What legal status allows two individuals to own a house as tenants by the entireties?

The legal status that allows two individuals to own a house as tenants by the entireties is marriage. This form of ownership is specifically available only to married couples, as it treats them as a single legal entity concerning the property. This arrangement provides various benefits, including the right of survivorship, which means that if one spouse passes away, the surviving spouse automatically takes full ownership of the property without it being subject to probate.

Tenants by the entireties also offers protections against individual creditors, meaning that, in many jurisdictions, a creditor of one spouse cannot force the sale of the property to satisfy a judgment against that spouse. Such protections underscore the unique legal status of this form of ownership, which is solely available to married couples and does not extend to siblings, cousins, or business partners, who may have different forms of property ownership, such as joint tenants or tenants in common.