Lease/Release

Description

Medieval leases/releases record the leasing of property to a renter or the release of land to a new owner. The property could include land, buildings and other geographic features on the land. Leases/releases typically included specific descriptions of the property in question. These were used to record property sales as well as being used in mortgages and settlements. Leases and releases are separate documents that were typically at one time bound together, in order to represent both parties, but have usually separated over time.
A general release is a subtype of lease/release in which one party agrees to not bring any type of legal action against another party. In the modern day, a general release often refers to a release of liability, in which one party agrees not to hold another liable for any possible harm.
Scholars have used leases and releases to understand medieval property rights, such as who managed a lord’s estate in different periods of history. This also provides insight into how leases without interest were maintained, as the Catholic Church maintained a strict prohibition on usury.