Demisees

Demisees refers to the plural of demisee, a term used in traditional property law to denote the person to whom a demise is granted. A demise is a lease or transfer of an interest in land for a definite term, made by a grantor (the demiser or lessor) to a grantee (the demisee or lessee). The demise confers exclusive possession of the leased premises for the term, while the grantor retains a reversion or other future interest. The terminology is rooted in medieval English law and derives from Old French in the sense of handing over or delivering property.

Historically, the distinction between the demiser and demisee was important in conveying and recording real property interests. In formal documents such as deeds and leases, the demise describes the lease itself, while the demisee is the party who holds the lease. The term is largely archaic in everyday language but persists in some jurisdictions and in historical or technical contexts, including older case law and conveyancing instruments.

In modern practice, the terms landlord and tenant (or lessor and lessee) are more commonly used. The phrase “demised premises” may still appear in legal drafting to refer to the leased property, and the concept remains the same: the demisee holds a lease of the specified land for a stated term under covenants and conditions, subject to the landlord’s reversion rights. The plural demisees thus denotes multiple tenants under separate or shared demises.

See also: lease, tenancy, lessee, lessor, demising.