I am a victim of domestic violence how do i end my lease?
Short answer
In Quebec, a person whose safety, or that of a child living with them, is threatened by conjugal or sexual violence may cancel their lease. The cancellation takes effect 2 months after the notice, or 1 month if the lease is for less than 12 months or of indeterminate term.
In detail
The notice must be accompanied by a certificate issued by a public servant designated by the Minister of Justice. The certificate confirms that the cancellation is necessary to ensure the safety of the person or of a child.
It is obtained from the office of the Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales at the courthouse in your region, or from a Centre d'aide aux victimes d'actes criminels (CAVAC, a crime victims assistance centre). It may be based on a judgment or on a sworn statement supported by people who are in contact with victims.
Rent remains payable until the date the cancellation takes effect. The landlord does not have to agree to it.
What to document
Keep your file somewhere safe, ideally not on a shared device: the dates of the events, the communications, police or support worker reports, and the certificate you obtained. Also note the date you sent the notice to the landlord.
Put your facts in writing, free. Writing your version down early, keeping your documents dated and preparing your questions for a lawyer: the tool is there to document, never to advise.
Open the application Up to 3 files, no card · see the plans
Official sources
- TAL — Cancellation of a lease: conjugal violence, sexual violence or violence against a child
- Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales — Policy on the certificate for the cancellation of a lease (conjugal or sexual violence, or violence against a child)
- JuridiQC — How to leave your dwelling during the lease
Related questions
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What this page is not
This is general legal information about the law of Quebec and Canada, dated and sourced. It is not legal advice, not a strategy, and not a prediction about the outcome of a case. In Quebec, only lawyers and notaries may give legal advice (Act respecting the Barreau du Québec, ss. 128 and 133). Laws and amounts change: the official source always prevails over us.