When you rent out a property, it’s really important to ensure both you and the tenant understand what is expected in terms of maintenance. While all tenancy agreements tend to factor in indoor maintenance, it’s easy to forget about the garden.
So, who is responsible for maintaining the garden of the property? Here, you’ll discover everything you need to know.
Is garden maintenance down to the landlord or tenant?
Who is responsible for garden maintenance in a rental property will depend upon the size and intricacy of the garden. If it’s a small, easy to maintain garden then the responsibility will usually be down to the tenant. However, if it’s a large, fully landscaped garden then it would be unrealistic to expect a tenant to be able to keep on top of it.
If you do want your tenants to be in charge of maintaining the garden, you’re going to need to add a clause into the tenancy agreement. However, keep in mind that even if the tenant is responsible for maintaining the garden, there are some exceptions.
As a landlord, it’s your responsibility to ensure the garden is secure against intruders. So, if a gate or fence blows down in the wind for example, it would be your job, not the tenants to fox it.
Understanding reasonable tenant maintenance
The majority of rental agreements place the tenant in charge of garden maintenance. However, this is usually based on “reasonable maintenance” terms. So, what is reasonable garden maintenance?
Generally speaking, reasonable maintenance includes mowing the lawn, pulling out weeds and watering flowers. If there are trees on the property, keeping on top of pruning and maintenance would be classed as unreasonable, meaning that job would be down to the landlord.
Could it pay to do it yourself?
Although you might be able to get away with putting the tenant in charge of garden maintenance, it could be worth doing it yourself anyway. Hiring a gardener, or if you have a lot of properties, doing it yourself can prove to be a hassle-free, guaranteed way to ensure the garden is kept tidy. You can pick up professional style tools from companies such as SGS, which can help you to easily take care of the gardening.
Overall, general garden maintenance is usually down to the tenant. However, many landlords choose to do the gardening themselves as it guarantees it will be done correctly. Tenants can often leave the gardens to overgrow, and generally become messy. So, by taking care of it yourself, you’ll have peace of mind that the garden is well maintained and looking its best.
