How Landlords can overcome gardening issues in rental properties
Are you a landlord with rental properties with gardens? Read this article to learn how to make sure it is looked after properly.
Many rental properties in the UK are apartments and will have no gardens to worry about. Perhaps a communal garden is maintained by the management team or a private balcony to give the occupants some access to outside space. But without any lawns or flowerbeds to think about, landlords and tenants of these properties don't even have to give a second thought to gardens.
However, many family homes with 3 or more bedrooms will also have gardens. Grass needs to be cut, and beds need to be weeded. So, as a landlord, how can you ensure your tenants keep on top of things?
If you've ever had a rented property with gardens, you might already know the potential issues. Whilst you may be a keen gardener, your tenant may not. Maintaining a garden can be difficult and requires tools, machinery and time. So, it is possible that you provide a relatively low-maintenance garden in good order to a tenant, and they don't touch it. This would, of course, lead to an unruly and overgrown garden, which can be very labour-intensive to get back right. Not to mention the introduction of weeds that can take hold and be tricky to eradicate. Some of the most simple and low-maintenance gardens can soon become a mess if not kept on top of them.
So, if you have a garden with your rental property, how can you ensure your tenants keep on top of everything? Is there anything that you can do to help them maintain things?
- Set your expectations - Whilst you may have a green thumb, you can not expect a tenant to feel the same or to make time for the gardens to look like something from the Chelsea Flower Show. Instead, the requirement of a tenant in a property that comes with a garden is general maintenance. This means cutting grass, removing weeds, and lightly pruning trees and bushes.
- Allow for the seasons - If you have let the property during the summer, there will be leaves on the trees and perhaps even flowers in the flower beds. But, if the tenant moves out of the property in winter, the garden will look quite different. Your tenant is only required to maintain the gardens, so as long as the grass is cut and there are no leaves or overgrown trees or bushes, this would be sufficient.
- Provide the tools needed - It is not essential, but it might be best to provide the tools and machinery required to maintain the gardens if you are particularly concerned. There can be no excuse for the gardens being left if the equipment has been provided. However, there is another consideration here about the maintenance and upkeep of the equipment as well, which would be your responsibility.
- It might be best to arrange for a tree surgeon to maintain larger trees for you. This can be dealt with before the tenancy starts or simply by arranging access for the tree surgeon like you would for any other contractor.
- Perhaps include a gardener as part of the tenancy - charging a slightly higher rental price each month to cover the cost, meaning that the tenant doesn't need to think about the garden, it will always be looked after, and you will have peace of mind that it is not getting unruly.
The key is to ensure that the garden is in good order when the tenancy begins and is recorded accurately in the inventory. This way, there is a record of the condition and guidance for the tenants on how the garden should look when they move out. But, just like the property interior, there must be allowances for wear and tear. If, for example, a bush dies or a tree falls down during a tenancy, you could not ask the tenants to replace these plants. And also, of course, there are allowances for seasonal differences.
If you have a property for rental, either tenanted or vacant, and would like help trying to find a new tenant or managing the tenancy in place, contact our team of property experts today.