holdover tenant

Definition

A tenant who remains in possession of property after their lease expires without the landlord's permission. The houseguest who won't leave, except they're paying (or supposed to be paying) rent.

Example Usage

He became a holdover tenant after his lease ended, and now she must file for eviction to remove him legally.

Origin

Common law landlord-tenant relationship terminology

Fun Fact

In many states, accepting rent from a holdover tenant can inadvertently create a new month-to-month tenancy, making eviction more complicated.

Source: Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act

Related Terms

Intermediate

irem

Institute of Real Estate Management—professional organization for property managers that awards the CPM (Certified Property Manager) designation. The Ivy League of people who deal with broken toilets and angry tenants.

🏠 Real Estate

Intermediate

balloon payment

A large, final payment due at the end of a loan term that covers the remaining principal balance. Named for its tendency to inflate your anxiety levels right before it's due.

🏠 Real Estate

Advanced

sale-leaseback

A transaction where the property owner sells to an investor then immediately leases it back, converting ownership to rental while extracting equity. Corporate real estate's way of having your cake, selling it, then renting it back to eat it anyway.

🏠 Real Estate

Beginner

penthouse

The apartment that sits on top of a building like a crown, usually inhabited by people who think elevators are for peasants. Originally just a shed attached to a building, it evolved into the ultimate flex in urban real estate—complete with panoramic views and price tags that require scientific notation. Because nothing says 'I've made it' like living where pigeons used to roost.

🏠 Real Estate

Beginner

duplex

A single building cleverly divided into two separate dwelling units, allowing property owners to live in one half while collecting rent from neighbors who share their walls. It's the real estate equivalent of having your cake and eating it too, assuming you don't mind hearing your tenant's TV through the drywall. In postal circles, it's also a fancy stamp cancellation, but nobody cares about that definition anymore.

🏠 Real Estate

Intermediate

rights-of-way

The legal privilege to cross or use someone else's property for a specific purpose, typically for accessing your landlocked parcel or running utilities through their yard. These easements create permanent pathways that survive ownership changes, meaning future owners inherit both the right and the awkwardness of strangers traipsing across their land. It's neighborly cooperation enforced by legal documentation instead of friendliness.

🏠 Real Estate

Translate This Term

See “holdover tenant” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on X Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Beginner

rhgir

really hot guy in room...