Ground lease
A ground lease is a long-term lease of land, usually for decades, under which the tenant builds and owns improvements while the landowner keeps title to the ground. It lets a landowner earn income without selling and lets a developer avoid the upfront land purchase. Term length, rent escalation, financing provisions and what happens to improvements at expiration are central negotiation points.
The full guide · Decisions and trade-offsBuy, Option or Lease: How Developers Secure Data Center LandHow a data center developer chooses between buying land, taking an option or signing a ground lease, with a side-by-side comparison and the key terms.Where Ground lease comes up
- Land & site fundamentalsGround Leases for Data Centers: Terms, Rent, Financing and Reversion
- Feasibility, diligence & dealsSelling or Leasing Land to a Data Center Developer
- Environmental & physical riskPhase I Environmental Site Assessments for Data Center Land
- Land & site fundamentalsData Center Land Option Agreements: Key Terms for Landowners
- Land & site fundamentalsFederal Land for AI Data Centers: DOE Sites, BLM and Military Bases
- Land & site fundamentalsCan My Land Host a Data Center? A Landowner’s Guide
- Guides by roleA Landowner’s Path: From First Question to Signed Deal
- Environmental & physical riskBrownfield Cleanup Programs and Liability Protections for Data Center Sites