Direct answer
What does Proprietary lease mean?
The lease issued by a cooperative corporation that gives a shareholder the right to occupy a particular apartment under its terms.
Exam cue: The shareholder's occupancy right depends on both the shares and the proprietary lease.
What does it look like in a question?
New York example
A co-op buyer closes on shares and the related proprietary lease for unit 4B.
Common exam trap
What should you not confuse it with?
It is not an ordinary market-rate lease from an unrelated landlord.
Related condominiums and cooperatives terms
Sources used1 reference with section locators
The curriculum citation confirms exam scope. Definition and rule citations support the explanation itself. Links and locators were checked on August 26, 2026.
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