N.D.C.C. §§ 47-16-01 through 47-16-30.1, 47-16-31 through 47-16-35, 47-16-42 § 47-16-02
Limitations on leases.
Operative Text
47-16-02. Limitations on leases.
No lease or grant of agricultural land reserving any rent or service of any kind for a longer
period than ten years shall be valid. No lease or grant of any city lot reserving any rent or
service of any kind for a longer period than ninety-nine years shall be valid.Section 47-16-02 of the North Dakota Century Code places firm caps on how long certain lease agreements can run. Agricultural land leases that reserve rent or services are capped at ten years, while leases of city lots reserving rent or services cannot exceed ninety-nine years. Any lease that purports to extend beyond these limits is not legally valid under North Dakota law.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under N.D.C.C. § 47-16-02, property owners drafting leases in North Dakota generally ensure that agreements for agricultural land do not reserve rent or services beyond a ten-year term, and that city lot leases do not extend beyond ninety-nine years. Compliant operators review long-term lease structures—including any renewal or extension clauses—to confirm the total duration stays within these statutory ceilings. Leases structured in excess of these limits risk being deemed invalid, which can create uncertainty around the enforceability of the entire agreement.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
N.D.C.C. § 47-16-02 establishes maximum lease durations that protect parties from being bound to excessively long rental obligations—ten years for agricultural land and ninety-nine years for city lots. Tenants who believe they have signed or been presented with a lease that exceeds these limits may have grounds to question the lease's validity. Consulting a tenant-rights organization or legal aid service familiar with North Dakota landlord-tenant law can help clarify what options are generally available when a lease may conflict with § 47-16-02.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 28, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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