Housing Laws

You can break your lease (terminate your tenancy) and move out if both of the following are true:

1. you or your child faces an immediate (imminent) threat of serious physical harm from another person if you stay in your home; and
2. you give the landlord both of these things:
   
   • notice in a legally acceptable way that you want to end (terminate) your lease; and
   • a certified copy of one of the following:
     • a domestic abuse injunction protecting you;
     • a child abuse restraining order protecting your child;
     • a harassment injunction protecting you or your child that is based on an act, attempt, or threat of sexual assault, sexual assault of a child, repeated acts of sexual assault of a child, or stalking;
     • an order that states that the defendant cannot contact you while s/he is out of jail awaiting a criminal court hearing (“condition of release”);
     • a criminal complaint alleging that sexual assault, sexual assault of a child, repeated acts of sexual assault of a child, or stalking was committed against you or your child; or
     • a criminal complaint that was filed against the defendant after s/he was arrested for committing domestic abuse against you.¹

¹ Wis. Stat. § 704.16(1)