tenancy

noun

ten·​an·​cy ˈte-nən(t)-sē 

plural tenancies

1

: a holding of an estate or a mode of holding an estate

specifically : the temporary possession or occupancy of something (such as a house) that belongs to another

2

: the period of a tenant's occupancy or possession

Examples of tenancy in a Sentence

He was granted tenancy of the farm.

During his tenancy, he tried to make as many improvements as he could.

Recent Examples on the Web

The former couple will also continue to reside at their residence, Royal Lodge, on the Windsor Castle estate, as Andrew has a private tenancy agreement with The Crown Estate, which is unaffected by issues relating to his titles. —Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025

People paying fees would also earn tenancy rights and not have a time limit on their length of stay. —Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2025

These fees typically stem from processing rental applications, vetting prospective tenants, maintaining tenancy records, and ensuring compliance with association rules. —L. Chere Trigg, Miami Herald, 17 July 2025

Last year, a local tenancy program provided her with the opportunity to also have her first brick-and-mortar store. —Irit Skulnik, Baltimore Sun, 14 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

ten(ant) entry 1 + -ancy (probably after Anglo-French tenaunce)

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tenancy

• lieutenancy

Kids Definition

tenancy

noun

ten·​an·​cy ˈten-ən-sē 

plural tenancies

1

a

: the temporary possession or use of another's property

b

: the period of such use or possession

2

: the ownership of property

Legal Definition

tenancy

noun

ten·​an·​cy ˈte-nən-sē 

plural tenancies

1

: the holding of or a mode of holding an estate in property:

a

: a form of ownership of property : tenure

b

: the temporary possession or occupancy of property that belongs to another

— holdover tenancy

: a tenancy that arises when one remains in possession of property after the expiration of the previous tenancy (as one under a lease), that may be established as a tenancy at will by the recognition of the landlord (as by accepting rent), and that may sometimes be statutorily converted to a periodic tenancy for the same or a different term than that of the original tenancy

liable for payment of rent in a holdover tenancy

called also tenancy at sufferance

— joint tenancy

: a tenancy in which two or more parties hold equal and simultaneously created interests in the same property and in which title to the entire property is usually to remain with the survivors upon the death of one of the parties and so on to the last survivor

a right to sever the joint tenancy

see also tenancy by the entirety in this entry compare tenancy in common in this entry

— life tenancy

: the tenancy of one with a life estate

also : life estate at estate 1

created a life tenancy for her husband

— periodic tenancy \ ˌpir-​ē-​ˈä-​dik-​ \

: a tenancy that is carried forward by specified time periods (as months) without a lease and that may be terminated by the landlord or tenant after giving proper notice

— tenancy at sufferance

: holdover tenancy in this entry

— tenancy at will

: a tenancy that is terminable at the will of the landlord or tenant provided that applicable statutory requirements for notice are met

— tenancy by the entirety

: a tenancy that is shared by spouses who are considered one person in law and have the right of survivorship and that becomes a tenancy in common in the event of divorce

property subject to a tenancy by the entirety cannot be encumbered by one tenant acting alone

—Mays v. Brighton Bank, 832 S.W.2d 347 (1992)

called also tenancy by the entireties

compare estate by the entirety at estate sense 1

— tenancy for years

: a tenancy that is for a specified period of time compare tenancy at will in this entry

— tenancy in common

: a tenancy in which two or more parties share ownership of property but have no right to each other's interest (as upon the death of another tenant) compare joint tenancy in this entry

— tenancy in partnership

: a tenancy that binds partners to the use of partnership property only for partnership purposes and that does not permit the separate assignment by a partner of his or her right to the property

2

: the period of a tenant's occupancy or possession