In Real Estate Laws, the right or privilege of one party to use the property of another for a specific and limited purpose is called what?

• A. Liens
• B. Covenants
• C. Encumbrances
• D. Easements

Answer: (D)

An easement is a non-possessory interest in land that gives someone the right to use another person’s property for a specific, limited purpose. This exactly describes what’s asked: you’re not getting ownership of the land, just a defined use of it—like a right of way, a utility line, or access across a neighbor’s property.

Easements run with the land, so they stay effective even if property ownership changes. They can be created by agreement, by necessity, by prescription, or by implication, and they’re a form of encumbrance on the property that benefits the holder while imposing limits on the property owner’s use of the land.

To distinguish from other terms: a lien is a financial claim against property to secure a debt; covenants are promises in deeds that restrict or require certain uses; and encumbrances is a broad category of burdens on a property. The specific right to use land for a particular purpose is an easement.