A fee simple estate is the highest form of property ownership, providing the owner with complete control over the property, subject only to government restrictions. It's characterized by its permanence and transferability. When we consider leasehold rights, these rights do not represent a fee simple estate. Instead, leasehold rights are a temporary interest in real property held by a tenant who rents the property from the owner (the landlord).
In a leasehold arrangement, the tenant has the right to use and occupy the property for a specific period, defined by the lease agreement, but does not own the property itself. This contrasts sharply with fee simple ownership, where the owner retains the full bundle of rights associated with ownership indefinitely, until they decide to sell or transfer the property.
The other options—condominiums, tenants in common, and joint tenancy—can all involve fee simple estates. Each of these arrangements can include ownership structures where individuals hold fee simple ownership of their respective units or shares, allowing for variability in ownership types while still retaining elements of fee simple rights.