Tenants in common gives you more protections and you can specify in a deed of trust what you would want to happen in the event of relationship breakdown (eg if one of you has first dibs to buy the other out, or a time limit on doing so etc) which is definitely better to decide now whilst you still like each other!
The difference between a joint tenancy and tenancy in common is significant. Under a joint tenancy with rights to survivorship, upon the death of the first owner, it automatically passes to the surviving owner. In a tenancy in common situation, you each own 50% of the property.
Further tenancy in common allows parties to hold unequal shares of property interest. Joint tenancy requires each co-owner to hold equal shares of property. Further, co-owners must transfer the deed at the same time. In this sense, joint tenancy is rigid compared to tenancy in common.
Joint Tenancy with Rights of Survivorship (JTWROS): This option is often chosen by unmarried couples, friends, or business partners. Each joint tenant owns an equal share, and when one owner passes away, their share is automatically transferred to the surviving owner(s).
Joint tenants have equal property ownership, share profits and liabilities, and often have a right of survivorship. Tenants in common can have unequal shares, lack a right of survivorship, and can pass their share to chosen beneficiaries.
In joint tenancy, the deed of trust establishes equal rights for all co-owners and includes a right of survivorship. On the other hand, in tenancy in common, the deed of trust clarifies that each co-owner has separate shares of the property with no right of survivorship.
Once you create a beneficiary deed, it needs to be recorded with the county recorder in the county where the property is located. Upon death, the death certificate of the deceased must be recorded with the same county recorder.
Joint tenants also own an undivided interest in property. The main difference between joint tenants and tenants-in-common is that, upon the death of a joint tenant, that co-owner's interests are extinguished and the surviving co-owner(s) receive the property.
Example of With Benefit of Survivorship If a married couple jointly owned a home with right of survivorship, then ownership of the entire home would automatically pass to the surviving spouse upon their partner's death.
An attorney can help you with this. The right of survivorship can be removed from a deed if all co-owners involved agree to it. If they disagree, a legal process will have to be initiated in court to contest the ownership of the property.