Easements
An easement is a right which a person has over land owned by someone else. Easements are normally attached to the land rather than to a person and can be considered to last in perpetuity.
Examples of easements include:
- Rights of way.
- Right to light.
- The right for underground services to pass beneath the land of a neighbouring property.
- Right of support.
- The right to draw water.
An easement can be created by:
- Express grant, for example, it may be set out in a conveyance deed or a transfer deed.
- Necessity, for example, if there is only one means of access between a site and a public highway.
- By prescription, i.e. the act is repeated for a period of at least twenty years.
Easements can be extinguished in several ways:
- Agreement between the parties in the form of a deed.
- By implied release, for example it has not been used for a long period of time.
- Where the character of the dominant land has changed.
- By limitation of time, if a limitation was agreed.
- By a change in law.
Easements differ from wayleaves, which are temporary agreements typically used by utilities companies to allow them to install and maintain equipment on privately owned land in return for payment to the landowner and occupier.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Access to Neighbouring Land Act 1992.
- Building survey.
- Burdens.
- Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
- Deed of easement.
- Dominant estate.
- Due diligence.
- Encumbrances.
- Land register.
- Property rights.
- Restrictive covenants.
- Right to light.
- Right of support.
- Rights of way.
- Rights over land.
- Right to a view.
- Right to access land.
- Servient estate.
- Tree rights.
- Trespass.
- Wayleave.
[edit] External references
Featured articles and news
Copyright and Artificial Intelligence
Government report and back track on copyright opt out for AI training but no clear preferred alternative as yet.
Embedding AI tools into architectural education
Beyond the render: LMU share how student led research is shaping the future of visualisation workflows.
Why document control still fails UK construction projects
A Chartered Quantity Surveyor explains what needs to change and how.
Inspiration for a new 2026 wave of Irish construction professionals.
New planning reforms and Warm Homes Bill
Take centre stage at UK Construction Week London.
A brief run down of changes intentions from April in an onwards.
Reslating an ancient water mill
A rare opportunity to record, study and repair early vernacular roofs.
CIOB Apprentice of the Year 2025/26
Construction apprentice from Lincoln Mia Owen wins this years title.
Insulation solutions with less waste for a circular economy
Rob Firman, Technical and Specification Manager, Polyfoam XPS explains.
Recycled waste plastic in construction
Hierarchy, prevention to disposal, plastic types and approaches.
UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard V1 published
Free-to-access technical standard to enable robust proof of a decarbonising built environment.
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Why talking about prostate cancer matters in construction.
The Architectural Technology podcast: Where it's AT
Catch up for free, subscribe and share with your network.
The Association of Consultant Architects recap
A reintroduction and recap of ACA President; Patrick Inglis' Autumn update.
The Home Energy Model and its wrappers
From SAP to HEM, EPC for MEES and FHS assessment wrappers.
Future Homes Standard Essentials launched
Future Homes Hub launches new campaign to help sector prepare for the implementation of new building standards.
Building Safety recap February, 2026
Our regular run-down of key building safety related events of the month.
Comments
To start a discussion about this article, click 'Add a comment' above and add your thoughts to this discussion page.