Most Residential Tenancies Acts do not provide exact guidance on garden maintenance, unless the residential tenancy agreement says otherwise, the tenant is generally responsible for general garden maintenance – which is generally defined as mowing, watering, weeding, pruning and trimming.
The landlord is generally only responsible for garden and yard maintenance, such as maintaining any water system, tree lopping and cleaning gutters, again, all of this should be outlined in your tenancy agreement.
Hiring a contract garden landscaper can ensure your investment is looked after and in the long run, save you a lot of time, money and stress.
It is also possible to negotiate the extra costs into your Tenant’s rental agreement.
Don’t forget that the Tenant has a legal responsibility to report any issues such as blockages or breaks, especially when it comes to gutters, as broken or blocked gutters can quickly lead to expensive roof and wall damage.
If you have a garden at your investment property, it is highly recommended to include a garden maintenance contract in your tenancy agreement.
Although you cannot make a tenant pay for garden maintenance costs, it is possible to negotiate terms, especially for gardens with plants which require special attention and regular watering.
If an agreement cannot be made, fitting an irrigation system that runs on a timer might be a solution.
However, you may need to pay a portion towards the tenant’s water usage.
In the long run, it will ensure continuous watering of your lush green lawns and gardens and maintaining your property presentation and value.
RealRenta enables tenants and landlords to communicate with each other directly via the platform, with each interaction date and time stamped.
Tenants can request maintenance and landlords and tenants can both upload photos, videos and documents onto the platform, which creates a file for each tenancy.
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Jason Gwerder
Wednesday, 20 February 2019
