Can I buy a farm with someone else as co-owners in BC?

Co-owning a farm — with a partner, family members, or a business associate — is common and can make a larger or better property attainable, but the structure matters. How you hold title (joint tenancy, tenancy in common, or through a company or partnership), how the costs and revenue are split, and what happens if one owner wants out are all decisions that need to be made before the purchase, not after a dispute arises.

A co-ownership agreement should cover the down payment and mortgage contributions, the operating costs, the division of labour and revenue, the decision-making process, and the exit — buyout, sale, or partition. Tenancy in common allows unequal shares, while joint tenancy includes a right of survivorship, and a corporate or partnership structure adds liability protection but also complexity and cost. Each has different tax and succession implications.

I am not a lawyer, so I do not advise on the ownership structure, but I help clients think through the co-ownership questions early so their lawyer and accountant can set it up correctly. Read our Buying a Farm guide for the framework, and get a co-ownership agreement drafted before you remove subjects, because a handshake on a farm partnership is a common recipe for a costly dispute.