What does 'subsurface rights' refer to in real estate?

Subsurface rights refer specifically to ownership rights associated with the minerals and resources located beneath the surface of a piece of real estate. This encompasses not only rights to extract minerals such as coal, oil, gas, and precious metals, but also the rights to any other valuable resources that may be found below the ground.

Understanding subsurface rights is crucial in real estate, as these rights can often be separated from surface rights. For instance, a property owner may have the right to the land and everything on the surface but may not own the minerals beneath it if those rights have been sold or leased to another entity. This distinction is important in real estate transactions, as it affects valuation, usage, and the way the property can be developed or utilized.

The other options focus on different aspects of property rights—air rights pertain to the space above the property, surface rights deal with ownership and usage of the land itself, and access to neighboring properties pertains to easements or property access rights, which do not relate to subsurface resources.