Legal Definitions - Tenant

A tenant is an individual or entity that has the temporary right to use and occupy real estate, such as an apartment, office space, or land, which belongs to another party, known as the landlord. This right is typically established through a lease agreement and grants the tenant possession of the property for a defined period without transferring ownership.

• Example 1 (Residential): Sarah signs a lease agreement to rent a two-bedroom apartment in a city for one year. During that year, Sarah is the tenant, as she has the exclusive right to live in and use the apartment, even though she does not own the property. Her agreement with the landlord grants her temporary possession.

• Example 2 (Commercial): "Tech Solutions Inc." enters into a five-year lease to occupy an entire floor of an office building for their business operations. In this scenario, "Tech Solutions Inc." is the tenant. They have the legal right to use that specific office space for their employees and equipment for the duration of the lease, even though the building itself is owned by a different company.

• Example 3 (Agricultural): A farmer, Mr. Henderson, leases 50 acres of farmland from a landowner for the upcoming growing season to cultivate corn. Mr. Henderson is the tenant of the farmland. He temporarily possesses and uses the land for agricultural purposes, paying rent to the landowner, but he does not own the land itself.