Joint tenancy should be used with extreme caution. It can subject a co- owner to unnecessary taxes and liabili- ty for the other co-owner's debts. It can also deprive heirs of bequeathed prop- erty and, in California, leave the joint tenant without right of survivorship.
If one of you wants to leave If your joint tenancy is for a fixed term (for example, 12 months), you must normally get the agreement of your landlord and the other tenants to give notice to end the tenancy. If you end your tenancy it ends for everyone.
Joint Tenancy With Right of Survivorship If you own property with someone else as joint tenants with "right of survivorship," then the surviving owner automatically owns the property when the other owner dies.
Joint tenancy is most common among married couples because it helps property owners avoid probate. Without joint tenancy, a spouse would have to wait for their partner's Last Will to go through a legal review process—which can take months or even years.
Joint tenants (JT), or joint tenants with rights of survivorship (JTWROS), are the forms of ownership most commonly used by married couples.
For instance, if you're married, the most common way to title your home is Tenancy by the Entirety (TBE).
Utilizing a revocable trust is the best way for a married couple to take title. Titling property in your trust avoids probate upon the death of both the initial and surviving spouses and preserves the capital gains step up for the entire property on the first death.
In Washington State, tenancy by the entirety is not recognized. The most common titles for property ownership are: Single Individual: Not married or in a legal partnership. Separate Property: A married person who individually holds the title without a spouse.