Empowering a Victim of Domestic Violence to Terminate a Lease

Shelly Kurtz

David H. Vernon Professor Emeritus
College of Law

4:00 pm
Thursday, April 21, 2022

Kollros Auditorium (101 BBE)

Video of the lecture (intro starts at 00:40)

You may also join us on Zoom

In most states, tenants who are victims of domestic violence have NO right to terminate their leases. This forces victims to choose between remaining in their homes and risking more violence and possibly death, or leaving their apartments and incurring substantial debt to their landlords for unpaid rents.

Reforming landlord tenant law to allow tenants who are victims of domestic violence to terminate their leases without owing further rents seems like a sensibile solution. As with all reforms there is another side to the story – the landlord's side – and so the reform is designed to create some balance and protection for landlords as well.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Minnetta Gardinier in advance at 319-331-6235 or m-gardinier@uiowa.edu.

~ Sponsored by the Emeritus Faculty Council ~