Landlord and Tenant History

Introduction to Landlord and Tenant History

The relationship between landlord and tenant created by the lease agreement had its origin in the feudal system of land tenure, under which all freehold lands, including fees, were held by a superior lord. All landholdings formed a chain of vassalships with ownership descending from the monarch through an overlord to a vassal. This practice, known as subinfeudation, was abolished in England by the Statute Qula Emptores (1290). The modern landlord-tenant relationship developed from statutes and laws, judicial decisions, and contractual arrangements.” (1)

Chalking the Door

Chalking the Door, a Scottish custom of landlord and tenant law. In former days the law was that “a burgh officer, in presence of witnesses, chalks the most patent door forty days before Whit Sunday, having made out an execution of ‘chalking,’ in which his name must be inserted, and which must be subscribed by himself and two witnesses.” (2)

Resources

Notes and References

1. Information about Landlord and Tenant History in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia
2. Encyclopedia Britannica (11th Edition)

Guide to Landlord and Tenant History