Tenant, in law, is a person who holds or possesses lands or buildings by any kind of title. In popular speech, a tenant is a person who has the right to occupy and use lands or buildings that belong to another person, known as the landlord. Usually, a written agreement called a lease states the terms and conditions of a tenancy. The lease is signed by both the lessor (landlord) and the lessee (tenant). But leases may also be oral.
There are many types of tenancies. The most common are (1) periodic tenancies, (2) tenancies for years, and (3) tenancies at will. A periodic tenancy runs for a recurring period of time, generally month to month, until either the landlord or the tenant gives advance notice to end it. A tenancy for years runs for a definite period of time, such as a year or a month, and then ends. In a tenancy at will, the landlord or the tenant can end the tenancy at any time by giving notice in advance.
Some aspects of the relationship between present-day landlords and tenants have their origins in the feudal obligations between European landlords and tenants during the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages lasted from about the 400’s through the 1400’s. For example, the landlord’s duty not to interfere with the tenant’s quiet enjoyment of the leased premises dates back to that time.
