What does the not as tenants in common but with right of survivorship mean?

The phrase, not as tenants in common but with right of survivorship is used when two or more people are listed as grantees of real property on a deed but they do not have equal rights to the occupation and use of the property. In other words, if you bought a house for your own use but you wanted to bequeath it to your child when you die, you can use this phrase to describe that relationship in the deed and your your Will. If you die first, the child named as your tenant in common gets the property free and clear but if that child dies first it is still your property alone.

In Oregon, the default for two or more people jointly owning real property is tenancy in common. Each owner owns an undivided portion of the property; when an owner dies, that owner's portion of the property is in the deceased owner's estate, and passes through his or her will. If the deed says "not as tenants in common, but with survivorship," then this form of ownership mimics joint tenancy with right of survivorship. When one owner dies, the surviving owner(s) own the whole of the property, and the deceased owner's interest in the property is extinguished.