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Landlord-tenant

Military Service Member Protections

Military Service Member Protections

Military Service Member Protections

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) provides special protections for active duty military service members and their families in rental housing. These protections include:

  1. The right to terminate a lease early without penalty if the service member is deployed or receives a permanent change of station orders.
  2. The right to a stay of eviction proceedings if the service member cannot appear in court due to military service.
  3. The right to have interest rates on rent and other obligations capped at 6% during military service.
  4. The right to have eviction judgments and other default judgments set aside if the service member cannot respond due to military service.

Service members must provide written notice and a copy of their military orders to the landlord to qualify for these protections. Landlords cannot retaliate against service members for exercising their rights under the SCRA and may face civil and criminal penalties for violations.