Narrated Tawus:

That he was told by the most learned one amongst them (i.e. Ibn Abbas) that the Prophet went towards some land which was flourishing with vegetation and asked to whom it belonged. He was told that such and such a person took it on rent. The Prophet ﷺ said, "It would have been better (for the owner) if he had given it to him gratis rather than charging him a fixed rent.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ طَاوُسٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَعْلَمُهُمْ، بِذَاكَ ـ يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ خَرَجَ إِلَى أَرْضٍ تَهْتَزُّ زَرْعًا فَقَالَ " لِمَنْ هَذِهِ ". فَقَالُوا اكْتَرَاهَا فُلاَنٌ. فَقَالَ " أَمَا إِنَّهُ لَوْ مَنَحَهَا إِيَّاهُ كَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ عَلَيْهَا أَجْرًا مَعْلُومًا ".