Profit a prendre
A 'profit a prendre' (or profit à prendre) is a right to take something from another person’s land. This could be part of the land itself, such as peat; something growing on it, such as timber or grass (which can be taken by the grazing of animals); or wildlife killed on it, for example by shooting or fishing.
The thing taken must be capable of ownership, so a right to use land in some way, or to take water from a natural feature, cannot be a profit. This distinguishes a profit a prendre from an easement, which is a non-possessory interest in land.
A profit a prendre may be appurtenant or in gross:
- A profit a prendre appurtenant is a right, the benefit of which is attached to a particular piece of land, in the same way as an easement. It cannot be registered with its own title.
- A profit a prendre in gross is a right not attached to the ownership of any particular piece of land. The owner of the profit may not own any land at all and may dispose of the profit independently from any land they do own. A profit a prendre in gross may be substantively registered with its own title. Alternatively, a profit a prendre in gross may be the subject of notice in the register of the affected land, without being registered with its own title or, if the affected land is not registered, the subject of a caution against first registration. A profit a prendre in gross may be created by express grant (or reservation), by statute, or by prescription at common law or under the doctrine of lost modern grant. Because different profits a prendre in gross may be granted over the same land to take different things, or to take the same thing at different times, there may be more than one profit a prendre in gross affecting the same land.
NB This article contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v2.0 ref Land Registry, Profits a prendre (taking natural resources from another's land) (PG16) 13 October 2003.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki.
- Easement.
- Glossary of property law terms.
- Land register.
- Overage.
- Restrictive covenant.
- Site selection and acquisition for construction.
[edit] External references
Featured articles and news
C20 Society; Buildings at Risk List 2025
10 more buildings published with updates on the past decade of buildings featured.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme and certifications consultation
Summary of government consultation, closing 11 June 2025.
Deputy editor of AT, Tim Fraser, discusses the newly formed society with its current chair, Chris Halligan MCIAT.
Barratt Lo-E passivhaus standard homes planned enmasse
With an initial 728 Lo-E homes across two sites and many more planned for the future.
Government urged to uphold Warm Homes commitment
ECA and industry bodies write to Government concerning its 13.2 billion Warm Homes manifesto commitment.
From project managers to rising stars, sustainability pioneers and more.
Places of Worship in Britain and Ireland, 1929-1990. Book review.
The emancipation of women in art.
Call for independent National Grenfell oversight mechanism
MHCLG share findings of Building Safety Inquiry in letter to Secretary of State and Minister for Building Safety.
The Architectural Technology Awards
AT Awards now open for this the sixth decade of CIAT.
50th Golden anniversary ECA Edmundson awards
Deadline for submissions Friday 30 May 2025.
The benefits of precast, off-site foundation systems
Top ten benefits of this notable innovation.
Encouraging individuals to take action saving water at home, work, and in their communities.
Takes a community to support mental health and wellbeing
The why of becoming a Mental Health Instructor explained.
Mental health awareness week 13-18 May
The theme is communities, they can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support in hard times, and a sense purpose.
Mental health support on the rise but workers still struggling
CIOB Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment 2025 shows.
Design and construction material libraries
Material, sample, product or detail libraries a key component of any architectural design practice.