremely difficult. The length of a survivor’s lease should not be an added challenge.”

The legislation will still require tenants to give their landlord 28-days notice of their intent to break the lease. Part of the process will also include an evaluation by Victims’ Services, which will determine if the person will be in danger if they stay in their current home.

The amendments expand a previous change that was passed in 2017, which extended similar protections to victims of interpersonal violence.

Additional changes introduced include revisions and expansions to other aspects of the act that “reflect current practices, create more efficiency, and allow more equity between the parties.”