Renting Out Fields - Dogs / Horses / Farmers

[KTMsm]

I've got 3 fields totalling 13 acres next to my house

I've been approached by local Dog trainers and Horse riders wanting to rent it

Can anyone give me the low down on what land rents for and anything to be aware of ?

I've seen a local place rents out an acre, by the hour, for dog walkers but I'm too busy to organise that

Historically a farmer has rented it but he's let it go with 10m wide "black thorn hedges"

A horse owner has suggested £100 / acre / month which sounds reasonable, it's an affluent area and the fields are near the village

My Mum is mentioning that I can't let it out for a full year or they get Rights ?

[Mr Whippy]

Check on any covenants limiting use beyond agricultural, if that's what it's always been.

Also check planning will let you do other actvities on it beyond agricultural use.


I'd go see a land agent and see what they think. Pay money and get solid advice.


With regards rights, surely that's just in the terms of the rental agreements you have made up?

[Evoluzione]

Horses will make a big mess of most fields in Winter, other animals don't so be aware of that.
Identify what repair and maintenance will be needed and who will do it or pay for it.
Watch out for any plants poisonous to animals, even near a fence which they can reach over and eat.

[LimaDelta]

Our local sheep farmer grazes ours. No money changes hands, but the fields are kept neat, and he takes care of the boundaries, which is win-win really.

[alfabeat]

Just looking at our field in dismay, which has been decimated by the horses over the winter...just one big mud bath!

If you do let it to horse owners, you may want to find out how many they plan to graze on there and if they will manage the grazing (electric fence parts off to help it recover). Also whose responsibility the fences would be. Horses are strong-willed and strong! Are there water troughs in place?

Affluent horse owners (note most horse owners are not in my experience - or at least started off affluent!), will tend to pay good money for additional grazing local to them.

[Mr Whippy]

Evoluzione said:

Horses will make a big mess of most fields in Winter, other animals don't so be aware of that.
Identify what repair and maintenance will be needed and who will do it or pay for it.
Watch out for any plants poisonous to animals, even near a fence which they can reach over and eat.

Yep, going out with a wheel barrow and a forking up horse st in the freezing cold and rain, and then finding a place to put it all. The renter will need such a space, per 1 acre plot, or a joint one for all the plot owners to have to walk to... and then someone will have to deal with it from there.

And then maintaining the 1 acre plot boundaries with appropriate materials for horses.


Dogs could be just as much hassle though. Boundaries will have to be dog proof. Not just stock proof. Last thing you want is liability for them getting into adjacent farmers fields etc.
Then dog crap will soon build up too.



Either way, with an FBT being about £125 a month for 13 acres or £2,500 a year, I can see the attraction of a far superior source of income.

Assuming you could lot it off and sell it for £130,000 in total, at 3% you'd be making £3,900 a year in interest.

I'd use that as a reference for ROI.

Unless you're using the land as an IHT tool, but I have a feeling that might change soon if the land isn't being farmed by the occupier, never mind under FBT type arrangements.



Why not invest some money and build some stables?

[KTMsm]

The long term plan for the fields is to build houses on them but that probably won't be for 30 years so just looking at relatively speaking, hassle free, short term(ish) options

Having Googled it seems the issue is agricultural tenancies, if you don't have a formal agreement.

Also with grazing rights you have to remove the stock each year - which seems unreasonable

If everyone forces horses off the land in winter where are they all supposed to go ?

Equally if they trash the land in winter but they are renting it on an annual basis, does it matter as it becomes their problem

[Dynion Araf Uchaf]

motocross track

grass track

rage buggies or quad bike red letter day venue

autosolo and autotests

there are much better uses for this land than for the donkeys...

[KTMsm]

Dynion Araf Uchaf said:

motocross track

grass track

rage buggies or quad bike red letter day venue

autosolo and autotests

there are much better uses for this land than for the donkeys...

You get me the planning permission I'll buy the carts !

Unfortunately owning land does not mean that you can do what you want with it

[monkfish1]

KTMsm said:

The long term plan for the fields is to build houses on them but that probably won't be for 30 years so just looking at relatively speaking, hassle free, short term(ish) options

Having Googled it seems the issue is agricultural tenancies, if you don't have a formal agreement.

Also with grazing rights you have to remove the stock each year - which seems unreasonable

If everyone forces horses off the land in winter where are they all supposed to go ?

Equally if they trash the land in winter but they are renting it on an annual basis, does it matter as it becomes their problem

For livestock outside of horses (thats a planning change of use BTW) they will be moved in and out as required. A farmer wont leave the same livestock in the same field all year. There wont be enough to eat. Hence 364 day tennancies. Ive just done one for 11 months for sheep. As per another post, no money changing hands. They maintain the fences and the sheep mow the grass. You can download typical agreements for bugger all money to cover yourself legally.

[Dynion Araf Uchaf]

KTMsm said:

You get me the planning permission I'll buy the carts !

Unfortunately owning land does not mean that you can do what you want with it

planning permission granted! If the land is not use for agriculture you are allowed up to 14 days for motorsport use as part of PD regs.

https://www.motorsportuk.org/wp-content/uploads/20...

make it happen!

[Evoluzione]

monkfish1 said:

For livestock outside of horses (thats a planning change of use BTW) they will be moved in and out as required. A farmer wont leave the same livestock in the same field all year. There wont be enough to eat. Hence 364 day tennancies. Ive just done one for 11 months for sheep. As per another post, no money changing hands. They maintain the fences and the sheep mow the grass. You can download typical agreements for bugger all money to cover yourself legally.

That depends, some do leave sheep at least on the same land all year round, all the ones near us are.

[KTMsm]

Dynion Araf Uchaf said:

planning permission granted! If the land is not use for agriculture you are allowed up to 14 days for motorsport use as part of PD regs.

https://www.motorsportuk.org/wp-content/uploads/20...

make it happen!

I'll have to have a read up

The land was used for horses for many years but recently was rented to a farmer who had cattle but in recent years he kept it as a back up but hasn't used it, just topping it

[Jeremy-75qq8]

Long running saga round our way for dog walking field. Appeals etc. All declined.

[KTMsm]

Jeremy-75qq8 said:

Long running saga round our way for dog walking field. Appeals etc. All declined.

TBH it never occurred to me that it would need planning

[loskie]

Plant an orchard

[soxboy]

You could get a reasonable rent by letting it out to various uses outlined above such as dog exercising and horses, but then in order to get additional income you have the ballache of extra time spent dealing with it.

Or you could just let it out to a local farmer. Probably less overall income but little effort on your part. Horses for courses really pardon the pun).

Best to speak to a local rural agent to advise.

[LimmerickLad]

soxboy said:

You could get a reasonable rent by letting it out to various uses outlined above such as dog exercising and horses, but then in order to get additional income you have the ballache of extra time spent dealing with it.

Or you could just let it out to a local farmer. Probably less overall income but little effort on your part. Horses for courses really pardon the pun).

Best to speak to a local rural agent to advise.

I can recommend a land agent called Charlie Ireland

[Big Stevie]

loskie said:

Plant an orchard

One good thing about an apple orchard is you can drink it.

[addey]

Doggy day care is big business round where I am, there are at least half a dozen sites within a few miles of here and I see streams of vans going up and down the A3 each day moving the dogs. Some just use a basic field, some have far more facilities. Might be worth seeing if there are any near you that might be interested.