Covenant of quiet enjoyment
An implied promise in nearly every lease that a tenant can use and enjoy the rental without serious interference from the landlord.
The covenant of quiet enjoyment is a protection built into virtually every U.S. residential lease, whether it's written in or not. It means your landlord can't substantially interfere with your right to live in and enjoy the home — examples of a breach include entering without proper notice, shutting off utilities to force you out, failing to deal with a major habitability problem, or ignoring a serious, ongoing nuisance they have control over. 'Quiet' here doesn't only mean noise; it covers your overall peaceful possession of the place. A serious enough breach can rise to the level of [constructive eviction](/glossary/constructive-eviction). It works alongside the [implied warranty of habitability](/glossary/implied-warranty-of-habitability) — one protects livability, the other protects your peaceful use. See [home maintenance for renters](/guides/home-maintenance-for-renters-and-tenants).