What is the legal term for the right to use someone else's land for a specific purpose?

The term that describes the right to use someone else's land for a specific purpose is easement. An easement grants a party the legal permission to utilize a portion of another person's property for a designated purpose without taking ownership of that property. This can include rights for access, utilities, or other specific uses that benefit the easement holder while still respecting the rights of the property owner.

Easements can be established through formal agreements, or they may arise through long-term use. The key characteristic that makes it an easement is that it conveys a specific, limited right to use the land rather than providing exclusive rights of possession or occupancy.

While other terms such as license, lease, and encroachment relate to land use, they do not specifically encapsulate the same legal structure as easements. A license, for example, is a revocable permission to use someone’s property but does not create an interest in the land itself. A lease involves a contractual arrangement granting possession of property for a specific time in exchange for payment, which differs from the limited rights associated with an easement. Encroachment refers to an unlawful intrusion onto someone else's property, which stands apart from the legally established rights an easement provides. Thus, easement accurately portrays the