1. An interest for the life of the renter himself  and
2. An interest for the life of somebody aside from the renter. For instance, to A for the life of B, or where X who is the owner of an interest for his very own life, makes over his interest to Y: if this is done, since X can’t grant an interest larger than he holds and he only holds an interest for his very own life, Y can only take an interest for X’s life.

The Renter for Life at Common Law

As a renter for life had such a limited interest in the Jamaican land, he wasn’t allowed by Common Law to treat the land completely like it were his very own: he hadn’t the absolute powers of enjoyment permitted to the owner of an estate in fee straightforward or fee tail, as it was considered that he must employ the land only in such a fashion as not to do it any permanent injury which may have an effect on those titled on his expiration.

The rights and needs of a renter for life might be summed up like the following: He may take the yearly profits but must not take or destroy anything that’s an abiding part of his inheritance. He has entitlement to fruits of all types, but must leave unimpaired the source of the fruits. He has certain positive rights and one negative duty which are prescribed by the doctrine of waste.

Emblements

The profits that arise from the land, whether or not they arise steadily, intermittently or often, belong to the renter for life. A specific danger that confronts him is that after he has sown crops his tenancy may end surprisingly before they’re ripe. In this event he has entitlement to re-enter the land at crop time and to harvest what he has sown. This is commonly known as the legal right to emblements. This happens consistently with foreclosure houses in Jamaica.

Waste – The position of the renter for life on the negative side is ruled by the common law doctrine of waste. Waste at common law is composed of any act or omission which changes the character of the land and is generally considered under these 2 heads:

1) Voluntary waste

2) Permissive waste

Voluntary waste

This is any positive act by the renter which alters the character of the land. As an example: cutting down timber opening a mine pulling down or changing buildings technically, any modification in the character of land is waste, although the adjustment is an improvement, that is, it would augment the value. Such voluntary waste which improves the land is often known as Ameliorating Waste and no action will lie for its commission.

Permissive waste

Permissive Waste this is composed of an omission to do what needs doing to keep the land in correct condition , for example failure to correct a house.