Renting a yard - sublet

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Kylara

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I'm looking at yards to rent at the minute - everything I have seen so far and going to see are I think technically sub-lets or simple lets and all would be sharing facilities.

None of this is a problem to me, but I'm not sure what sort of limitations I should expect due to the shared facilities. Any ideas? All have grazing, stables, and school.

Should I be expected to limit what I can and can't do in the school? So not host clinics, not lunge or long rein etc? Or should I be allowed to do stuff like that as long as the use of facilities is booked into the diary?

Also what sort of rights would I have as a sublet? Normal tenancy rights, or something less? I've never rented before as I have my own land and stables, but not enough space for a school or other facilites (and not enough land for more than 3 ponies!)

Just wanting to get it all straight in my head before I inadvertently find myself stuck in a long contract and not being able to do things I need to do to run my business! I can understand part way some limitations, but the idea of renting out to a professional surely comes with things like possible clinics, high use of facilities etc?
 
Are you going to lease the yard for business purposes - in which case you would require a lease under the Landlord and Tenants Act.
If it is to be a business lease then how long is the lease to be for and are there to be any rent reviews and if so when?
I would suggest that you firstly make a list of everything you require as a tenant and then if this is going to be a business lease get a surveyor to act on behalf of your interests in negotiating the terms with the landlord.
If this is just for private recreational purposes then it would still be advisable to have a proper lease in place so that you can not be thrown off without due period of notice etc.
 
I'm no expert but I rent out my yard to someone else - not a sublet as I own it myself, but I have told her that she can't sublet. You will need to be sure they have permission to sublet.

There may be planning permission in place which limits use of the facilities - for example the arena may not have commercial use. This would prevent you running clinics there. You would also need to pay business rates.

I would imagine the other tenants will not be happy if you start doing anything that limits their use of facilities - clinics etc would prevent their use of the arena for several hours, which isn't really fair. So I don't expect this would be allowed, unless the owner agrees to this. Probably every yard has their own system with regard to school booking but they might consider that several hours at a time (particularly, say, at the weekend) isn't really fair on everyone else.

I think you will need to be totally clear on what is shared and what is your 'own'. For example will your horses have to share a field or will they have their own. And will it be the same field, or will they be rotated.

Be clear on your responsibilities too - what you have to maintain and repair - make sure you don't end up fixing other people's damage.

It does sound as though you might be better off with a small place with sole use. They can be hard to find. What size and facilities are you looking for?
 
Thanks guys.
It would be business use (liveries and schooling) and all the yards I'm looking at have sole use fields and stables but the rest is shared.
The one I'm most worried about is a sublet (all allowed etc and is on part of a big estate) of an 18 box barn which would be perfect. They have very occasional clinics there I think and I would only want to do 3-4 hours of clinics a month, any day really. If not there is where I currently do them but not having to have to pay for another arena would be fab! The bigger barn is mainly the tenants few eventers and a few liveries and mostly retired horses so school use isn't too heavy. It does have a one year contract (I've asked to see it). But it seems to have been up for rent a few times in the last year or so and I don't know if it the main tenant is being difficult or something else really!
The smaller yards I haven't visited in person yet, but are both happy for me to have liveries of some sort.

I would always get a contract though and get it checked over by someone :)

I know about rates etc (included in the large barn rent) and have got business plans sorted, it's just finding the place now.

I'm looking for minimum 6 and up to 20 stables, preferably somewhere with over 10 though as space to expand as I go. The smaller ones are 6 and 8 so not much expansion space.

Needs turnout and school minimum and would love good hacking but not essential.

Anywhere I'd go I would be using the school a fair bit due to schooling and full liveries. Found a few perfect ones but too far away (limited by house and OH's business and refusal to rent accommodation now houseowner lol)

The big plan is to save up and buy something eventually that has facilities with the house (may have to go up north though to get more land for the money though :( )
 
If the main tenant is sub letting to you ,your contract will be worthless to you as the landlord only has to fulfil their contract with the person they have the agreement with and you will be arguing the toss with somebody who no longer occupies the yard so technically they are out and so are you with no comeback.
 
I'm not too worried about that with the large yard as it is a long tenancy with a local estate who are generally excellent and tenant has been there for years.

I'm more thinking about the contract between me and tenant and whether they hold less rights than tenant to landlord. Or whether the contract is just a listing of terms that may or may not be upheld :/ The other two are I believe both owned by the people I am chatting to so would be a direct tenancy agreement.

It's so frustrating that I don't have enough land or facilities to run from home!
 
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