A last will and testament may control the transfer of ownership, but it does not give an automatic right to occupancy of the apartment. If a shareholder or unit owner lived alone, then, under most circumstances, the heir cannot just move into the apartment after the death of the shareholder or owner. Typically, in the course of assignment of shares, the board has the right to approve the occupancy prior to the transfer. Yet, when it comes to an inheritance, the terms of the occupancy agreement will determine how much control the board has to approve the heir or whether or not the family member will have the right not only to own, but ultimately to occupy, the apartment.

Whether or not there is a will, a proprietary lease in a co-op will not terminate upon the death of an owner. Most cooperative boards permit family members to continue to occupy an apartment after the death of a shareholder, provided that they resided with the deceased shareholder prior to his or her death. But if the shareholder lived alone, no one can move into the apartment without permission of the board of directors. This includes the heirs, as well as the executor of the estate, whose sole purpose is to wind up the affairs of the estate, including removal of personal effects and sale of the unit. Maintenance payments continue to accrue, and the estate is liable for those payments. If someone occupies the apartment without the permission of the cooperative, the corporation may commence an action against the estate for a breach of the proprietary lease. Further, the cooperative cannot accept payment of the maintenance from anyone other than the estate of the shareholder, without risking an assertion of waiver, even if the proprietary lease states otherwise.