Legal Definitions - Nonfreehold estate

A nonfreehold estate is a type of property ownership that only grants possession of the property, but not the right or title to hold the property. This is different from a freehold estate, which grants both possession and ownership rights.

Examples of nonfreehold estates include:

• Leasehold estates: A tenant has possession of the property for a set period of time, but does not own the property.
• Easements: A person has the right to use a portion of someone else's property, but does not own the property.
• License: A person has permission to use someone else's property, but does not have ownership rights.

These examples illustrate the definition of nonfreehold estate because they all involve possession of property without ownership rights. In a leasehold estate, for example, the tenant has possession of the property for a set period of time, but the landlord retains ownership rights. Similarly, in an easement, the person has the right to use a portion of someone else's property, but does not own the property.