Housing

HB 297 expands Louisiana tenants' right to early lease termination to include victims of stalking and cyberstalking, in addition to domestic abuse. It directly affects residential tenants who are victims of these crimes and need to leave their rental properties for safety. The bill requires tenants to provide documentation from a qualified third party (like a social worker, police officer, or prosecutor) and complete a specific certification form detailing the incident and why remaining on the premises is unsafe. This creates a formal process for tenants to terminate leases early without penalty, while requiring lessors to follow defined procedures for approval.