10 Questions to Ask Before Signing a Cell Tower Lease

What Is This Lease Really Worth?

This section determines your long-term income. Get this wrong and every other term becomes less important.

1. What is my site worth in today’s market?

The rent in front of you is not based on fairness. It’s based on leverage.

Carriers rely on the fact that most landlords don’t have access to real market comps. They do. That’s why first offers are usually conservative and designed to anchor expectations.

Value depends on more than location. Carrier demand, zoning constraints, nearby coverage gaps, and future network plans all factor in.

2. How does my rent grow over time?

Starting rent gets all the attention. Escalators quietly decide the real outcome.

Some leases include low annual increases. Others delay increases for years. A few include none at all.

Over decades, inflation does the damage.

How Long Am I Giving Up Control?

This section defines how long your land is tied up and how much freedom you keep.

3. How long can this lease tie up my property?

Many leases advertise a short initial term, but bury multiple automatic renewals in the fine print.

Add them together and what looks like a 10-year deal becomes a 40 or 50-year commitment.

4. What land rights am I permanently giving away?

Easements, access routes, and utility rights are often drafted far broader than needed.

Some leases give carriers control over large portions of your property, limit future development, or restrict how nearby land can be used.

What Risks Are Hidden in the Fine Print?

This section controls who holds leverage when something changes or goes wrong.

5. Can the carrier change the deal without my approval?

Assignment and amendment clauses matter more than most landlords realize.

They can allow the lease to be transferred to another company without renegotiating terms.

6. What happens if there’s a dispute?

Dispute resolution clauses control where and how conflicts are handled.

Some leases limit your remedies, require arbitration far from your property, or cap your ability to enforce violations.

How Does This Lease Affect My Bigger Picture?

This section looks beyond the tower and into your broader property and financial goals.

7. What happens if I sell or refinance the property?

Tower leases can complicate transactions.

Buyers and lenders scrutinize access rights, long terms, and control provisions. A poorly structured lease can reduce value or delay a closing.

8. How will this impact future use of my land?

Expansion rights, height increases, and equipment changes may limit what you can do nearby.

What seems harmless today can block future development or alternative income opportunities.

What Are My Real Options?

This section determines whether you are choosing proactively or reacting under pressure.

9. Is a prepayment actually a good deal?

Fast cash can look attractive, especially when paired with uncertainty about the future.

But prepayments are priced to favor the buyer, and weak lease terms almost always reduce your payout.

10. What would this lease look like if it were truly fair?

This question reframes everything.

A fair lease doesn’t kill the deal. It balances it.

That usually includes:

• Market-based rent
• Clear and consistent rent growth
• Narrow, specific land rights
• Protection if ownership changes
• Terms you can clearly explain to decision-makers