property

land

The earth's surface extending down to the center of the earth and up into the airspace above, including naturally occurring things such as rocks, soil, minerals, and water. Land does not include man-made improvements. Real estate adds permanent improvements to land, and real property adds the bundle of legal rights that comes with ownership. Land is unique, immobile, and indestructible, which are the physical characteristics exams love to list.

Exam tip: Know the ladder: land (natural only), real estate (land plus improvements), real property (real estate plus rights). A question mentioning a house or fence is not describing land alone.
Example: A vacant 5-acre parcel with trees, a creek, and gravel beneath the surface is land; once a barn is built on it, the parcel becomes real estate with an improvement.

1. A tenant whose lease has expired stays in possession without the landlord's consent. This is a:

Answer & explanation

Answer: C. A holdover tenant without consent is a tenant at sufferance. A tenancy at will exists with the owner's consent but no fixed term.

Related terms & state variants

air rights improvement mineral rights real estate real property

Sources

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Last verified: 2026-10-23