Right of way
A type of easement giving someone else the right to travel across your land. Roads, utility corridors, and shared driveways are common examples.
Your Room opens on this part of the sale, with the offer and everything before it already ticked.
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See how it worksWhere this comes up: under contract
Part 1 of 4
Why a seller cares
A right of way lets somebody cross your land, and it stays with the property. A shared driveway or a utility corridor is common; the title commitment lists it, and buyers want to know exactly where it runs.
Part 2 of 4
A simple example
The neighbor behind you reaches their lot by a recorded right of way along your side yard. The buyer's survey shows it as a twelve-foot strip.
| The right of way | What it means for the buyer |
|---|---|
| A shared driveway | Another car on it, and a maintenance question the agreement answers |
| A utility corridor | No building on that strip |
| An unrecorded path the neighbor uses | A question worth settling on paper before closing |
A right of way is somebody else's route across your land, and the buyer inherits the traffic.
Part 3 of 4
What people get wrong
That the owner can close it off. A recorded right of way stays until the holder gives it up.
Part 4 of 4 · where to read next
Where it appears in the sale
What a definition is, and what it isn't
Keighbor is a software company, not a law firm, brokerage, or tax adviser. This is general information, not legal, tax, financial, or real estate advice about your sale. Your situation may differ. Before acting on a contract, disclosure, title, tax, or pricing question, ask an appropriately licensed professional in your state.
Written and researched by Keighbor Research · drawn from the reference glossary · how we research and check what we publish
In your Room, this word explains itself where it appears.
Your Room defines right of way in the step you meet it in, beside the document or the date it belongs to. Free to set up, with an agent or on your own.
Organize my saleFree to set up. Pay once when you list: $89 or $189. 7-day refund.