Which term is used to describe limitations or restrictions imposed on property use?

The term that describes limitations or restrictions imposed on property use is encumbrances. Encumbrances are legal claims or liabilities attached to the property that can affect its value or use. This includes a variety of restrictions such as liens, easements, and restrictions on development or usage that may be stipulated in a property deed or other legal documents.

Understanding encumbrances is critical for real estate professionals, as these limitations can significantly influence a buyer’s ability to use the property as intended and can impact the property's marketability. For instance, if a property has an easement allowing a neighbor to cross the land, this would limit the owner’s full use of the property.

While there are other terms that describe property interests, such as tenancies, easements, and fee simple defeasible, these do not encompass the broad nature of limitations or restrictions as encumbrances do. Tenancies refer specifically to the rights of tenants to occupy a property, easements are a specific type of encumbrance that grants access or use rights to another party, and fee simple defeasible describes a type of ownership that can be voided if certain conditions are not met, rather than general restrictions on use.