What is an Appurtenance?
When studying for your real estate exam, you will need to know an appurtenance is a noun and means something that is a part of (and belongs to) something else, such as a piece of land or a house.
It is a smaller or more subordinate item that belongs to said larger piece of land or building.
What is an example of appurtenances?
Some examples are light fixtures, built-in appliances, unattached garages, built-in swimming pools, and fences because they appertain to the house or the land.
What is an Appurtenance in Real Estate?
In real estate, an appurtenance is something that is installed in or sits on a property.
It is something that is considered a part of the property, is sold with the property, and it is passed on to the new owners.
It can be an object that is tangible such as a tree, shed, barn, furnace, or hot water heater.
Or it can be something intangible like an easement, which is shared land or the right to use someone’s land for a legitimate specific reason.
An example of an easement is the piece of land in someone’s yard that a utility box sits on. If a power company needs to come repair something on or around the box, they have the right to be on the land and do so.
The difference between these is that the former is an adjective and the latter is a noun. An appurtenant is an adjective that describes the attached object.
For example, a buyer might ask if the chandelier in the two-story foyer is. And the real estate broker should reply that because it is attached to the ceiling, and if removed will cause damage to the ceiling, it is and so it remains in the home.
An appurtenance is a noun, the name of the item that is on the lad or belongs to the property.
Examples of appurtenances in real estate are shared driveways, barns, landscaping bricks, built-in microwaves, chandeliers and other fixtures.
What is an Appurtenant Easement?
This type of easement is a piece of one person’s land that another person has the right to use for a specific reason.
It can be a shared driveway where the only way to get to both houses is by driving on the shared driveway. It can also a piece of land on someone’s property that another person has the right to cross for a legitimate purpose.
For example, if a property is landlocked, the land that gives access to the street is the easement.
Final Thoughts
Out of all the real estate terms on your real estate exam, I would say understanding the difference between appurtenant and appurtenance should be lower on your list, but still important.
