Renting land from neighbor for guests to use

[Kevin Luttrell]

Hey STR experts, hoping to get your opinion on this.

We have a cabin in Sevierville near Gatlinburg at the end of a dead-end road, bordering 100+ acres of undeveloped forest. There's a trail head just 50 yards from our front door, 2 mile out and back hiking trail that leads to a creek and a nice meadow. Really great to be able to offer to guests and helps to stand out from the crowd on the OTAs. Problem is, it's all privately owned land. 

The owner is a nice guy who has a relationship with our neighboring cabin owner, and he used to have no problem letting our guests use the trail. Then, sometime last year, someone stole an expensive wilderness camera and battery he had set up near the trail. After that he told us our guests could no longer walk on his land and he put up private property and no trespassing signs at the trail head. We sincerely apologized for his loss and offered to pay to replace his property even though it was unlikely our guests had stolen it, but he declined and stuck with his decision. 

Fast forward to today, now that bookings are slowing down some, I've been thinking about reaching back out to him and offering to pay him for the freedom to allow our guests to use the trail. I'd offer a written agreement specifying the amount to be paid, and would put in there that I will be responsible for any property damage or theft whether there's proof it was our guests or not (he's an honest guy and rarely leaves his personal property out, if ever). 

What do you all think about this? Good idea or no? And if so, what do you think a fair price would be? I can't justify very much, but also don't want to offer something so low that it's not worth it to him. 

[Leora Merrell]

What do you think the return on the investment would be? Would it actually increase bookings? We have six in the same area and have two that have trails. There is no difference in bookings between those two and the other four and no one ever mentions them in reviews or in messages to me though I know they’re used. Not sure it’d be worth any of your time, effort, or money.