Appurtenance

An appurtenance is a right, privilege, or improvement that belongs to and runs with a principal property, so it transfers automatically when the property is conveyed. The term emphasizes that the item or right is attached to the land or to the ownership of the land and is not usually treated as separate personal property.

In real estate, appurtenances include a range of rights and interests that are incidental to the use or enjoyment of the land. Typical examples are easements and rights of way (such as a driveway or shared access across neighboring property), water or mineral rights, and profits à prendre (the right to harvest resources). Physical appurtenances can include fixtures that are attached to buildings or land in a manner intended to remain with the property, such as built-in appliances or structural improvements, as opposed to movable personal property.

The conveyancing of property generally includes the transfer of its appurtenances. A deed or title typically notes that appurtenances pass with the land, unless the grant explicitly reserves or excludes them. This means a buyer receives the associated rights automatically, even if not separately described, though some appurtenances may be severed or terminated by agreement, nonuse, merger, or abandonment.

Etymology traces appurtenance to the notion of something that appertains or belongs to another thing. In legal practice, the concept helps define what accompanies land ownership and what must be conveyed alongside the property, distinguishing real-property rights from purely personal property.