That’s said: Just beware of the additional cost and time when talking about lawn maintenance, I have found its easier to include lawn service in then rent versus expecting a tenant on the weekend, spending a few hours on lawn maintenance every weekend,
In your case expect if you do not properly maintain the lawn, the LL will dock for security deposit when you leave, so just realize the additional liabilities you are agreeing to be bound by
I rented out a place and included the price of a gardener in the rental price. That could be negotiated with your landlord. The tenants wanted to mow the lawn so I send them a check for the service when it is done satisfactorily.
The people before me did not take care of the property at all, inside and especially out, so when i took on the responsibility i offered that he pay for the equipment and ill do the labor. LL was having a crew come by regularly, but it was so out of the way that it wasn't a priority and it went weeks without it being done, perpetually looking like a mess. now that the house is on the market, its esp. valuable to him to have me there. It's a lot of work, i go the extra mile and do it right since i did landscaping for a few years, i take care of the property like its my own and am leaving it better than I left it. i'm in the yard more than the homeowners around us! a few hundred a year is nothing for that. Now that i think about it, i remember thinking - he'd have to continue to pay a crew to come and professionally landscape so why not just give me a few basic tools and I can use my 2 years knowledge to do it right and do the spring/fall cleanup's and weekly maintenance and do it consistently?
The tenants wanted to mow the lawn so I send them a check for the service when it is done satisfactorily.
You can ask if they have equipment on the premises for you to use.
You should ALSO ask who they expect to pay for the watering, if it becomes an issue, and who is responsible for "damage" if there is a watering ban...
I have had landlords who do the yard themselves, others who gave me the equipment to do the yard for them, and others for whom I had to borrow or rent the yard equipment or pay a contractor to do it for me.
sorry, but YOU need to own the mower and equipment. I may be cheaper to have a professional (or someone else) do the mowing, etc.
You can ask, but the LL can decline. Lawn maintenance by the tenant is normal when you are renting a house.
Nope, YOU have to buy the lawnmower....
No. When you rent a house you are typically responsible for lawn maintenance and the landlord is not legally required to provide equipment.
Some landlords provide a lawn mower but I wouldn't expect them to also provide other tools - anymore than a vacuum cleaner and mop for your home.
If you're renting a house with a yard, yard maintenance goes hand in hand.
I know a few landlords who provide lawn care and most tenants prefer it - PLUS they can then check on the property regularly and more closely - something I would highly recommend for landlords who care about their rentals.
I am going to be renting a house, and must pay over $2000 up front for 2 months rent and a deposit. The landlord requests the lawn be watered by well 4 times per week, and maintained by mowing and weed wacked at least weekly. If this is a requirement, should I ask if they will consider providing the necessary equipment, as I own neither a mower nor a weed wacker.
Nope, if you're responsible for the lawn maintenance, you're responsible for providing the equipment to do it with. It's just a part of renting a house with a lawn. I have both rented a house where I had to provide the maintenance (and equipment) and now rent out a house where the people wanted to do their own maintenance. The only other option I gave my tenants was to pay $50 more a month for me to have landscapers come out to tend to the lawn for them.
You can buy a small lawnmower and weedeater for probably less than $300 total, which is cheaper than paying someone else to do it over the course of your year's lease. So your choices now are either to do just that or to hire someone yourself.
Realize that the maintenance is part of the rent (sweat equity so to speak). The alternative is for the landlord to hire a company to come out and perform the yard work and build it into the rent.
Your option is:
to rent under the terms provided
ask for the equipment and have the requested rent raised
ask for someone else to perform the maintenance and have the rent raised
rent somewhere else
Typically if the tenant is responsible for the lawn maintenance, the tenant is responsible for the equipment too. I think it is always easiest to hire a neighbor kid to do the basic yard work or hire a gardener who does basic mowing.
It doesn't hurt to ask him.
