Outdoor property maintenance is as important as the inside at some points. Of course, tenants will stay inside for the most of the time. However, every tenant also wants to have beautiful, neat yard.
When you rent your property to the tenants, you need to set the right plan to address your and your tenant’s rights and responsibilities. Thus, there won’t be misunderstanding especially when it is about property maintenance. To help handling property management, you should consider professional property manager.
However, you still need to deal with administrative stuffs such as contract and agreement including related to outdoor property maintenance.
Issues coming from garden maintenance
Every tenants must want to live in a property with beautiful and well-maintained garden. Nobody wants to live in a messy yard full of fallen leaves. However, the issue of garden maintenance sometimes can be confusing for both tenants and landlords.
Having beautiful garden is a nice treat for tenants. However, it its maintenance is quite a chore. Sometimes, garden issue is left neglected by both landlords and maintenance which can cause another issue rising between two parties.
Know your responsibility of garden maintenance issue
As property owner, you have your own responsibility of garden maintenance. Basically, this can be discussed with your tenants to agree which responsibilities are for tenants and landlords.
Generally, you and the others, as the landlord and property investors are responsible for basic maintenance and providence such as providing hoses, sprinklers, reticulation system maintenance, cleaning gutters, as well as tree lopping.
You need to provide tools and equipment to maintain the garden. However, if tenants accidentally broke them, they are liable to replace broken equipment using their own money.
Meanwhile, your tenants have responsibility to maintain the garden regularly to keep it grow beautifully and well-maintained. They are responsible for edging and mowing lawns, weeding, watering, pruning, as well as fertilising.
These are considered as general maintenance. Basically, your tenants is responsible to keep the garden to be in the standard set at the beginning of the tenancy. It is great if your tenants are willing to nurture the garden and plan some flowers or trees. However, make sure to let them know that they have to notice the matter to you or your property manager beforehand.
Tenants also can advise property manager if there is any potential issue regarding to garden maintenance such as blockage or water leaks.
If they don’t report the issues and the damage is getting worse, it is tenant’s liability to handle the problems. Garden maintenance sounds like a simple issue. However, it often leads to another issue which cause misunderstanding and misinterpretation between tenants and landlord.
To avoid unnecessary dispute, it is better to talk about this matter from the beginning of the tenancy. This way, both parties know what to do and what to expect from each other regarding to maintaining the garden. Professional property manager will help you and your tenants to understand more about Property Condition Report so you know and comprehend your responsibilities better.
Cecil Kuhn