freeholders

Freeholders are individuals who own freehold property, meaning they hold the land in fee simple or another form of freehold estate rather than under a lease. The term is used in common law systems in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and the United States. A freeholder's ownership is typically of indefinite duration and confers broad rights to use, enjoy, sell, mortgage, or otherwise dispose of the property, subject to applicable laws, planning regulations, and any covenants or easements.

Freehold estates include fee simple absolute as the most complete form of ownership; other freehold forms such as fee simple determinable or life estates may exist, depending on the jurisdiction. In contrast to leaseholders, freeholders possess the underlying title and are responsible for main property duties such as maintenance, local taxes, and compliance with zoning.

Historically in England, freeholders were freemen who owned land outright; in modern practice the term marks ownership as opposed to tenancy. In the United States, the term has also appeared in state law as a designation for county-level elected officials in New Jersey, known as freeholders until reforms replaced the title with county commissioners in recent years.

Economically, freeholders are central to landholding patterns and property markets, influencing investment, development, and governance at local levels. Freeholders and related terms include freehold, fee simple, leasehold, and land tenure.