The Federal Ministry of Justice is planning to make rental agreements easier for victims of domestic violence

According to Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig, victims of domestic violence should be able to get out of joint tenancy agreements with their tormentors more easily. Your ministry has now made details public. “The road to a self-determined and safe life is often still long after domestic violence. We want to make it a little easier,” explained SPD politician Hubig.

Normally, people who have rented an apartment together can only change or terminate the contract together. If a participant wants to leave early, he or she needs the cooperation of the others.

This should change with the reform. The type of relationship between the perpetrator and the victim should not play a role. The prerequisite is either an act of violence or the threat of it. The victim should be able to assert the new claim to the perpetrator's cooperation six months after the violent act or threat.

In addition, the victims, most of whom are women, should also be able to demand that the perpetrator pay the rent and additional costs that arise after the person concerned moves out.

Regardless of the apartment, Hubig also wants to better protect those around victims of violence from perpetrators. Currently, family courts can only take protective measures for those affected and against perpetrators in the event of a violent act. This could include bans on contact and proximity and, from next July, in some cases an electronic ankle bracelet.

In the future, courts should also be able to take the same protective measures for dependent people in the victim's environment. These can be adult children who still go to school or are in training and are supported by the victim, but also relatives in need of care.

The situation is more complex with underage children because custody also comes into play if a parent or guardian is the perpetrator. Here, courts can impose a ban on the father or mother if the child's well-being is at risk. If someone else commits the violence, the new regulations to protect against violence should be able to be used.

According to police crime statistics, almost 266,000 people were affected by domestic violence in 2024 - 70 percent were women and girls. According to the Ministry of Justice, the actual numbers are likely to be significantly higher: up to 95 percent of all crimes are never reported.

Hubig's draft law follows a corresponding initiative by the Federal Council. The state chamber proposed changes to the Violence Protection Act in March. Victims should then be given the opportunity to request the perpetrator's consent to terminate the joint tenancy agreement. As justification, the Federal Council pointed out that violent partners often block this, even if the women have already moved out.

Countries and associations can now comment on the draft. There is also advice on this within the federal government. The next step would be for the cabinet to approve the plans before they go to the Bundestag.