Adding improvements (fencing) to rented land

Azrael · #1 05/29/12, 01:44 PM

My wife and I want to start raising some livestock but are limited by our 2 acres for what we would be able to have. I have located several possibilities for pasture within a few miles of us that might be possible for us to rent to raise the livestock we want. However, none of these potential locations have fencing, or if it does it is extremely old boundary fencing and not modern livestock fencing.

My question is, does anyone have any experience renting for their use, or renting to others, land for the purpose of pasture that needs to have improvements done to it? I am concerened mostly with the fencing.

If you have, how was it written into the contract regarding the improvements?

I have a couple ideas but want to get input from others who have actually done it before and how it worked out.

rambler · #2 05/29/12, 02:32 PM

5 year contract, re-embursed if the contract is cut short.

Gets pretty thorny, you own the fence, owner owns the land, so a short term lease is just not worthwhile. You'll find insurance headaches too, both of you become liable for escaped critters, both of you need insurance.

But with the longer contract you have options. And you at least got some use out of the fence.

--->Paul

pancho · #3 05/29/12, 03:32 PM

Don't fence rented land. Save the money to fence your own land.

uncle Will in In. · #4 05/29/12, 03:55 PM

The cost of a decent fence would be close to the value of the pasture for at least the first two years.
You might work out a deal where you put up the fence if the owner pays for the materials. Perhaps an offer to contract to pay rent for about 5 years might persuade them to do this.

InvalidID · #5 05/29/12, 03:58 PM

On land that has boundary fence maybe some cheap electric fence? I'm a real fan of the step in posts, and when you were done with the land you'd take it all with you.

Just a thought.

#6 05/29/12, 04:08 PM

Unless stipulated otherwise, the landlord owns any improvements the tenant makes. However, there is no reason you could not stipulate on the lease that you are going to remove the fence at the end of the lease.

Alice In TX/MO · #7 05/29/12, 04:36 PM

I waived the pasture rent for two years in exchange for the renter building the fence.

jwal10 · #8 05/29/12, 04:54 PM

On rented pasture the landlord paid for the fencing material and I did the work. 10 yr lease....James

Azrael · #9 05/30/12, 10:02 AM

Leaning towards a permanent 4 wire boundary fence and using temporary fence to subdivide the larger pasture.

I have heard from others that a 5 year lease should be the minimum if you are going to be installing the fencing and creating the pasture where there was none, and 10 year is better.

Once we get that far would just have to work with the landowner on either knocking cost of fencing off 1-2 years of the lease or prorating it over the life of the lease.

Also would have to make provisions for water and electric as well.

Fencing our own land would not work, as I stated we have only 2 acres and, unfortunately, row crops are the standard in my area, very little pasture available. Regular farm ground is going in the $5-6000 range if you can even find it, so renting a portion off another landowner is the only other route we have right now.

farminghandyman · #10 05/30/12, 10:56 AM

I would suggest an electric fencing and then pull it if you lose the ground or have them buy you out, but make sure in the contract who owns the fence, as some could say it was there setting for more than 30 days and so it is mine, not the renters,

we put up temporary electric fencing around fields most ever winter and pull them out in the spring it not that big of a deal to build and keep an electric fence if you do not have tumble weed problems,

you may want to build some good corners tho, but if you would lose the corners you not out much more than about $30 in materials for two good wood posts, and a brace bar or post, and some #9 wire, for diagonal brace,