What is the primary function of survivorship tenancy in property law?

The primary function of survivorship tenancy in property law is to ensure that joint owners can inherit property automatically upon the death of one owner. In a survivorship tenancy, also known as joint tenancy with right of survivorship, when one joint tenant passes away, their share of the property seamlessly transfers to the surviving tenant(s) without the need for probate or any legal proceedings. This characteristic provides a straightforward and efficient means of passing property to the remaining co-owners, thus simplifying the transfer of interest in the property and avoiding complications associated with wills and intestate succession.

In contrast, the other concepts do not define the key purpose of survivorship tenancy. Separation of ownership interests pertains more to different forms of ownership that may exist, and equal sharing typically relates to how profits or loss might be divided rather than the transfer of ownership upon death. Facilitating property sale is a function more related to ownership rights or tenancy types like tenancy in common, but it doesn't capture the essence of survivorship tenancy, which is fundamentally about the continuity of ownership in the event of an owner’s death.