TENURE is a legal arrangement of the relationship between the lord or the owner and the tenant or the holder that determines the rights and responsibilities of both parties, as well as the conditions of possession and usage of the land. This can also include the associated structures and improvements.

LAND TENURE is understood to be that legal agreement of land possession between the land owner and the land holder. The land holder is known as a tenant, and there also can be subtenants. It determines the conditions of possession, the duration of usage, as well as the actual possessors, including their rights and responsibilities. Practically, the landowner can be the holder of the land with exclusive rights of ownership over it as the owner of land. There are different forms and ways of land tenure.

HOUSING TENURE is understood to be the legal arrangement of possession and usage, such as occupation. There are two main forms of housing tenure. The owner-occupancy, with a freehold type of ownership, where the occupier owns the property, or the owner occupies the property. The tenancy, with a leasehold type of ownership, where there is an agreement between the landlord or the owner and the tenant or the occupier. Depending on the form of property and ownership, tenancy can be provided as private housing by individuals or business entities, social housing by housing associations or other collective legal entities, and public housing by governmental and local authorities. There are also a variety of mixed forms.