The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) provides protection for active-duty members of the military. This act gives military members a range of legal and financial protections that a civilian does not have. 

SCRA addresses consumer, financial, and housing law issues that an active-duty service member may encounter before, during, or after a relocation or deployment. 

The following service members are covered by the SCRA: 

• A full-time active-duty member of the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine, Navy, or Space Force. 
• A reservist on active duty.  
• A member of the National Guard on federal orders for a period of more than 30 days. 
• A service member who is absent from duty for a lawful cause or because of illness, injury, or leave. 

• A commissioned officer of the Public Health Service (PHS) or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 
• Dependents may also be eligible. This may include a service member’s spouse, child, or any other person who has received at least one-half of the service member’s financial support in the last 6 months. 

Yes, the SCRA allows for lease agreements to be broken for residential housing, professional, business, or agricultural properties.  

A signed lease may be terminated on a property if a service member or their dependents are using the property or planning to use the property when they can: 

• Show that the lease was signed before entering active duty; or 
• Show that the lease was signed at least 90 days before the service member’s Permanent Change of Stations (PCS) or deployment orders were given.

For a lease to be terminated, the service member needs to provide the landlord with: 

• A written, signed and dated, notice; and  
• A copy of their Permanent Change of Station or deployment orders. 

The letter may be hand delivered, sent over mail, or electronically (ie. e-mail, apartment digital dashboard). Telling the landlord face-to-face or any verbal notice is not considered a form of official notice.

The last rental payment depends on how often payments were made according to the lease.

If the tenant makes monthly rental payments, the tenant will have to pay for their current month and for 30 days after notice is given. 

• Example: If the landlord was notified on July 23, and monthly rent is due on the 1st, the tenant will be responsible for July and August rent, but not September. 

For those that make annual or bi-annual rent payments, termination is scheduled for the last day of the month after the landlord is notified. In cases where rent was paid in advanced, the landlord should prorate and refund the service member or dependents for the unused amount. 

• Example: If the tenant gives the landlord proper notice on July 23, the termination date would be August 31.

Maybe, lease agreements may contain a clause or documents that waive (give up) any SCRA protections. It is good practice to review all parts of a lease before signing.  

By legally waiving SCRA protections, it may not be possible to terminate a lease early due to PCS or deployment. In these situations, service members could have significant financial penalties for terminating a lease.  

If a lease was signed that waived SCRA protections, the service member may want to contact a legal assistance/judge advocate office for help.  

In cases where deployment orders are received on short notice, service members may have to abandon their home and belongings.  

The Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act states that there are consequences for people who leave their rental without notice.