Landscaping for a Rental

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Landscaping for a Rental

Kyle Meyers
Residential Landlord · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2010 · 592 posts · 138 votes

What are good landscaping ideas for a rental property? I am planning to find some plants that require little upkeep and last a long time to boost the curb appeal. Anything I should look for in particular?

So far I have thought to avoid putting plants anywhere they would block windows or doors, and not put plants anywhere it will make it more difficult to maintain the yard.

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Ryan Pyle
Multifamily Investor · Toledo, OH · Member since 2008 · 296 posts · 308 votes
15y

Unless it's a higher end rental I would remove as much landscaping as possible. It will only get overgrown and ugly. The only time it will get trimmed is when you do it yourself. Only one time have I had a tenant actually tend to the landscaping. Of course I've had hundreds tell me how much they love to garden...I think that must be slang for smoking pot.

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  • Richard S.
    Contractor · New Haven, CT · Member since 2009 · 46 posts · 5 votes
    15y

    what climate zone? State? Full sun? partial? or shade? soil type? Low maintenance! flowering shrubs? personal prefrence? Height restrictions? color of house and trim? Whats is there now? Can u Submit a pic?

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  • Ryan Pyle
    Multifamily Investor · Toledo, OH · Member since 2008 · 296 posts · 308 votes
    15y

    Unless it's a higher end rental I would remove as much landscaping as possible. It will only get overgrown and ugly. The only time it will get trimmed is when you do it yourself. Only one time have I had a tenant actually tend to the landscaping. Of course I've had hundreds tell me how much they love to garden...I think that must be slang for smoking pot.

    11Reply
  • Chris ClothierBusiness Member
    Rental Property Investor · memphis, TN · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    15y

    Kyle -

    We always start each investment property with a thorough cleaning from the curb to the door on day 1 and that includes bringing in small hardy plants where needed and black mulch to offer a contrast to the yard and the brick. You don't need too much - and nothing real mature and thats only if none exists in the first place. If there are already shrubs and trees we always cut them way back to allow a good view of the house and then come in with fresh mulch. Last thing is always make sure your yard guy puts a nice clean edge with the curb and the driveway/sidewalk and the grass. It just looks clean.

    Chris

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  • Mitch Kronowit
    SFR Investor · Orange County, CA · Member since 2009 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    15y

    Here in dry and arid SoCal, we try to make the landscaping on our rentals low-maintenance and water-friendly. We plant mostly succulents and shrubs and maintain them with a drip system. Grass we rarely put in or only plant a small patch if that. Nearly everything else gets covered with gravel and/or mulch.

    The inland area that two of our rentals are gets very hot in the summer (>100 degrees is common) and water bills can easily reach into the hundreds of dollars if you insist on making your property a "grass farm". The way I see it, the more my tenants pay for water, the less they'll have for rent.

    Here are a couple of examples.

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  • Chris ClothierBusiness Member
    Rental Property Investor · memphis, TN · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    15y

    Mitch - your gonna have to show me that trick. How did you post pics in your posting?

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  • Mitch Kronowit
    SFR Investor · Orange County, CA · Member since 2009 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    15y
    Originally posted by Chris Clothier:
    Mitch - your gonna have to show me that trick. How did you post pics in your posting?

    Perhaps there's a shortcut, and I would love to learn it, but start by going to your "dashboard" (Home page). In the left margin is a link to "My Photos". Once you have some photos uploaded, you can click on them and save their URL or address.

    Then when you post (use Advanced Reply, not Quick Reply), click on the "Image" button in the tool bar above. It will insert "[img]" into your post. Then paste the URL or address of your photo.

    Now for the tricky part... you have to delete everything after the ".jpg" in your address. For some reason, the software that BP runs on inserts a "?" followed by a bunch of numbers. After you've cleaned up the URL, click "Image" again which will close your link with a "[/img]"

    This will make a lot more sense once you sit down and try it. :idea:

    1Reply
  • Jon Holdman
    Rental Property Investor · Mercer Island, WA · Member since 2008 · 22k+ posts · 14k+ votes
    15y

    I'm with Mitch on this. Rental landscaping should be minimal, cheap, and not easily killed. I have one property that I nicely landscaped back in 2009 to try to get a good appraisal for a refi. All that landscaping is now dead. Denver is not that different than SoCal, climate wise. Its colder in the winter, but its still very dry. Grass can easily cost you $100 a month in water. Its tough enough to get tenants to pay water bills without saddling them with watering a lawn.

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  • David Beard
    Investor · Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2010 · 1k+ posts · 928 votes
    15y

    Just for fun,testing this picture posting thing, showing two most recent SFR rental purchases, first for 18.5k, 2nd for 21.6k. Both need 5-10k, and will rent for around 800-850/mth.

    BTW, we removed or cut the shrubs way back in the 2nd house right off the bat!

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  • Rich Schmidt
    Investor · Valparaiso, IN · Member since 2011 · 103 posts · 65 votes
    15y
    Originally posted by Kyle Meyers:
    What are good landscaping ideas for a rental property? I am planning to find some plants that require little upkeep and last a long time to boost the curb appeal. Anything I should look for in particular?

    So far I have thought to avoid putting plants anywhere they would block windows or doors, and not put plants anywhere it will make it more difficult to maintain the yard.

    I assume you're talking about properties in Indiana. We have a couple, but they're very close, and we maintain the lawns ourselves.

    Perennial flowers are great. Lots of options there. Hostas are easy. We also have some mid-high grasses that look nice. All in rocks or mulch.

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  • Ken George
    Investor · New Orleans, LA · Member since 2011 · 22 posts · 4 votes
    15y

    What I refer to as evergreen gas station landscaping - palms, indian hawthorne, miniature oleander, holly, asian jasmine ground cover, crushed limestone (black and it is also permeable for wet climates like mine) I have a professional landscape service neaten it up 3 times a year.

    1Reply
  • Barbara G.
    Hartsdale, NY · Member since 2015 · 874 posts · 218 votes
    11y

    I need help with minimal landscaping and no water?

    I own 2 rental duplexes that face each other with a shared center driveway.  There is a very small dirt/landscaping area in front of each duplex with nothing but weeds there.  There is no water spigot out front and I don't want one because I pay for the water bill.  I want, I would like at least one evergreen at the corner of each house for openers Then just mulch?    There is really no ongoing budget for landscaping but it looks terrible.  My 4 tenants are not complaining, I guess they could care less, Perhaps, one is interested and could be encouraged to keep her little area up.

    Should I just pick 4 evergreens (what kind ) and mulch the rest of the little area.  How can I water them.  Each tenant has their own little front area so they know which side belongs to them.  Would they do anything to help??  I could ask but everyone says that is sort of hopeless.  It is such a small area that maybe they would help?

    I should do something?  

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  • Max T.
    Investor · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    11y

    For those worried about water usage - get a rain barrel installed next to your main downspout. It is an amenity that the younger generation of eco-friendly hipsters really like. I my neighborhood I get them installed for free from the local CDC.

    1Reply
  • Justin Harford
    Eugene, OR · Member since 2016 · 11 posts · 3 votes
    9y

     I wonder what people think the advice would be for this in the case of Oregon. I have a duplex in Springfield which currently has quite a bit of grass. Most of the year we get free water from the sky, but there are a couple challenging months in the summer.

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  • Jake ThompsonPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Albany, OR · Member since 2015 · 312 posts · 136 votes
    9y

    I'm from Oregon so I have never even thought about having to water your lawn. Living in San Diego we saw our beautiful grass lawn turn into dirt over the summer. Trying to figure out something low maintenance so we don't get killed on the water bill. 

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  • Bettina F.
    Investor · Post Falls, ID · Member since 2016 · 606 posts · 699 votes
    9y

    I faced this dilemma two years ago -- not knowing what plants would do well in my area with minimal upkeep.  We wanted to landscape the flower beds in front of our garden apartments, and did not have the budget to go with a landscaping design service.   I used the same strategy Ken George did --I looked for local businesses that had neat, professional landscaping, made a note of the plants they used, and then went plant shopping.  I ended up buying most of my plants at the big box stores that put plants in their parking lots in the summer. After weeding the flower beds, we covered with black landscape fabric, placed our plants and mulched with bark.  It looks great and the plants are growing.  If tenants want flowering annuals, they are allowed to put them in containers on their porch.  The apartments look great and weeds are easy to pull because their roots are not deep below the landscape fabric.

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  • Robin Boyer
    Surveyor · Hemet, CA · Member since 2015 · 797 posts · 112 votes
    9y

    New investor here bringing back a old thread. What are you new guys on the site thinking are the best landscape modifications? Sega palms? Cactus? I am looking at single family and a 4 unit apartments. Maybe trees on a water system?? Flowers on a drip system or timer?

    0Reply
  • Jake ThompsonPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Albany, OR · Member since 2015 · 312 posts · 136 votes
    9y

    I just spoke to a landscaper in San Diego and they said Bermuda grass is good for it's drought tolerance and high traffic use but needs lots of sunlight. Also succulents are great for not needing a ton of water. 

    0Reply
  • Karen S.
    Investor · Sewickley, PA · Member since 2017 · 59 posts · 32 votes
    9y

    I like to note what is growing along the highway medians as I drive through the area. If it's surviving there, it can survive at my rental. I don't like trimming anything with thorns, so hawthorn and privet are ruled out right away, though.

    1Reply
  • Katherine S.
    Investor · Grosse Pointe Shores, MI · Member since 2017 · 160 posts · 74 votes
    9y
    @Kyle Meyers I'm working on the same issue. I think I'm going to plant hostas. They grow and fill in space easily, have a little flower interest in the summer, and dies back with the first frost, and raked up with the leaves.
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