Leasing, Tenancy, and Landlord-Tenant Terms
Terms that explain leases, occupancy, security deposits, possession, and the rights and duties that shape rental relationships.
Leasing and landlord-tenant pages explain the vocabulary of occupancy, possession, rent, deposits, lease transfer, and recurring tenancy problems. This section is for readers who need to understand rental language in leases, notices, property rules, and day-to-day occupancy without turning the site into jurisdiction-specific legal advice.
These terms matter because the difference between possession, ownership, authorized occupancy, and lease transfer can affect payment duties, access rights, move-out risk, and who is responsible when something goes wrong. Readers often encounter this language long before they understand which rights come from the lease and which rights stay with the owner.
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Core Concepts In This Section
In this section
- Landlord as Property Owner or Lessor
A landlord is the owner or lessor who grants a tenant the right to occupy property and receives rent or other performance in return.
- Lease for Possession and Rent
A lease is the agreement that gives a tenant the right to occupy property for a stated term in exchange for rent and other obligations.
- Month-to-Month Tenancy and Periodic Occupancy
Month-to-month tenancy is a periodic rental arrangement that renews one month at a time until one side gives valid notice to end it.
- Security Deposit in a Lease
A security deposit is money held to protect the landlord against certain unpaid obligations or property damage, subject to the lease and governing rules.
- Tenant with the Right to Occupy
A tenant is the person or entity that receives the right to occupy property under a lease or rental arrangement in exchange for rent and other obligations.