As the focus of this Unit is real property ownership, a brief overview of the types of estates in land is provided. The Crown (the federal government or provincial government) grants various estates or interests in land. The Certificate of Title for the property clearly identifies the type of estate in which the property is being held. The 3 types of estates include the following:

• Fee simple estate

• Leasehold estate

• Life estate

The diagram below compares the duration of fee simple ownership with that of

leasehold and life estate. It illustrates that a leasehold estate and life estate

have defined timelines, while a fee simple estate continues until the owner

dies or disposes of the land.