Illinois Leasing Agent Practice Exam

What is the legal term for a significant alteration of a rental property's essential livability?

1. Constructive eviction

2. Implied warranty

3. Disrepair

4. Inhabitable conditions

The correct answer is: Constructive eviction

The term that describes a significant alteration of a rental property's essential livability is indeed constructive eviction. This legal concept occurs when a landlord's actions, or lack thereof, make a rental unit unlivable, to the extent that a tenant can no longer enjoy the property as agreed upon in their lease. Essentially, if a tenant is forced to leave their rental unit due to these unlivable conditions, they may have the right to claim constructive eviction, which can absolve them from obligations under the lease. Constructive eviction can result from situations such as the failure to provide heat, water, or necessary repairs that compromise essential living conditions. This concept is crucial because it emphasizes the landlord's responsibility to maintain the property in a condition suitable for habitation. In contrast, the other terms do not encapsulate this specific legal concept as clearly. An implied warranty refers to the landlord's obligation to maintain livable conditions but does not imply an active alteration by the landlord that forces a tenant to leave. Disrepair describes a lack of maintenance but does not necessarily indicate that the conditions reach a level forcing a tenant out. Inhabitable conditions is a general term that describes conditions that are unfit for living but lacks the legal context of the tenant's right to withdraw