Pacht

Pacht is a contract under civil law by which the owner of a property or economic unit grants another person, the Pächter, the right to use the object and to derive income from it in exchange for a periodic payment, the Pachtzins. The arrangement often combines use with the right to harvest or profit from the yields, or to operate a business on the premises.

Pacht contracts are commonly used for agricultural land, farms, orchards, forest land, inns or other commercial enterprises. The Pächter is entitled to use and benefit from the Pachtobjekt and is usually responsible for the operating costs, day-to-day management, and maintenance required to run the business or cultivate the land, while the Verpächter remains the owner and generally handles major structural repairs or hazards unless otherwise agreed. The contract may specify rules on improvements, risk distribution, and how profits or products are to be handled.

Key differences to a ordinary Miete (rental) lie in the scope of rights: a Pacht often includes the right to use and to exploit the property's productive output or business operations. The Pachtzins is the agreed rent for these rights, which may be fixed or subject to adjustments by contract. The duration of a Pacht can be fixed for a term or open-ended, with termination governed by contractual notice and applicable statutory protections, which may be stricter in long-standing or agricultural leases.

See also: Verpachtung, Pachtvertrag, Miete.