Meaning & use
abatement of rent
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Meaning
phraseuncountablelegalformal
A reduction in the amount of rent a tenant must pay, often because the property is damaged or unusable.
Grammar: Uncountable: say 'abatement of rent', not 'an abatement of rent'.
Patterns
- claim abatement of rent
- seek abatement of rent
- abatement of rent for something
The tenants sought abatement of rent after the flood damaged the apartment.
The lease allows abatement of rent if the building becomes unfit to live in.
The court ordered abatement of rent for the months the store could not open.
Common combinations
- claim abatement of rent
- They claimed abatement of rent because the heating was broken.
- seek abatement of rent
- The business decided to seek abatement of rent during the repairs.
- abatement of rent for damage
- The contract provides abatement of rent for serious damage.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rent reduction
- This is the everyday term; 'abatement of rent' is the formal legal phrase.
- rent relief
- This is a broader term for any help with rent; 'abatement of rent' is a specific legal reduction.
Word family
Commonly confused: abatement of rent or abatement?
abatement of rent vs abatement
'Abatement' alone can mean a reduction of many things, such as noise; 'abatement of rent' is specifically about rent.
Practice
What does 'abatement of rent' mean?
Choose one answer.
'Abatement of rent' means a reduction in the rent a tenant must pay, often because the property is damaged. An increase is the opposite, and a delay is not the same as a reduction.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “abatement of rent”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.