SB 534

Abstract

Amends the Safe Homes Act. In provisions authorizing tenants to request that a landlord change the locks if one or more of the tenants reasonably believes that one of the tenants or a member of tenant's household is under a credible imminent threat of domestic or sexual violence at the premises, deletes a requirement that the threat be from a person who is not a lessee under the lease. Requires a tenant requesting a change of locks because of a threat of violence from another lessee to include with the request a plenary order of protection or a plenary civil no contact order granting the tenant exclusive possession of the premises. Provides that a tenant who changes the locks shall make a good faith effort to give a key to the new locks to the landlord (instead of giving a key to the new locks to the landlord). Provides that "if the landlord changes the locks, the landlord shall make a good faith effort to give a key to the new locks to the tenant as soon as possible or not more than 48 hours of the locks being changed" and that a landlord who changes the locks and does not make a good faith effort to provide a copy of a key to the tenant within 48 hours of the landlord changing the locks is liable for any damages to the tenant incurred as a result of not having access to his or her unit. Effective immediately.