Beings that live on farms and in houses can be pleasant ones, helping the ones living there. Or they are mischievous ones that cause trouble for whoever lives there. And the target, for both kindness and problems, can be different depending on the being itself.
One potential target is the house itself, covering the ground, earth, and buildings in a specific area. One being that has their target in this way is Gårdstomten which is the guardian of the farm itself. Animals on the farm can also be the target, e.g. horses can be treated by a Gårdstomte or tormented by a Mara.
Another potential target is the people living in the area, either one specific person or the whole family. For example, Maran targets a specific person rather than a place or the whole family.
There are also cases where beings—Vättar or Vittror—prefer to live parallel with humans on the farm. As long as humans leave these beings to do their own thing, they will let the family live in peace. Favours can be exchanged with these beings too, and being on their good side will benefit the family living on the farm. These kinds of beings can be invisible, live in parallel worlds, or even underground.
An important note is that these beings don’t necessarily live on the farm, but their primary targets are people inside their homes. So it can be more about their hunting ground than where they live, depending on the specific being.