Lessee

The person to whom is granted exclusive possession of a thing under the terms of a lease.

The person to whom a lease of a thing is granted. The lessee rents from the lessor.

For example, the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island uses the term in the context of their residential tenancy statute as follows:

"Lessee means a person to whom permission is given, pursuant to a rental agreement, to occupy residential premises and includes his assigns and legal representatives."

Similarly, England's Rent Act 1977 at §85, defines a lessee as:

"Lessee means the person to whom is granted, under a restricted contract, the right to occupy the dwelling in question as a residence...."

In residential tenancies, or the leasing of real property generally, the lessee is often referred to as the tenant.

French: locataire.

REFERENCES:

• Duhaime, Lloyd, Residential Tenancy: A Glossary
• Rent Act 1977, Statutes of the UK, 1977, Chapter 42
• Rental of Residential Property Act, Revised Statutes of Prince Edward Island (Canada) 1988, Chapter R-13.1