What type of estate may be created by law and provides rights of use but not ownership?

The type of estate that is created by law and provides rights of use but not ownership is the legal life estate. In a legal life estate, the property is held for the duration of someone's life, typically the life of the individual designated in the estate. While the life tenant (the person who holds the life estate) has the right to use and enjoy the property during their lifetime, they do not own the property in the traditional sense; ownership reverts back to the original owner or passes to another designated individual upon the death of the life tenant. This distinguishes a legal life estate from other types of estates, which may involve complete ownership rights or other arrangements that maintain ownership by one party while allowing use by another.

In contrast, a freehold estate involves a complete ownership interest in the property, including rights of use, enjoyment, and disposition. A leasehold estate is a temporary arrangement where the tenant has the right to use the property owned by someone else for a specified period, which also represents a different nature of rights compared to a life estate. Similarly, a general life estate does provide rights of use but is distinguished by the fact that it is not specifically created by law in the same way as a legal life estate.