Joint tenants of property each have equal ownership of and rights to the entire property.

If one of joint tenant dies, the other tenant or tenants continue to own the entire property.

A joint tenant cannot pass their interest in property to another person by way of inheritance. They can only sell or assign their interest to another person by way of a deed agreed to and signed by all the joint tenants, essentially creating a new joint tenancy.

Joint tenancy (sometimes also known as “beneficial joint tenancy”) is to be contrasted with tenancy in common, under which each tenant has a separate and defined interest in the property and can pass it on under their will.