what is an easement on a property

An easement is a legal right granted to a person or entity to use another persons land for a specific purpose. It is a nonpossessory property interest that grants the easement holder permission to use another persons land. The owner of the property still has full ownership and rights to the land, but that is limited by the rights of the easement holder, who has rights to use it for specific reasons. Easements can be created and sold or given by the property owner to another party. There are two main types of easements: easement appurtenant and easement in gross. An easement appurtenant burdens one parcel of land while benefiting another parcel, while an easement in gross is a right to use land belonging to another. Easements can affect what you can do on your land, for example, if a previous owner granted a solar easement to a neighbor, you may not be able to build structures, plant trees or create features that could block your neighbor’s sunlight. Easements are common and should not be seen as deal-breakers for potential homebuyers.