Can a domestic violence victim end a lease early in New Jersey?

In New Jersey, a tenant may end a residential lease early by giving the landlord written notice that the tenant or the tenant’s child faces an imminent threat of serious physical harm from a named person if the tenant stays, together with a restraining order or other listed documentation of domestic violence, and the lease ends on the thirtieth day after the landlord receives it, with rent owed pro rata up to then. The documentation may be a certified copy of a permanent restraining order issued under the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act of 1991 or by another jurisdiction, protecting the tenant from the person named in the notice; a law enforcement agency record documenting the domestic violence or certifying that the tenant or the tenant’s child is a victim; medical documentation from a health care provider; a certification by a certified Domestic Violence Specialist or the director of a designated domestic violence agency; or other documentation or certification by a licensed social worker. The landlord and tenant may agree on an earlier termination date. The lease ends only if the victim acts in good faith and follows every requirement. Co-tenants’ lease also ends, though the landlord may offer them a new lease or let them hold over. The landlord may not disclose the documentation, enter it into any shared database or give it to anyone, except as evidence when required in an eviction or an action for unpaid rent or damages, with the tenant’s consent, or as otherwise required by law. The rights cannot be waived in a lease. For public housing or a publicly funded housing assistance contract, notice follows the applicable regulations and State or federal law. The rules do not apply to a seasonal rental of not more than 125 consecutive days. This is N.J.S.A. 46:8-9.6, 46:8-9.7, 46:8-9.8, 46:8-9.9, 46:8-9.11, 46:8-9.12.

WhatNew Jersey
Ending the lease earlyNotice plus a restraining order or report; ends in 30 days

What the statute says

“Lease terminations pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2008, c.111 (C.46:8-9.6) shall take effect on the thirtieth day following receipt by the landlord of notice complying with section 3 …”

Quoted word for word from the section’s text.

Source

N.J.S.A. 46:8-9.6, 46:8-9.7, 46:8-9.8, 46:8-9.9, 46:8-9.11, 46:8-9.12

Read the statute in the New Jersey Statutes (New Jersey Legislature): njleg.state.nj.us.

The linked sections open Justia’s free copy of the code, because the state’s own site has no stable address for each section.

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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