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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsA farmland lease should spell out who is contracting, exactly what land is included, how it may be used, what rent is owed, who handles costs and maintenance, and what happens when the arrangement ends. Use this U.S.-oriented checklist to prepare or review an agreement, then verify state and local rules: lease law and program requirements vary, and no single checklist clause works everywhere.
Farmland lease checklist
- Name every party and signing capacity. Identify the landowner and farm operator by their full legal names. If someone signs for an LLC, trust, partnership, or other entity, identify that entity and the signer’s capacity. Confirm that all parties whose rights or obligations are affected are included; the USDA-hosted Farm Commons workbook emphasizes naming the necessary parties as important to enforceability. Read the Farm Commons lease workbook.
- Describe the property precisely. Include the legal or other unambiguous land description, county, farm and tract identifiers where applicable, and the total and crop acres covered. Identify excluded areas, boundaries, and any access routes or shared areas. USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) forms use fields for owner of record, tract description, county, farm number, and total and crop acres; those are useful prompts, not a universal list of legal requirements. See FSA 2006 instructions.
- Define permitted uses and required practices. State the agricultural activities allowed, such as crop production or grazing, and any agreed land-use or stewardship standards. Make clear whether other uses require the owner’s written approval. Tailor restrictions to the property and agreement rather than relying on a generic clause.
- Set the term and renewal process. Write the effective start date and expiration date. Explain whether renewal is available, how a party exercises that option, the notice deadline, and whether rent or other terms may change. USDA cash-rent certification instructions record commencement and expiration dates, but the cited sources establish no standard lease length or universal renewal rule. See FSA CCC-510 instructions.
- Make rent and payment mechanics explicit. State whether compensation is cash rent or crop share. For cash rent, specify the amount, due dates, payment method, and any installment terms. For crop share, state the percentage and explain how crop proceeds, records, reporting, and any agreed costs are handled. FSA forms provide fields for cash rent and crop-share percentages; they do not set an appropriate rate or payment schedule for a particular farm.
- Assign taxes, insurance, utilities, and operating costs. Identify who pays property taxes, utilities, insurance, and other agreed expenses. Specify any required insurance coverage and how proof is provided, if applicable. The workbook prompts both sides to address these obligations; the agreement should allocate them rather than leave responsibility implicit.
- Address water, access, buildings, and equipment. Describe the tenant’s rights to water and access, and identify any buildings, facilities, or equipment included in the lease. State who may use shared roads or facilities and when the owner may enter or retain use of part of the land. Define any limits or notice requirements for owner access.
- Allocate maintenance and improvements. Separate routine upkeep from larger work such as roads, drainage, or perimeter fencing. Specify who performs and pays for each category, which improvements require prior approval, and whether the tenant may remove equipment or other property. Explain how improvements are treated at the end of the lease, including any agreed payment or restoration obligations.
- Set a dispute and early-termination process. Identify how the parties will give notices, discuss problems, and pursue any agreed resolution process. If early termination is allowed, state the circumstances, required notice, and procedure. A clause suitable in one state or arrangement may not satisfy another jurisdiction’s law.
- Plan for expiration or termination. Explain when access ends, how keys and facilities are returned, what happens to equipment, improvements, remaining crops, and other property, and how records or final payments are handled. Address a workable transition where crops or other farm operations extend beyond the end date. The parties’ written terms and applicable local rules govern these details.
Use the checklist for USDA paperwork without confusing it with lease law
FSA’s CCC-510 instructions list the tenant and landlord, farm number, leased acreage, lease commencement and expiration dates, and lease terms. For the stated cash-rent certification purpose, the instructions say producers who cash rent land may certify provisions on that form instead of providing the actual cash lease and other documentation. That is an administrative option for that purpose, not a general replacement for a written lease or a statement that the form covers every agreement.
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FSA 2006 instructions also illustrate practical details to record, including whether an agreement is oral or written, crop-share percentage, cash rent, and expiration. Treat these fields as prompts for clarity, not as a claim that every field is mandatory in every lease.
Keep crop-insurance requirements in their own scope
For the Rainfall Index program, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) November 4, 2025 bulletin addresses leases for the 2026 crop year. It says leases or lease certification forms must be signed and submitted on or before the acreage reporting date and be effective for that crop year. It accepts an address, FSA farm number, legal description, or latitude and longitude as a leased-land identifier for this program. The bulletin also describes a limited April 1, 2026 deadline extension for specified policies. These are program-specific requirements and dates, not general deadlines for farmland leases. Read RMA bulletin MGR-25-008.
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- This kit contains 2 fill-in-the-blanks paper legal forms and a handy quick reference guide.
- You get 2 legally binding lease agreements that are perfect for the homeowners or landlord
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- Our forms are valid and binding in all States
Check state law before relying on an oral or standard-form agreement
Do not assume an oral lease is either automatically valid or automatically unenforceable. RMA’s FAD-309 determination discusses variation in state law and the possibility that an oral agreement can be enforceable when contract-formation elements are met, in its crop-insurance context. The outcome depends on governing law and the facts. Written terms help the parties document their understanding, but they do not substitute for checking local requirements. Consider a qualified agricultural attorney for a high-value, multi-party, long-term, or otherwise complex lease. Read RMA Final Agency Determination FAD-309.
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