National Trust Tenancy

Old Bold Farmer · Apr 21, 2021

I have a tenancy from the National Trust. We farm 80 hectares of permanent pasture in the South West. For years the Trust have taken care of the gas boilers ie. maintenance, repair and servicing. Now they are trying to make us responsible for all this. They will only be responsible for replacement if required. I'm worried if the 20 year old boiler goes wrong and costs £800 to repair or £1200 to replace the Trust are going to make me pay for it to be repaired. They are also trying to add a clause to our lease saying we will be responsible for 10% of cost for any repairs/maintenance to the house and buildings, without us being able to control what they deem as requiring work.

Anyone come across this sort of thing with the Trust before?

betweenthelines · Apr 21, 2021

Just because they're NT doesn't give them any extra authority. A landlord cannot change the terms of the tenancy at will.

Go by what it says in your Tenancy Agreement, if it's not covered by the T A I would ague that it's accepted (that they take care of the boiler) through accepted custom and usage

Hilly · Apr 21, 2021

Just make sure everything needs replaced not fixed ?

Frank-the-Wool · Apr 21, 2021

You need some professional advice over this.
Is it an AHA tenancy or are you on a FBT?

bluepower · Apr 21, 2021

Old Bold Farmer said:
I have a tenancy from the National Trust. We farm 80 hectares of permanent pasture in the South West. For years the Trust have taken care of the gas boilers ie. maintenance, repair and servicing. Now they are trying to make us responsible for all this. They will only be responsible for replacement if required. I'm worried if the 20 year old boiler goes wrong and costs £800 to repair or £1200 to replace the Trust are going to make me pay for it to be repaired. They are also trying to add a clause to our lease saying we will be responsible for 10% of cost for any repairs/maintenance to the house and buildings, without us being able to control what they deem as requiring work.

Anyone come across this sort of thing with the Trust before?

Do not trust them one inch, low lives in my opinion, but then I am probably biased. As others say they cannot alter the terms of your tenancy without you agreeing to it and signing a new clause in the tenancy. If it is going to have a detrimental effect on your business then serve them with notice for a rent review and go for a significant reduction, they cannot expect to have both ends and the middle.

As you may know we have been tenants of that so called charitable trust for the last 25 years and have had enough of their ideas and incompetence. PM me if you would like a chat.

hally · Apr 22, 2021

We have a aha tenancy and the landlords have never played any part in the boiler, we have had to buy it, install it and service it, as is the norm around here. So you have been lucky so far to get them to pay for some of this.

glasshouse · Apr 22, 2021

You are better off dealing with it yourself
By the time they have pratted about and paid over the odds
Same goes for sheds and fences etc

Salopian_Will · Apr 22, 2021

Get some advice as stated. However it sounds like an FBT where everyone is free to agree terms and there is nothing to stop you coming back with a counter proposal - is there something you want in return? Also you are getting them off the hook for the admin and cost therefore it should be reflected in the rent.

Mixedupfarmer · Apr 22, 2021

Old Bold Farmer said:
I have a tenancy from the National Trust. We farm 80 hectares of permanent pasture in the South West. For years the Trust have taken care of the gas boilers ie. maintenance, repair and servicing. Now they are trying to make us responsible for all this. They will only be responsible for replacement if required. I'm worried if the 20 year old boiler goes wrong and costs £800 to repair or £1200 to replace the Trust are going to make me pay for it to be repaired. They are also trying to add a clause to our lease saying we will be responsible for 10% of cost for any repairs/maintenance to the house and buildings, without us being able to control what they deem as requiring work.

Anyone come across this sort of thing with the Trust before?

Join the TFA now. They come across all this sort of thing all the time and will give superb advice and get it sorted for you.

Formatted · Apr 22, 2021

Everyone who has a National Trust tenancy seems to complain like buggery about them but there is a generation of new entrants and young farmers who would absolutely love to farm one of those farms. Count your blessings

hally · Apr 22, 2021

The trust farms around here have pretty strict stewardship criteria but seem very well maintained compared to the private landlords

bluepower · Apr 28, 2021

Old Bold Farmer said:
I have a tenancy from the National Trust. We farm 80 hectares of permanent pasture in the South West. For years the Trust have taken care of the gas boilers ie. maintenance, repair and servicing. Now they are trying to make us responsible for all this. They will only be responsible for replacement if required. I'm worried if the 20 year old boiler goes wrong and costs £800 to repair or £1200 to replace the Trust are going to make me pay for it to be repaired. They are also trying to add a clause to our lease saying we will be responsible for 10% of cost for any repairs/maintenance to the house and buildings, without us being able to control what they deem as requiring work.

Anyone come across this sort of thing with the Trust before?

I have tried to PM you but it won't allow me to send for some reason If you could PM me again and leave the conversation open please?

bluepower · Apr 28, 2021

Formatted said:
Everyone who has a National Trust tenancy seems to complain like buggery about them but there is a generation of new entrants and young farmers who would absolutely love to farm one of those farms. Count your blessings

The problem is they don't want the farms to be farmed. Our 500 acre patch is not going to be re-let as a farm from what I understand. It beggars belief and is a shocking scandal!

ajcc · Apr 29, 2021

The NT want total control, they want farmers as unpaid land managers.
The only way it stacks up is to the detriment of any agricultural activity with “temporary “substitution of environmental subsidy.....then NE axe subsidy and NT will say “ah well looks like rewilding is the only option.”
Forewarned is forearmed.

betweenthelines · Apr 29, 2021

bluepower said:
The problem is they don't want the farms to be farmed. Our 500 acre patch is not going to be re-let as a farm from what I understand. It beggars belief and is a shocking scandal!

What are they going to do, just let it degenerate?

bluepower · Apr 29, 2021

As I understand it they want to allow public access everywhere, plant lots of trees, bear in mind we are an exposed coastal farm and maybe introduce some low density extensive livestock grazing. They are keen to restore the organic matter to the soil and everything is going to be wonderful
They ignore our present farming system with ley arable and heaps of FYM spread every year. We have also never grown potatoes or maize, their two pet hates and until recently been in HLS for twenty years. I dread to think what state the place will be in in ten years time, but it won't be my problem. National Trust know best!!??

organicguy · Apr 29, 2021

In defence of the NT, which I do very rarely even though my wife works for them, they have just re let a neighbouring organic farm and have not let it to the highest rent but to a tenant who is going to push the boundaries of sustainable farming whilst paying a fair long term rent.
They did not let it to the applicant who wanted to plant it all to trees and take the govt. cash.
It is on an estate that was at the forefront of the Agricultural revolution in 1860; quite exciting that it is at the forefront again!
Watch this space.

bluepower · Apr 29, 2021

organicguy said:
In defence of the NT, which I do very rarely even though my wife works for them, they have just re let a neighbouring organic farm and have not let it to the highest rent but to a tenant who is going to push the boundaries of sustainable farming whilst paying a fair long term rent.
They did not let it to the applicant who wanted to plant it all to trees and take the govt. cash.
It is on an estate that was at the forefront of the Agricultural revolution in 1860; quite exciting that it is at the forefront again!
Watch this space.

They have never let to the highest or lowest rent but look at the middle band applicants. However I would advise anyone who signs a lease with them to look very carefully at the small print. In my experience they will continually move the goalposts. The devil will be in the detail or what they don't mention. once you reach the point of renewing a lease they will try and pull your pants down, you have been warned!

serf · May 1, 2021

bluepower said:
As I understand it they want to allow public access everywhere, plant lots of trees, bear in mind we are an exposed coastal farm and maybe introduce some low density extensive livestock grazing. They are keen to restore the organic matter to the soil and everything is going to be wonderful
They ignore our present farming system with ley arable and heaps of FYM spread every year. We have also never grown potatoes or maize, their two pet hates and until recently been in HLS for twenty years. I dread to think what state the place will be in in ten years time, but it won't be my problem. National Trust know best!!??

To hear this makes you want to puke ! how the F has this organisation been allowed to be infiltrated by such cretins, the people who left their farms to NT wouldn't have wanted them to go to ruin .
After you have farmed the place and kept it in good heart and they want to do this

beardface · May 1, 2021

serf said:
To hear this makes you want to puke ! how the F has this organisation been allowed to be infiltrated by such cretins, the people who left their farms to NT wouldn't have wanted them to go to ruin .
After you have farmed the place and kept it in good heart and they want to do this

That's the most annoying part of NT farms. Often they were left to NT because the farmer wanted them maintained as a traditional farm.

National Trust Tenancy

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100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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