I'm in the process of house hacking into another property and making my current primary home a rental. My agent says my 2200 sq ft home can rent for $21 to $2300 monthly..
Now my question is , should I let the tent have the option to upkeep the lawn or hire a gardener and add extra fees or eat It up from the $2100 or $2300 payment?
Valhalla, NY · Member since 2013 · 132 posts · 84 votes
7y
Hey Henry,
Depending on how big the property is and your market you could usually have a lawn cared for for approximately $30-$40 a week or bi-weekly if you want to save some money. Again all markets are different but I charge around $40 for a 10,000 Sq Ft lot in Westchester, NY suburbs. Good luck
Hey Henry! Did you double check to make sure the agent is correct on the rental amounts?
You can write it in the lease it is up to them to maintain the lawn, otherwise, just outsource it to a company
Hi Jake and thanks for the reply. He ran some comps and based on my 4bed 3bath home and its location he feels the amount is accurate based on the rental market.
I will have to have a property management agent estimate my home rental value just to feel more secure.
Rental Property Investor · DFW · Member since 2017 · 143 posts · 120 votes
7y
@Henry Escobar, I'm a big fan of reliable lawn/landscaper service on rentals. It keeps the property looking in tip-top shape, the landscaper can keep eyes on the property more frequently than you can, and they can bring in extra help when there's an issue with the fence, sprinkler, fallen tree, etc.
I want my properties to look better than owner-occupants' yards.
@Henry Escobar, I'm a big fan of reliable lawn/landscaper service on rentals. It keeps the property looking in tip-top shape, the landscaper can keep eyes on the property more frequently than you can, and they can bring in extra help when there's an issue with the fence, sprinkler, fallen tree, etc.
I want my properties to look better than owner-occupants' yards.
Valhalla, NY · Member since 2013 · 132 posts · 84 votes
7y
Hey Henry,
Depending on how big the property is and your market you could usually have a lawn cared for for approximately $30-$40 a week or bi-weekly if you want to save some money. Again all markets are different but I charge around $40 for a 10,000 Sq Ft lot in Westchester, NY suburbs. Good luck
Depending on how big the property is and your market you could usually have a lawn cared for for approximately $30-$40 a week or bi-weekly if you want to save some money. Again all markets are different but I charge around $40 for a 10,000 Sq Ft lot in Westchester, NY suburbs. Good luck
Thank you for that advice! my lot is 5,000 sq ft. $ 30 -40 bi- weekly would be ideal.
Find out how much it costs to maintain the yard and then add that to the rent. Remember the grass only gets cut part of the year, so if it costs $40 every 2 weeks and it needs to be cut for 16 weeks of the year, take the $320 and divide it by 12 to add to the rent over the year. When the lease is coming up for renewal, call the landscaper and update the cost.
The tenant will likely be happy that they don't have to do it or buy a lawn mower.
Find out how much it costs to maintain the yard and then add that to the rent. Remember the grass only gets cut part of the year, so if it costs $40 every 2 weeks and it needs to be cut for 16 weeks of the year, take the $320 and divide it by 12 to add to the rent over the year. When the lease is coming up for renewal, call the landscaper and update the cost.
The tenant will likely be happy that they don't have to do it or buy a lawn mower.
Real Estate Agent · Southington, CT · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
7y
@Henry Escobar Check the rules of the municipality that the home is located in because in the towns/cities where we operate, if the lawn goes unattended for a long period the homeowner is subject to fines. This is why we typically coordinate the lawn maintenance for our properties.
Real Estate Agent · Cleveland, OH · Member since 2019 · 359 posts · 295 votes
7y
@Henry Escobar I prefer to use my trusted landscaper on all properties because he notifies me if he sees any issues or shady things and I know my lawn will be always taken care of on time, you cant always trust the tenant to not let it overgrow because they didnt feel like paying for the service that week or whatever. Also, its a good way to develop a relationship with a landscaper, they have notified me in the past of people wanting to sell their properties but the major thing is is the discount I get depending on the volume of properties I give the guy.
@Henry Escobar I prefer to use my trusted landscaper on all properties because he notifies me if he sees any issues or shady things and I know my lawn will be always taken care of on time, you cant always trust the tenant to not let it overgrow because they didnt feel like paying for the service that week or whatever. Also, its a good way to develop a relationship with a landscaper, they have notified me in the past of people wanting to sell their properties but the major thing is is the discount I get depending on the volume of properties I give the guy.
Definitely agree! I already booked a landscaper to come over tomorrow to look at the property and start our relationship.