Land Owner and User FAQs and Tips
Be Honest About Your Property
Set expectations as they are, and avoid “fluff” to make your property seem like something it isn’t. This will help your property rating and ensure users want to return.
Land Owners and Users Need to Vet Each Other
Both the land owner and the land user/lessee need to do their due diligence.
- Check county records to help verify ownership
- Depending on the lease, a potential site visit might be warranted
- Users need to contact the owner and have an open dialogue about the property
- Discuss what the property is being leased for and how the property will be used – both from a land owner perspective and a land user perspective
- Talk about the land owner’s expectations and the land user’s expectations
- Establish property rules
- Explain boundaries of the property or where the lease is confined to
Background Checks
Property owners and users might want to know who they are dealing with. If this is a concern, we recommend using www.intelius.com. For a nominal fee, Intelius can run a quick background check to let you know who you are dealing with as a land owner or a user.
Get Insurance
It is always good when land owners and land users are protected by liability insurance. While we would hope there would never be a need for such insurance coverage, we also realize accidents happen, and it is good for both the land owner and user to be protected.
Each property and lease is different and offers different reasons for various types of insurance. For quick, affordable, online insurance for recreational purposes, go to www.veracityinsurance.com/outdoor-recreation-insurance. Agricultural leases are typically more detailed in scope and may require more complex coverage. The land owner and lessee should find insurance options that best fit their needs.
The More Information About Your Property, The Better
Be thorough in explaining your land, what it has to offer, its characteristics, unique qualities, what rights you are leasing, etc. The more information about the property you offer, the more it will allow a land user to determine if the property is a good fit for them or not.
Pictures, Pictures, Pictures
Pictures are the best way to give people a glimpse of what the property to be leased looks like. Land owners need to post high-quality pictures of the features of the property. Make sure you use realistic images that show what the property really looks like. You want to set expectations correctly, so there aren’t any surprises when the user gets to the property.
What About Lease Contracts?
Every lease is different, and so are the real estate laws regarding leasing in each state. We have posted a couple of sample contracts on this site, but these are not to be used and are provided as examples only.
Some leases are more informal than others. For example, a camping lease would be a simple agreement between the land owner and user. On the other hand, a large agricultural lease for thousands of acres is a more complicated transaction. Thus, the lease will require additional detail. All agreements are to be worked out between the land owner and user.
