Legal Definitions - housebote

Housebote refers to a historical legal right that allowed a tenant to take a reasonable amount of timber from the leased property or the landlord's adjacent land. This timber could only be used for necessary repairs and maintenance of the house, outbuildings, or other structures on the property being rented. It was a specific type of "estovers," which is a broader term for the right to take wood for various necessities. The purpose of housebote was to enable the tenant to keep the property in good repair without having to purchase materials elsewhere, thereby maintaining the property's value.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of housebote:

• Imagine a tenant who leases a rural property, including a farmhouse, from a landlord. Over time, some wooden shingles on the farmhouse roof become damaged, leading to leaks. Under the right of housebote, the tenant could fell a few trees from the landlord's woodland, located on the same estate, to cut new shingles and repair the roof. This action would be permissible because it directly addresses the necessary maintenance of the dwelling.

• Consider a long-term tenant renting a property with a large garden enclosed by a wooden fence. After a severe storm, several sections of the fence collapse due to rotten posts. Exercising housebote, the tenant could harvest suitable timber from the landlord's land to replace the damaged fence posts and rails, thereby restoring the boundary and security of the leased premises.

• A tenant operates a small farm on leased land, which includes a barn used for storing equipment. A major support beam in the barn begins to rot, threatening the structural integrity of the building. The tenant, relying on the right of housebote, could fell a specific tree from the landlord's property to mill into a new beam, ensuring the barn remains safe and functional for its intended agricultural purpose.