Emphyteusis

Emphyteusis (Greek, 'implanting') or emphyteutic lease is a contract for land that allows the holder the right to the enjoyment of a property, often in perpetuity, on condition of proper care, payment of tax, and rent. This type of real estate contract specifies that the lessee must improve the property for the nation or for its population, for example through construction of a railway service perhaps or by farming the land to create produce, as happened in Mauritius where the population was starving. The term is commonly used in Quebec, Belgium and France and its ex-colonies. This kind of lease is usually associated with government lands or government properties.