What does homeowner mean?
A homeowner is a person who owns the home they live in. The word is especially common in discussions of mortgages, loans, insurance, property law, housing policy, and neighborhood organizations. It normally describes an individual rather than a household as a whole, though it is often used in broader legal and financial contexts where the distinction is not important. Unlike landlord, a homeowner is not primarily defined by renting property to someone else, and unlike tenant or renter, a homeowner holds ownership. The term can also imply that the person lives in the property they own, distinguishing the usual sense from someone who merely owns a house and rents it to another occupant. Homeowner is consequently a practical and useful designation in discussions about housing finance, property maintenance, taxation, and residential communities.
nounA person who owns the home they live in.
- A person who owns the home in which they live.
"The homeowner hired a contractor to renovate the kitchen."
"Local officials met with homeowners before approving the development."
"Many first-time homeowners rely on mortgage advice when buying a property."
The regular plural is homeowners, with homeowners' used in the possessive form, as in homeowners' rights.
"The homeowners formed a committee to discuss the proposed construction project."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does homeowner come from?
Homeowner is an English compound formed from home and owner, combining the ideas of a dwelling and the person who holds ownership of it. Home has Germanic roots, while owner is an agent noun formed from own. The compound became established in English during the nineteenth century and developed its familiar modern meaning of a person who owns and occupies a home. Related forms include householder, which developed from the older idea of the person responsible for a household.
How homeowner is actually used
The term is neutral and is common in legal, financial, insurance, housing, and community contexts. It is widely used in both British and American English, although some associated housing and insurance terminology is especially prominent in the United States.
Easily confused with homeowner
A homeowner owns the property they live in, whereas a householder is primarily someone who occupies or manages a household, without necessarily owning it.
A homeowner owns a home, while a homeless person has no home to live in.