Arizona Real Estate License Practice Exam 2025 - Free Real Estate Practice Questions and Study Guide

A life estate is an interest in real property that lasts for the duration of a specified person's lifetime, known as the life tenant. When the life tenant passes away, their rights to the property terminate automatically. This means that control and ownership of the property will revert to another party, often the remainderman designated in the original deed.

In this context, the death of the life tenant is the definitive event that brings about the termination of the life estate, allowing the property to pass on to the next entitled party without the need for additional actions, agreements, or procedures. This characteristic of life estates is critical in estate planning and property management, as it outlines how ownership is transferred after the life tenant's death, ensuring clarity and legal compliance in property succession.

The other choices would not effectively terminate a life estate. Selling the property or leasing it does not impact the life tenant's rights during their lifetime. Creating a new deed might make changes concerning the property or its ownership but would not terminate an existing life estate unless it was explicitly structured to do so with the proper legal specifications.