An easement is the right to do something or the right to dissuade others from doing something on a neighboring land or on the property of some other person. It covers the right to use the adjacent land or property of another for some special purpose.
Easement versus lease:
While an easement holder has the right to limited use of the property for a special purpose, a lessee under a lease has a right to possession of the leasehold property for enjoyment of the same during his tenure.
Easement versus licence;
Licence is the permission to the holder to do something on the land of another even more limited in nature than the right to use for a particular purpose. Unlike an easement such licence or permission is liable to be withdrawn at any time even without notice. Licenses can be revoked far more easily than easements.
Easement versus adverse possession:
Easement is distinguishable from adverse possession. Adverse possession allows the party in exclusive possession ownership of the concerned landed property by virtue of his continuous exclusive possession hostile to the true owner for the minimum statutory period, which varies from state to state. Easement does not convey the title but only gives the right to the easement holder to use the property in question only for a particular purpose. In contrast to adverse possession, right of easement need not be exclusive privilege of the holder but can be shared with others.
