Ending a lease due to family or domestic violence

When you can end your lease due to violence

You can end a lease immediately if you or your children:

• have experienced a domestic violence offence during the tenancy 
• are protected by any type of domestic violence order
• are protected by a family law injunction, or
• have been declared by a health practitioner or other 'competent person' (such as a social worker or counsellor) to have experienced domestic violence.

You can end the lease the same day you give notice or at a later date. You do not have to give the notice to the landlord or agent in person.

Documents you'll need

You need to give the landlord or agent a domestic violence termination notice indicating the date you want to end the lease. You can download a template letter at NSW Fair Trading.

The notice must also include one piece of supporting evidence, such as a:

• certificate of conviction for the domestic violence offence
• family law injunction
• provisional, interim or final domestic violence order, or
• declaration made by a 'competent person (PDF 204KB)' - this includes registered health practitioners, social workers and counsellors.

Find out more about domestic violence and your rental rights at NSW Fair Trading.