Can a domestic violence victim end a lease early in California?

In California, a tenant who, or whose household or immediate family member, was the victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, elder or dependent adult abuse, or certain violent crimes may end the tenancy with a written notice given within 180 days of the act, order or report, attaching a protective order, a peace officer’s report, a qualified third party’s signed statement or other documentation that reasonably verifies the act, and owes rent for no more than 14 calendar days after the notice. The tenant is released without penalty from any further rent or other payment under the lease, and the rent owed is prorated if the unit is relet sooner. The landlord may not require the tenant to forfeit any security deposit or advance rent because of the termination, and the tenant is not considered to have breached the lease. The landlord may not disclose information the tenant provides under the section to a third party unless the tenant consents in writing or the law or a court requires it. Other tenants who are not the victim or the victim’s household remain bound by the lease. A landlord may not refuse to rent to someone because they previously used this right, and a landlord who violates the section is liable for actual damages and statutory damages of $100 to $5,000. This is Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.7.

WhatCalifornia
Ending the lease earlyWritten notice with an order or report; 14 days’ rent

What the statute says

“If notice to terminate the tenancy is provided to the landlord under this section, the tenant shall be responsible for payment of rent for no more than 14 calendar days following the giving of the notice …”

Quoted word for word from the section’s text.

Source

Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.7

Read the statute in the California Codes (California Legislative Information): leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

Checked against the statute on November 15, 2026.

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

How Seayora uses this rule

Seayora keeps every lease’s term, rent and signers in one record and dates every change to it. This page states the state’s rule so a lease’s own early-termination and sublet clauses can be checked against it before the lease is signed.

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