Land use refers to zoning laws and other laws that regulate the use and development of real property.  Zoning is the most common form of regulation of this area and is utilized by municipalities in order to control how property is maintained and developed.  Zoning laws usually indicate which areas of the municipality that will be considered residential, commercial or industrial areas.  Such laws help to protect the value of properties and ensure that areas are optimized for their intended use.

Zoning laws also help protect the aesthetics and safety of buildings.  They may impose certain height restrictions, specify how many feet a building must be from a roadway, limit the number of rooms or buildings within a certain area, specify the types of buildings permitted in a specific area or designate certain locations for power lines.  Many municipalities utilize a master plan to help guide decisions regarding future development.

Another common source of land use is based on rights and interests of other parties.  For example, an easement is a limited right for a person to gain legal access to a portion of another person’s property.  This may be granted through a conveyance, or it may be implied by law, such as if a property is otherwise landlocked and the owners cannot have public access without crossing the land.  An easement may also exist to provide a benefit to the public, such as requiring a property owner not to build on a portion of the land so that the public can access green space or a waterway.

Land use can also involve restrictive covenants.  These are provisions included in a deed that limit a property’s use or restrict its use, such as only allowing the property to be used for residential purposes, to maintain a specific aesthetic quality and consistency with a community development or to establish a setback line.