N.D.C.C. §§ 47-16-01 through 47-16-30.1, 47-16-31 through 47-16-35, 47-16-42 § 47-16-22
Rent due upon lease for life - Recovery.
Operative Text
47-16-22. Rent due upon lease for life - Recovery.
Rent due upon a lease for life may be recovered in the same manner as upon a lease for
years.Section 47-16-22 of the North Dakota Century Code establishes that rent owed under a life estate lease—a lease tied to the duration of a person's life rather than a fixed term—can be pursued through the same legal recovery methods available for standard fixed-term leases. This provision removes any procedural distinction between the two lease types when it comes to collecting unpaid rent. The practical effect is that courts and parties treat life-lease rent obligations as legally equivalent to those arising from ordinary year-to-year or term leases.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under N.D.C.C. § 47-16-22, landlords holding leases for life have access to the same legal remedies for unpaid rent as those available under conventional fixed-term leases. A compliant operator managing a life estate lease generally documents rent obligations and payment histories in the same way they would for any other tenancy, ensuring records are sufficient to support a recovery action if needed. Because the recovery procedures are legally equivalent, operators typically apply the same notice and collection practices they use for standard leases.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 47-16-22 means that tenants under a lease for life are subject to the same rent-recovery rules that apply to tenants in fixed-term leases, but it also means their rights and defenses in any such proceeding are similarly equivalent. If a landlord initiates a rent-recovery action under this provision, a tenant may raise the same defenses available in a standard lease dispute, such as challenging the amount claimed or asserting that obligations were fulfilled. Tenants seeking to understand their position in a life-lease arrangement may benefit from consulting a tenant-rights organization or legal aid service familiar with North Dakota landlord-tenant law.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 28, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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