Walk It Through: Leaving for Safety
Threats from an ex at the apartment, a letter to the landlord, a move in the night, and rent that stops.
A tenant's former partner has threatened violence at the apartment.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
A tenant who leaves because of threats at the premises. Sexual violence that already happened and its evidence, changing locks, and the order of protection hearing itself are left to the pages.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- Order of protectionA court order against abuse, which lasts 14 to 21 days as an emergency order, up to 30 days as an interim order, and up to two years as a plenary order.
- MitigateA landlord's duty to take reasonable measures to limit the damages it can recover from a tenant who defaults, such as by leaving early.