retaliatory eviction

An eviction of a tenant by a landlord that is motivated, in whole or in part, by the tenant's exercise of a legal right, such as complaining in good faith to the health department, using a tenant remedy such as rent withholding, or organizing tenants in response to rental conditions. Not all states recognize retaliation as a defense to an eviction, and of those that do, each state defines retaliation, and how to prove it, differently.