CG70500 - Land: tenants in common and joint tenants: introduction
Where two or more persons jointly own an interest in a piece of land in the UK, they will hold that land either as 鈥榡oint tenants鈥� or as 鈥榯enants in common鈥�. In Scotland the equivalent terms are 鈥榡oint owners鈥� and 鈥榦wners in common鈥�.
In Northern Ireland, 鈥榯enants in common鈥� are also known as 鈥榗oparceners鈥�.
The differences between these two situations, and the importance of those differences, are described at CG70502 onwards and CG70520 onwards.
The terms 鈥榡oint tenancy鈥� and 鈥榯enancy in common鈥� describe the relationship between the joint owners of the land. In this context a 鈥榯enant鈥� is not necessarily a person occupying the land under a lease. The terms 鈥榡oint tenancy鈥� and 鈥榯enancy in common鈥� can apply equally to the joint ownership of freehold and leasehold interests.