Drawing up a proposal for renting yard

[no_no_nanette]

We currently rent 4 stables in an old-fashioned courtyard of stables, from the local college, and have our own small breeding operation based there. We have got increasingly desperate over the past 6 months because the college farm never do any maintenance or upkeep work when requested - there are always other priorities. So I went to see the farm manager today to suggest that we take over the management of the yard and the grazing. He seemed up for it, and asked me to submit a proposal ..... Have never done anything like this before, and would value some help!!!

The stables and fields have deteriorated a lot in the last year or so - holes in roofs, fields badly puddled and entrances trashed, fencing down in many places, drains blocked .... I could go on!! So we are going to have to get the place up to scratch to make it fit for purpose, which is all going to cost. So far the farm has got away with getting about £3,800 a year rental without having to spend a penny on maintenance recently. What do you think we should offer? Should we insist that the farm does all the repairs, etc, before we start the new arrangement, so that we don't have a backlog of work to do? (Problem is that on their current record it just won't get done ....) How much should we expect to pay for a 6 box yard with no facilities such as a school, and fields that badly need TLC? Help!!

 

[scotsmare]

I think about £6k per year - depends on the acreage available.

 

[no_no_nanette]

Gulp! That seems a lot, scotsmare, given the state of the place, and the money that we're likely to have to spend on remedial work .... I would think that the winter grazing that we are on is probably about 6 acres, and its very heavy Gault Clay, so a nightmare in wet weather!

 

[scotsmare]

Oh ok, given the tiny amount of grazing, and the remedial work, I think upping your offer to £4k would be generous!

 

[eventrider23]

One other thing RufusBlueMoon hasn't mentioned is that it is a small yard and as such, whilst there are 6 stables, only 4 are truly suitable and the others are too small for horses - only ponies. There are no facilities other than the paddocks and the ground in them is AWFUL as is clay and the worst kind and so you simply cannot overstock the land at all. As it is with our horses, we basically have the whole yard in all but name. They have already said that they have no intention of letting anyone else but us onto the yard already as there is no room for more and so we pay the above amount in total as our livery, etc on the understanding that the yard is upkept by them with general maintenance.

And so...whilst yes £3800 approx is NOT a huge amount to pay...this is what is already paid for the yard INCLUDING the supposed maintenance. IF we take it on properly and so start doing all the maintenance, etc. then conceivably the rent should go down to accomodate this I would imagine......

 

[Passtheshampoo]

I rent out my small yard and only do so with a contract in place so that both parties know their responsibilities. My yard is let in good condition , if it needed work before a new tenant moved on I'd reduce the rent to take account of that or carry out the repairs myself. I presume you originally took on the yard without a contract which means you can start from square one if you wish to alter the terms.
If you want further detailed info rufusbluemoon please PM me.

 

[no_no_nanette]

Thanks so much FPErin - have PM'd you