My tennants aren’t maintaining the lawn!

Member since 2019 · 4 posts · 5 votes

Looking for some landscape advice! My wife and I are in our first year of remotely managing our duplex. The previous owner of the duplex provided a mower for the rental and the tennants took care of the lawn. I looked into having the lawn professionally kept up, but that was going to be about $400 a month (Seattle area is expensive). Also got some quotes for landscaping to create less mowing and make our hillside lot easier to maintain, but those were $10k quotes!

We inherited one tennant and filled the other unit with a tenant and put in their leases that the lawn was the tennants responsibility as well as advertised the unit with this information. We drove by today and the grass was about 8 inches tall! How would you all handle this? Should I get a lawn mower for the tenants to use?

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Nicole Heasley Beitenman

Investor · Youngstown, OH · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes

Send notice that they are in violation of the lease. Let them know what will happen if they don't remedy according to the terms of the lease.

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Nicole Heasley Beitenman
Investor · Youngstown, OH · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
4y
Send notice that they are in violation of the lease. Let them know what will happen if they don't remedy according to the terms of the lease.
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Bill B.
Investor · Las Vegas, NV · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 10k+ votes
4y
You could only put in the new tenants lease they had to take care of the lawn, you can’t change an existing lease unless it was MTM and you gave proper notice. Then your lease would also have to have the penalty spelled out. It probably has to have “maintained” spelled out. They could argue “it’s doing great, look how long it is…”
Usually you would have to advertise the rent as $200/mo higher with a $200/mo discount for mowing x times per month, pulling weeds, trimming trees, etc. Ps. Make sure you have plenty of insurance if they get hurt or hurt someone or something else.

pps. If it’s $4800/year for lawn care (that seems 100-200% too high, it’s $100/mo in vegas for landscaping, but whatever.) Then spend the $10k to improve the property with a 48% annual return if it adds zero value, even higher if it makes it nicer.
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Matt Ziegler
Rental Property Investor · Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2020 · 433 posts · 284 votes
4y
Have you discussed it with them? If not, that would be my first step.
Then dend them notice and “based on the terms of your lease” use the exact terminology of the lease. Give them a deadline to correct, or then arrange for the lawn care and let them know it will be xxx dollars per month.
Need to be sure that you are following the lease as always.
Best of luck
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Matt Ziegler
Rental Property Investor · Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2020 · 433 posts · 284 votes
4y
Send them notice, not dend them!!
0 Reply
Colleen F.Pro Member
Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
4y
@Grant Hasting Send a lease violation notice. And hopefully you have that they pay for any code violations on the lawn. Considering adding in the future that not mowing will result in you sending someone and billing them.
Also, If you have very hilly area and a duplex is it clear who is responsible for what? Also how big is the property? It is hard to judge whether hiring out is expensive because we aren't in your area. In our area mowing about 1 x week is $60/ wk and thats cheap but he just mows and it is a very different area with a bit larger lot. longterm Figure the payback period for loosing the hill. Also get multiple estimates.
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Scott Mac
Austin, TX · Member since 2019 · 5k+ posts · 5k+ votes
4y
Hi Grant,
What does the rental contract say...just...Renter shall Maintain the lawn (???)
If so they seem to be maintaining it at 8 inches.
The devil is in the details as to what your rental agreement says.
What does it say will happen if he is in violation of that statement (???)
You will send a crew and charge it to the renter with next months rent, you will evict, etc...
The devil is in the details as to what your rental agreement says.
Good Luck!
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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
Moderator
Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
4y
Quote from @Grant Hasting:

We inherited one tennant and filled the other unit with a tenant and put in their leases that the lawn was the tennants responsibility as well as advertised the unit with this information. We drove by today and the grass was about 8 inches tall! How would you all handle this? Should I get a lawn mower for the tenants to use?
Remind them that lawncare is their responsibility. If it's not done, you'll hire someone to do it and charge the tenant. If they continue to neglect it or refuse to pay for landscaping, then you can terminate their lease.

That's how most of the country operates. You're in Seattle.
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Theresa HarrisPro Member
Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
4y
Simple-tell them they are in violation of the lease and give them 72 hours to get it done. You can tell them if they aren't going to do it, their rent goes up $200 a month to cover mowing the lawn. Presumably they can split the cost and I know you don't have to mow year round.
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Henry T.
Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
4y
Do not provide a lawnmower.
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Sherief Elbassuoni
Realtor · Bellevue, WA · Member since 2019 · 882 posts · 1k+ votes
4y
@Grant Hasting, send them a notice that this is their responsibility. Give them a time frame to fix the lawn. If not done, tell them you will do it professionally and will charge them back
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Rebecca E.
Wisconsin: Eau Claire and Rapids · Member since 2019 · 93 posts · 58 votes
4y
@Grant Hasting
It's no mow may! Seriously though there's a movement about to not mow your lawn in May to provide food for pollinators. In my neck of the woods, the city is pushing it and they've halted all code violations for the month. I've signed up all my properties just in case so if the tenants don't mow, at least we won't get code violations.
We require all tenants to maintain the lawn according to city standards. The one tenant who can't do it has been told with the lease renewal we have increased the rent to cover the service. It costs $100 per month, but the tenant will cover it. If they don't want, then they'll move out and I will find new tenants at market rate, win win!
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