Occupant is someone living in or using a premise or property as a tenant or owner, or someone has occupancy of a premise or property. An occupant does not need to be a tenant or owner, but can be someone living or using a property with the intention of acquiring ownership. This means occupants are not always authorized.
An unauthorized occupant can be evicted by the landlord or actual owner of the property. Examples of unauthorized occupant are someone who is not on the lease, or can be a holdover tenant.
[Last updated in August of 2020 by the Wex Definitions Team]