Covenants

A covenant is a formal agreement or promise between two or more parties that imposes duties or grants rights. The term is used across legal, religious, and historical contexts. In law, covenants often refer to promises contained in deeds, contracts, or treaties, and may be binding for an extended period.

In property law, covenants often run with the land, binding current and future owners. They can be restrictive (negative) such as prohibiting building heights or uses, or affirmative (positive) requiring actions like maintaining a fence. Enforceability depends on jurisdiction and whether the covenant is express, implied, or implied by law. Remedies include damages or injunctions; in real estate, breach could give rise to an equitable action.

In contracts and finance, covenants create ongoing obligations, such as affirmative covenants to perform or maintain specific standards, or negative covenants to refrain from certain actions. Financial covenants set targets for borrower metrics and are commonly included in loan agreements; breach can trigger default or renegotiation.

In international law, covenants are binding treaties that enumerate rights and obligations of states, often grouped as civil and political rights, or economic, social, and cultural rights, e.g., the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Religious covenants describe agreements between the divine and humans, such as those in Judaism and Christianity (Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic).

Etymology from Latin convenire, to come together. The concept varies by jurisdiction and field, but covenants generally secure lasting commitments, whether between individuals, organizations, communities, or states. They are distinguished by their source (deed, contract, treaty), enforceability, and whether they impose duties, confer rights, or both.