What does "constructive eviction" refer to in rental agreements?

Constructive eviction refers to a situation where a tenant is forced to vacate rental premises due to the landlord's failure to maintain a habitable living environment or to fulfill their obligations under the lease. This can occur when conditions become so poor—such as severe plumbing issues, lack of heat or air conditioning, or other failures that significantly affect the tenant's right to enjoy the property—that the tenant can no longer reasonably live there. In such cases, the law recognizes that the tenant has effectively been evicted, even though no formal eviction process has taken place.

The concept is designed to protect tenants by ensuring that landlords maintain their properties in a habitable condition. Thus, if a tenant decides to leave because the living conditions are unlivable, they are considered constructively evicted, allowing them to seek remedies under the law, such as the return of deposits or damages.

In this context, the other options do not accurately capture what constructive eviction entails. Voluntary departure by a tenant does not constitute eviction initiated by the landlord's failure to maintain the property. Legal proceedings for eviction represent a formal process initiated by landlords, which is different from the notion of constructive eviction. An arbitrary rent increase does not alone qualify as constructive eviction unless it relates to the un