Covenants are legal obligations set out in a deed which specify what can and cannot be done at the property. For example, a covenant may restrict the way in which a property can be used or impose obligations on maintenance. Generally, they are usually contained within the title deeds when a house is first built.
They are intended to uphold the overall character of the property and/or area in question and keep a level of uniformity between neighbouring homes. Covenants can also be put in place by current owners of a property when they selling it to another party.