Easement
A legal right for someone else to use part of your land for a specific purpose. Utility easements let the power company run lines through the back. Access easements let a neighbor cross your driveway.
Every term like this one lights up in the step you're on.
Free to set up. No credit card.Part 1 of 4
Why a seller cares
An easement lets somebody use part of your land for a purpose, and it stays with the property. Most homes have a utility easement; the buyer's title commitment lists them and the survey draws them.
Part 2 of 4
A simple example
A ten-foot utility easement runs along your rear line. The buyer asks whether they can put a shed there; the answer is in the easement's terms.
| The easement | What it means for the buyer |
|---|---|
| A utility easement along a line | No permanent structures in that strip |
| An access easement for a neighbor | Traffic across the lot, forever |
| A drainage easement | The land has to keep doing what it does with water |
An easement is a permanent yes to somebody else. The buyer wants to know what was said yes to.
Part 3 of 4
What people get wrong
That an easement gives the holder ownership. It gives them a use, and the land stays yours to sell.
Part 4 of 4 · where to read next
Where it appears in the sale
What a definition is, and what it isn't
Keighbor is a software company, not a law firm, brokerage, or tax adviser. This is general information, not legal, tax, financial, or real estate advice about your sale. Your situation may differ. Before acting on a contract, disclosure, title, tax, or pricing question, ask an appropriately licensed professional in your state.
Written and researched by Keighbor Research · drawn from the reference glossary · how we research and check what we publish
One piece of your sale. Here is where all the pieces live.
In your room, this word explains itself where it appears.
Keighbor keeps your whole home sale in one place and defines every term like this one right where you meet it, in the step you're on. Free to set up, with or without an agent.