Legal Definitions - laenland

Laenland is a type of tenancy where one person loans land to another. It was common in medieval times. The land was usually loaned for a period of time, such as the life of the grantee or for three lives. In return, the grantee had to perform services or make payments in kind to the landlord. Laenlands were usually held under a written instrument, but they differed from boclands, which were held directly as a result of a charter from the king.

An example of a laenland would be a lord loaning a piece of land to a farmer for the farmer to use for a certain period of time. In return, the farmer would have to give a portion of their crops to the lord or perform other services for them.

Another example would be a wealthy landowner loaning land to a family member for their lifetime. The family member would have to take care of the land and use it for agricultural purposes, but they would not own it outright.

These examples illustrate the concept of laenland, where land is loaned for a period of time and certain obligations must be met by the grantee in return.