Model Template for a Rural Land Contract

Rural land contracting refers to the household contracting method adopted within rural collective economic organizations. Rural land such as barren hills, barren gullies, barren mounds and barren riverbanks that is not suitable for household contracting may be contracted through bidding, auction, open consultation and other methods. After land contracting, the nature of land ownership remains unchanged, and contracted land may not be bought or sold. Let us take a look below at a rural land contract template!

Common Questions About Rural Land Contracting

1. Term of land contracting: the contract term for cultivated land is 30 years, for grassland it is 30 to 50 years, and for forest land it is 30 to 70 years. For forest land with special trees, the contract term may be extended upon approval by the competent forestry department of the State Council.

2. The contract is protected by law: a contract takes effect on the date it is concluded. The local people's government at or above the county level shall issue to the contractor a land contract management right certificate or a forest right certificate and other certificates, and shall register them in the records to confirm the land contract management right. After the contract takes effect, the party issuing the contract may not modify or rescind it due to a change of the person handling it or the person in charge, nor may it modify or rescind it due to the division or merger of the collective economic organization.

3. The land contract term "is extended for another 30 years without change": after the first round of land contracting expires, the land contract term is extended for another 30 years, that is, the second round of land contracting has a term of 30 years. This refers to the term of household land contracting and operation (collective land is operated under household contracting, which is a long-term unchanging policy); it should not be understood as meaning that the contracting system remains unchanged for 30 years. Where the contract term is less than 30 years, it shall be extended to 30 years.

4. Rights of the party issuing the contract under household contracting: ① To issue contracts for rural land owned by the collective or owned by the state and lawfully used by the collective. ② To supervise the contractor in reasonably using and protecting the land in accordance with the purpose agreed in the contract. ③ To stop the contractor from harming the contracted land and agricultural resources. ④ Other rights provided by laws and administrative regulations.

5. Obligations of the party issuing the contract under household contracting: ① To safeguard the contractor's land contract management right and not to unlawfully modify or rescind the contract. ② To respect the contractor's autonomy in production and operation and not to interfere with the contractor's normal production and operation activities carried out in accordance with law. ③ To provide the contractor with production, technical, information and other services as agreed in the contract. ④ To implement the overall land use plan of the county and township (town) and organize agricultural infrastructure construction within the collective economic organization. ⑤ Other obligations provided by laws and regulations.

6. Requirements for the contractor under household contracting: the contractor under household contracting shall be a farming household belonging to the collective economic organization.

Rural Land Contract Template

Party A: Village Committee

Party B: _________

In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Land Administration Law and the Rural Land Contracting Law, Party B has obtained the contract management right to Party A's barren beach and barren hill (forest land) through [ ] method. Through mutual agreement, the two parties have reached the following agreement and hereby conclude this contract:

1. Party A contracts out to Party B for use ________________ owned by the village committee (group), located at ________________. East to: ________________________, south to: ________________________. West to: ________________________, north to: ________________________________.

2. After Party B contracts the land, the contract use term shall remain unchanged for fifty years, that is, from ________ year ____ month ____ day to ________ year ____ month ____ day.

3. The total contract price for the use right of the ________________ contracted by Party B and the attachments on the land is RMB [ ] yuan only. The payment method is: ________________________.

4. After contracting ________, Party B shall actively carry out improvement, plant trees, grow grass or engage in diversified operations on the barren hill. With approval from the relevant departments, Party B may engage in non-agricultural production and use forest trees, clay, sand and gravel and other mineral resources within the contracted area or build fixed facilities.

5. Party B has independent management rights over the contracted ________, but may not subcontract it.

6. Party A shall respect Party B's autonomy in production and operation of the contracted ________, protect its lawful rights and interests from infringement, and all results of the development and improvement of the barren hill shall belong to Party B.

7. During the performance period of the contract for the ________ contracted by Party B, apart from the contract payment paid by Party B, Party B shall not be responsible for any other fees under any name.

8. After Party B contracts ________, Party A has the right to supervise, inspect and urge its improvement and rational use of ________ resources, and shall promptly notify Party B in writing when problems are found.

9. Party A guarantees that the boundaries and four borders of the ________ are free from any dispute with others. If a dispute arises for this reason, Party A shall be responsible for coordinating and handling it. If this causes economic losses to Party B, Party A shall be responsible for full compensation.

10. Both Party A and Party B must abide by the contract. If Party A breaches the contract and causes the contract to be rescinded, it must pay Party B liquidated damages of RMB ________ ten thousand yuan, refund all payments made by Party B for contracting ________, and reasonably value Party B's improvement investment and improvement results, with the valuation amount paid to Party B in a lump sum. If Party B breaches the contract and causes the contract to be rescinded, Party A shall not refund Party B's contract payment.

11. If during the contract term the land needs to be requisitioned for national construction or other development and construction, the actual economic losses of Party B and the loss of expected benefits for the unperformed years shall first be guaranteed to be paid to Party B from the land requisition compensation.

12. After the contract expires, if Party B is willing to continue contracting and operating, the two parties shall renew the contract. If Party B no longer contracts and operates, Party A shall reasonably value Party B's improvement results and economic investment, which shall belong to Party A, and the valuation amount shall be paid to Party B in a lump sum without delay. Otherwise, the term of this contract shall be extended until Party A has paid all amounts to Party B, after which the contract shall automatically terminate.

13. If Party A and Party B disagree over the valuation amount and negotiation fails, they must entrust an intermediary institution recognized by both Party A and Party B to conduct an appraisal and valuation, and the result shall be binding on both parties.

14. Disputes arising under this contract shall be adjudicated by ________.

15. This contract is made in four copies, one for each of Party A and Party B, one for the notary office, and one filed with the township people's government. It shall take effect after being notarized by the notary office.

Party A (seal): ________________ Party B (signature): ________________

Legal representative (signature): ________________

________ year ____ month ____ day