tenancy

American  

[ten-uhn-see] / ˈtɛn ən si /

noun

plural

tenancies

1. a holding, as of lands, by any kind of title; occupancy of land, a house, or the like, under a lease or on payment of rent; tenure.

2. the period of a tenant's occupancy.

3. occupancy or enjoyment of a position, post, situation, etc..

   her tenancy as professor of history at the state university.

4. Archaic. a piece of land held by a tenant; holding.

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tenancy British  

/ ˈtɛnənsɪ /

noun

1. the temporary possession or holding by a tenant of lands or property owned by another

2. the period of holding or occupying such property

3. the period of holding office, a position, etc

4. property held or occupied by a tenant

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Etymology

Origin of tenancy

First recorded in 1570–80; ten(ant) + -ancy; compare Medieval Latin tenantia, variant of tenentia

Example Sentences

This might be a program where a renter stays for an agreed number of years in return for a lump sum at the end of the tenancy that can be put toward a down payment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Renters are paying an average of at least £1,000 a month for a new tenancy in more than half of British neighbourhoods, according to data shared with the BBC.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

He said there were signs landlords were adding 4% to 5% to rent to "future-proof" them as they faced changing tenancy rules under the Renters' Rights Act in England.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

I’m not convinced you should push for joint tenancy with the rights of survivorship, where you both own 100% of your home.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026

In all the years of our tenancy we never saw the Zemindar who owned our land.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya