Hollywood actor Jeremy Renner is locked in a legal battle with his estranged wife over a pond at his home.

The Avengers star and his former partner Sonni Pacheco are embroiled in a dispute over his decision not to install a safety barrier around his koi pond.

Pacheco is concerned the former couple's two-year-old daughter, Ava, could fall in by accident, and her lawyer argued the point at a Los Angeles court on Wednesday (07Oct15).

Renner's team has refuted the suggestion the pond poses a safety risk, insisting there is a laser detection system which sounds an alert in case of an accident, according to TMZ.com.

Editors of the website report the dispute is part of the former couple's custody battle, which was triggered when Pacheco filed for divorce in December (14) after 10 months of marriage.

The custody dispute was believed to have been resolved earlier this year (15).