---
title: "Ground lease — Class A Atlas glossary"
description: "Long-term lease of land where tenant owns improvements."
canonical: https://classa.info/glossary/ground-lease
pageType: glossary
lastUpdated: 2026-04-01T00:00:00.000Z
license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)."
---

> Long-term lease of land where tenant owns improvements.

## TL;DR

- Long-term lease of land where tenant owns improvements.
- Typical 75–99 year terms.

# Ground lease

*Leasing · Global*

## Short definition

Long-term lease of land where tenant owns improvements.

## Full definition

Typical 75–99 year terms. Tenant owns the building, pays ground rent, and reverts the building to landowner at expiry. Common in NYC, London leasehold tracts, and Singapore JTC industrial estates.

## Why this matters for Class A leasing

Ground lease is part of the leasing vocabulary that institutional [Class A](/glossary/class-a) occupiers, landlords, and advisers use across Global markets. Understanding it correctly affects how you read lease documents, model occupancy economics, and benchmark deal terms across cities. Class A Atlas tracks regional variation alongside the global standard so [cross-border](/topics/cross-border-expansion) occupiers can translate quickly.

---

Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/glossary/ground-lease), updated 2026-04-01T00:00:00.000Z.