THE law will be changed to give domestic violence victims more power when dealing with the abuse in rental accommodation under reforms which have the support of the real estate sector.

State Cabinet has approved changes to be introduced to Parliament next year designed to give more options to victims, usually women, who are often faced with the decision to flee an abuser or remain in their rented home.

The changes were announced by Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Simone McGurk and Commerce Minister Bill Johnston Tuesday morning. They include;

· Being able to terminate a tenancy agreement by providing a landlord evidence of domestic violence, such as medical letter or restraining order, without having to go to court.

· Having the power to apply to a court to have a perpetrator’s name removed from a tenancy agreement.

· Changing locks without waiting for permission from landlords.

· Ensuring victims aren’t left to foot the bill from any property damage, unpaid rent or bond issues arising as a result of domestic violence.

Ms McGurk said the changes were about shifting community attitudes to the problem and ensuring perpetrators were held to account.

“Too often women and children in the family home are left to pick up the pieces through violence that they were not responsible for,” she said.

Mr Johnston said there would be safeguards in the legislation to ensure it was not used vexatiously or maliciously.

Supporting documents from doctors or police would be required to terminate a tenancy and if people were applying to a court to remove someone from a lease then ordinary thresholds of evidence would apply.

Women’s Council for Family and Domestic Violence Services chief executive Angela Hartwig predicted few would change locks without good reason because it was expensive to do so.

“I think (the changes will) go a long way to help addressing the high levels of homelessness and poverty that women often face when they are trying to flee domestic and family violence situations,” she said.

Real Estate Institute of WA president Hayden Groves said domestic violence was a community problem and predicted few landlords would begrudge someone terminating a lease early to escape it.

Similarly, being left out of pocket to shield victims from unpaid rent or damage bills was something landlords already dealt with.

“Tenants flee and abscond all the time, tenants will damage and leave a property and the landlord will find themselves out of pocket,” he said. “Landlords and property investors very sensibly have landlord protection insurance.

“In circumstances where there is a genuine victim of domestic violence and that person is able to not have a black mark against their name for future tenancies because of their obligations under the lease otherwise, I think, will be a positive result for the community overall.”