Investor · Brownsburg, IN · Member since 2015 · 6 posts · 1 vote
I am considering renting out a single family home (SFH) with a sizable yard. The lot size is 0.27 acres. I plan to have a lawn care company mow and fertilize the grass regularly. However, how should I ensure the grass remains watered regularly?
Options that come to mind include:
a) install a water irrigation system b) write into the lease agreement that watering the grass is the responsibility of the tenant c) other ideas? Can this task be outsourced in other ways?
My concern about option A is the cost but I'd still like additional perspectives. My concern about option B is that an irresponsible tenant could ruin the grass by simply not watering it. Any thoughts on all of this?
Is this a type A property? We install irrigation systems in our spec homes but those are $300K+ homes. I wouldn't spend the money to irrigate/water a rental unless it was a spectacular rental.
Curb appeal is important in all rentals, SFR or MFU. Any tenant that would live in a "grapes of wrath" environment, I wouldn't like.
I have automated sprinklers at my MFU and a yard care service.
Years gone by, we rented and the landlord complained I wasn't caring for his yard. I quipped, "It's not in my lease and I'm working too many hours to take time from my family to mow your yard".
We have learned the hard way that most of our tenants (we are in the $1000/mo rent range) will not water their lawn at all and will usually do the least amount of yard maintenance possible. When we visit our out of state properties once every year or so, if it's in the fall, we plan on seeding and distributing that moisture control stuff on top where needed, then watering ourselves each day we're there and hope for rain after. I used to pay for yearly aeration and seeding, but prices have gotten too expensive and tenants just don't water. We've also figured out that it's just better to plan to weed-whack the front beds, spray with weed killer, and mulch right over it while we're there rather than fight with the tenants who never seem to weed even though it's in the lease that they are responsible for the yard maintenance. I've even provided bottles of weed killer for driveways, fences, etc., and they don't touch it.
I used to offer $100 rent credit throughout the year if tenant provided receipt of things like grass seed, weed and feed, and mulch, no labor costs. Some used it. Most didn't. If I self-managed, I would likely do that again as it worked well for those that appreciated it, and offering it seemed to draw more tenants that liked keeping up the yard.