occupancy

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The act of occupying or the condition of being occupied.
2. n. The state of being an occupant or tenant.
3. n. The period during which one owns, rents, or uses certain premises or land.
4. n. The use to which something occupied is put: a building for commercial occupancy.
5. n. Law The act of taking possession of previously unowned property with the intent of obtaining the right to own it.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The act of taking possession, or the being in actual possession; more specifically, in law, the taking possession of a thing not belonging to any person, and the right acquired by such act; that mode of acquiring property which is founded on the principle that he who takes possession of an ownerless thing, with the design of appropriating it to himself, thereby becomes the owner of it; the act of occupying or holding in actual as distinguished from constructive possession. Formerly, when a man held land pur autre vio (for the life of another), and died before that other, as his estate could not descend to his heir nor revert to the donor until the determination of the specified life, it was considered to belong of right to the first who took possession of it for the remainder of the life, and such possession was termed general occupancy. And when the gift was to one and his heirs for the life of another, the heir was said to take as special occupant. As the law now stands, however, a man is enabled to devise lands held by him pur autre vie, and if no such devise be made, and there be no special occupant, it goes to his executors or administrators.
2. n. The term during which one is an occupant: as, during his occupancy of the post.

Wiktionary

1. n. The act of occupying, the state of being occupied or the state of being an occupant or tenant
2. n. The period of time during which someone rents or otherwise occupies certain land or premises
3. n. The specific use to which something occupied is put

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The act of taking or holding possession, especially of real property or rental property; possession; occupation.
2. n. The state or condition of being occupied.
3. n. The period of time during which one occupies a property.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the act of occupying or taking possession of a building
2. n. an act of being a tenant or occupant