How much is reasonable

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Smith88

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We are currently renting a 2 and a half acre field on the edge of Oxfordshire. We have two ponies and a horse. We currently pay 120 a month. We have recently been quite concerned because the fences are very old and rotten and the field shelter needs repairs. The land lady refuses to help pay for any of the maintenance and when asked about the field shelter she has decided to put the field rent up to cover costs of repair. 150 a month for two and half acres which she does nothing for to me seems ridiculous, we don't have a tack room, running water, menage or stables. there is no contract. I would have no problem paying for repairs id out horses had some the damage but it's just very old and cheap materials used.
How much do you think is a reasonable price?
How much do you pay?
 
It's not do much what other people in other parts of the country pay. It's all down to what people are prepared to pay in your local area. If grazing is shortage like the livery thread shows, it pushes the price right up regardless of facilities.
 
How long have you been renting the field?

Tbh if there was no agreement in the beginning for who would be liable for maintenance and repairs I don't think you have a leg to stand on.

I personally think what you are paying is reasonable and tbh if I was renting sole use of a field I would be expecting to maintain it myself.

Surely you can just run some electric fencing around the perimeter of the field.
 
We've been renting for the last 4 years occasionally with other people. I don't really care about the fencing, it is 20+ years old but our girls are very good.

Surely part of being a land owner is helping cover maintainance and looking after your assets ? 120 for nothing for four years isn't a small fee.

We do the grass maintainance. She previously said it would be capped at 120 really we just get the field which she does nothing to maintain.
 
But we would be getting much better facilities, our nearest diy livery is 85 a month which includes a stable, tack room 24/7 turnout and access to a a arena.
 
So move. 2 and a half acres doesn't seem enough for 3 horses anyway and you previously shared it with more horses. If you think you are being ripped off then leave or make the repairs yourself.

When renting a field that is pretty much it as far as I was aware. Renter looks after it as best as they can. I wouldn't stay but I like to have an arena.
 
Smith88 said:
But we would be getting much better facilities, our nearest diy livery is 85 a month which includes a stable, tack room 24/7 turnout and access to a a arena.
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Off you go then your land lady will have no trouble finding some else in Oxfordshore
 
I suppose the bottom line is this. If you are not happy with the arrangement then leave and find the horses somewhere else. It isn't likely that you would secure any chnage in the land owner's attitude. If her approach is inconsistent with land prices in your area she will find herself without a tenant. If it isn't then there is no incentive for her to change.
 
I moved from a yard I paid 100per month for because the owner stopped doing the maintenance. My friend rents a field and pays less then that, 100 plus is livery price they should do something for that. If not move like I did but beware the grass might not be greener literally and metaphorically. Though for the facilities you describe 150seems well steep to me
 
huskydamage said:
I moved from a yard I paid 100per month for because the owner stopped doing the maintenance. My friend rents a field and pays less then that, 100 plus is livery price they should do something for that. If not move like I did but beware the grass might not be greener literally and metaphorically. Though for the facilities you describe 150seems well steep to me
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But it's £150 per month for 3 horses, so only £50 per month per horse which is dirt cheap. My sister and I used to pay £200 per month to rent a 3 acre field for 2 horses, so £100 per month per horse. We had a field shelter and automatic water trough, nothing else. However we had good fencing and the farmer used to roll the field and take away our muck for nothing, and in the depths of winter he opened up another 2 acre field for the horses for no extra cost. I still think we got an absolute bargain considering, but when you put it into context we paid twice as much per horse as the OP is paying.
 
Its £12.50 per pony per week for grass livery which doesn't sound bad. I do see your point on the fencing though. Could you offer to do the work if the landowner pays for the material costs of re-fencing? Otherwise Id do what someone else suggests and put electric fencing around the perimeter.
 
I rent a couple of fields, I pay £130 a month for both, just over 2 acres. I have no contract, I am responsible for all maintaince on all fencing and all costs for fencing repairs are down to me.

I don't expect anything else, I rent the land and expect to do all repairs myself for what I pay. If it had been told to me that the land owner would maintain fencing then in your position I would be annoyed, but as nothing was verbially said or in writing I'd just either do the repairs yourself or move else where if you don't want to pay for the fencing repairs.
 
This is an amazing deal and if it were near me I'd bite your arm off to get it! I can't find decent grass livery for my horse that I can manage myself for love nor money. I'd happily pay to either maintain current fencing/field shelter or supply my own electric fencing and pay £150 a month rent. I currently pay £175 rent per month DIY for stable and grazing for my ONE horse.
 
Plenty of field renters are responsible for their own fencing and stables etc? unless a contract specifies otherwise and are pleased to get anything there in the first instance, and you really aren't paying a lot, land isn't cheap! You could always put a new field shelter up yourself and take it with you/sell it on when you don't need it?
That's what happens when you rent anything, the owner of the item essentially gets money for nothing, my flat has required one minor repair in the three years I have been here :p.
 
I'd be paying the money and maintaining the fencing and doing the repairs to the field shelter myself, to ensure I had a nice place for my three horses to live .... and being a good tenant at the same time. Up till I sold my land earlier this year, I had good tenants (who paid a reasonable rent and looked after the land/fencing) and rubbish ones, who didn't do any maintenance and weren't worth the effort of having them. And why shouldn't your landlady be getting rent on the fields she owns? It sounds like you resent that more than anything :)
 
If you think you are paying too much check out a mortgage on approaching three acres of prime Oxfordshire land! If you aren't happy, leave. Otherwise, get a battery energizer and a bit of wire and a few posts, and stick some marine ply or onduline on the field shelter.
 
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