Elvin and his partner Deryl had met online through a dating app and really hit it off. They quickly met each other’s friends and family, and 5 months later Elvin decided to move in with Deryl. Three years had passed, and life had been easy between them; both loved to travel together abroad and were ready to sign another year’s lease. 

In September, Deryl lost his job and sank really low emotionally, and started heavily abusing substances and coming home between midnight and 3 a.m. regularly. One early morning around 2 a.m. when Deryl came back home – obviously heavily intoxicated and angry, Elvin expressed his concern about Deryl’s changed behavior. This was not the first time Elvin had told Deryl about his concerns. But this time something changed in Deryl and with no warning he violently attacked Elvin with his fists, knocked Elvin to the floor, and kept hitting Elvin until he blacked out and became unconscious. 

Elvin woke up in pain and told Deryl he was leaving to get medical attention for his injuries, and that he was breaking up with Deryl and would never come back to their apartment. To Elvin’s horror Deryl, still angry, laughed and told Elvin “Good luck finding a new place to rent – if you break the lease agreement early it’s going to destroy your credit. You’re stuck with me whether you like it or not, at least until the end of next June.” 

Elvin was terrified, and in pain, and didn’t know what to do. Years ago, he had been evicted a couple times, and it had been tough for him to find a new place to rent – the last thing he wanted to do was to break his lease and damage his credit score again. 

Elvin didn’t know what else to do so he stayed put, didn’t leave to get help, and waited until Deryl went out again that evening. Then Elvin researched domestic violence shelters and found Radiant Futures and called and spoke to a helpline advocate who assured Elvin that he could get help ending his lease early. The next day, Elvin met with a Legal Advocate from Radiant Futures’ Legal Services Department, who let Elvin know that because he was a survivor of domestic violence, Elvin did qualify to end his lease early by giving 14-day notice to his landlord. Elvin’s Legal Advocate helped him write a letter to his landlord, and the Advocate wrote a letter supporting Elvin’s right to end his lease early. The next day, Elvin wrote a check to his landlord for the final 14-days and gave this to the landlord along with his lease break documentation. 

And that was it. Elvin was out of the lease he had previously shared with Deryl, with no negative effect on his credit or rental history. (Deryl, on the other hand, would have to figure out how to pay rent himself since his name was still on the lease.) Elvin was soon able to get medical treatment, and entered Radiant Futures’ residential Bridge Housing Program, where his Legal Advocate helped Elvin get a domestic violence restraining order against Deryl. And he was able to get his personal belongings out of the apartment with a police escort. Now Elvin’s feeling safer and free from not only an abusive relationship but from being trapped in an unsafe rental situation. 

We can’t help survivors like Elvin without your support. If you or someone you know can benefit from Radiant Futures’ legal advocacy services, please contact our 24-Hour Helpline at 877-531-5522 to get connected with a caring advocate who can provide support and navigation.