It's common in the US, and institutionalized to the point that the homeowner is in no danger of the 'landlord' revoking the lease. It is frequently historical

It's common in the US, and institutionalized to the point that the homeowner is in no danger of the 'landlord' revoking the lease. It is frequently historical and in such cases most states require by law the landholder to 'sell' the land to the homeowner on request, usually for a trifling sum. The term for this in the mid-Atlantic is "ground rent," if you want to look for more info.