Can you sell a campground that sits on leased land?

If your campground sits on land you lease rather than own, a buyer is not just buying your sites, cabins and goodwill. They are buying the right to keep using the land. That changes who has a say in the sale, what the buyer will ask for and how lenders look at the file. The sooner you understand your lease, the fewer surprises will turn up mid-sale.

Start with what the lease says

Read the lease for how it can be assigned or transferred, what the landlord must approve and how much term remains. Check any renewal rights and what happens to buildings and improvements at the end. Many owners find the lease is thinner or older than they remembered. Have your lawyer read it with you before you speak to a buyer, so you know what you can promise.

Bring the landlord in early

If the lease requires landlord consent, it can take time, and a landlord may ask questions about the buyer. Raise the sale with the landlord before a buyer is chosen, or at least before the conditions are set. Be ready to share information about who the buyer is and how they will run the park. Your lawyer can tell you what the lease requires, and the campground selling guide shows where this step sits in a sale.

What buyers and lenders will ask

• How much of the term remains, and can it be renewed?
• Will the landlord consent to an assignment?
• Who owns the buildings and improvements?
• Are there any defaults or disputes on the lease?