Everything comes with a price. Aside from the basic dues of the feudal relationship, an estate is usually given with an expectation of a particular payment.
Usually, that’s measured by knight-service - i.e. you are expected to bring X number of knights with you when called; yourself and/or other knights you have supplied with the proceeds of the manor.
The debitum of an estate may have other clauses, too; yearly gifts in a particular kind of crop or good1 or other service. It’s entirely up to the granter2.
Footnotes
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Usually one the estate produces. i.e. “I’m giving you the good sheep land, I just want dibs on a certain amount of the wool each shearing season” ↩
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But if you’re getting land from a baron or banneret, they’ve usually got a strict requirement of how many knights they can bring with them, and by subinfeudating to you they’re reducing how many they can support… so they almost have to ask you to make up the difference. Especially in a world where it’s hard to “claw back” free gifts you’ve given others, you don’t want to be too open handed. ↩