Tenant refusing to cut grass.. what should I do?
Rental Property Investor · D.C · Member since 2019 · 501 posts · 102 votes
Tenant refusing to cut grass.. what should I do?
Most Popular Reply
Greg ScottPro Member
Rental Property Investor · SE Michigan · Member since 2014 · 4k+ posts · 6k+ votesAssuming your lease requires this, you send her a letter of default with X days to remedy. If she doesn't do it you start evicting.
If your lease seems to indicate that you will be responsible for cutting the grass, then hire a company to do it.
75 Replies
- Rental Property Investor · Douglas County, MO · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes7y
Originally posted by @Deborah Burian:
@Sylvia B. Oh, this stuff happens. Just today. In one morning. Tenant candidate #1 looking at 400 sf studio apartment and has "7 pinball machines that are part of his income." Tell Tenant candidate #2 that they need to bring a pay stub and ID to a showing. "Well, never mind."
Yes, there is a whole thread for that kind of thing: Tenant Applicants say the dumbest things
But the OP has posted many threads of this kind. I don't see how one person could have so many things happen to his 4 rentals in such a short stretch of time.
- Specialist · Bloomington, IL · Member since 2019 · 3 posts · 2 votes7y
@Charlie Moore send someone to cut it for them and bill them. Say the city intervened. If they pay the rent, the mowing bill should be paid too. Then they'll get the point.
- Specialist · Grand Rapids, MI · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 611 votes7y
Bill her but be careful because if you aren't prepared to evict you have no leverage. Next time post rent and then separate fee for lawn maintenance monthly that they pay. Most tenants look at rent and don't look on add ons outside of gas and electric.
- Rental Property Investor · Reading, PA · Member since 2019 · 76 posts · 43 votes7y
@Charlie Moore lol cut it and then bill her or raise her rent on re newing her lease
- Investor · Rochester, NY · Member since 2017 · 206 posts · 175 votes7y
@Charlie Moore
It depends what’s written in your lease and mostly likely your local laws.
Typically we take car of lawn and snow removal but I’ve seen leases structured where it’s on the tenant.
- Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes7y
Originally posted by @Jim K.:
Originally posted by @Tom Makinen:
@Jim K. People at Flint didn't get the memo about the importance of good drinking water
The people of Flint suffered the inevitable outcome of the arrogance and stupidity of a local government that made important unilateral decisions based on their layman's understanding of how their water delivery system infrastructure worked. The people making the decisions were not the people who understood the science behind what they were doing. Instead, they were the kind of people who were incapable of understanding the necessity of adhering to the empirical standard of truth best provided by scientific method, and who thought that their common sense beat out scientific study any day.
I am not an ignoramus because I am not afraid of a herbicide that has been overwhelmingly proven to be safer for you in small quantities than any synthetic insecticide every applied to any cropland or local garden, any alkyd-based paint every applied to any surface, any petrochemical fuel ever used to operate any machine. I'm just a guy who understands the current research and the current available alternatives.
All this talk over mowing the lawn...slow news day - lol!
I think I am going to respectfully disagree with you on this score sir, the excessive use of chemicals on our soil is yet to be determined. What has been determined are three things. Few plant chemicals exist that are not toxic to humans, including organic fertilizer. The rate at which the planet is doused with said chemicals is massive, when taking into consideration all the farmland and all the residential yards and the frequency at which these are both applied, and continue to be applied. And finally, while the soil system is the Earths natural water filter, we do not yet know the full impact - we don't know how long the chemicals will take to hit the water supply in all areas and we don't know how well a particular area is going to filter the particular chemicals. Scientists have found certain areas to leach to the water table in a very short time frame, with soil entirely inadequate to filter the chemicals, resulting in a currently poisoned water table in some areas of the world already.
You mentioned decisions being made by people not competent to do so, and I'll add they have ulterior motives that often don't account for such consequences. In my opinion, preserving the water table is the single most important environmental responsibility we have to our species and all others, and if we screw that up, we deserve extinction. Cut down all the trees you want, but don't poison the water!!!
True story. I grew up in a city named Waukesha, which literally means "clean water". It started (for immigrants) as a resort town with the knickname of Spring City. People came from far and wide to bath in the supposedly healing spring water. Today, the water table is poisoned and Waukesha is one of the first, likely not the last, further likely one of the few lucky ones, to have been granted access to the Great Lakes water supply, despite a water shed that drains to the Mississippi instead of the Great Lakes. I believe the deal states the water used must be redirected back to the Great Lakes, and that will require some infrastructure of significant undertaking and cost. Why??? How did the water get poisoned? Are the wells really no longer an option??? That part is still a mystery. The water has too much Radium. Did they simply never notice before? I don't know. Is it the leach from 100 years of chemicals? I don't know. But wouldn't it be one of those, "holy crap how could we have been so stupid" moments if (and likely when in my opinion) it finally comes forth the problem is in fact chemical soil applications and the like?
Anywhos...I get super annoyed anytime I see someone drink a bottled water...it's just such a sign of all things wrong, unless your camping in the woods or something.
Access to clean water is the most basic of basic common services we provide to each other. We should not be screwing it up. If it ever comes to it, it could be the catalyst for war.
O crap right...mowing the grass...go cut it. Send the tenant the bill and when they refuse to pay tell them they can leave, pay higher rent, or mow the damn lawn.
- Handyman · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes7y
@Account Closed
Yes, Merritt, I'll take it from you. But when someone comes out banging the anti-glyphosate paranoia drum for no better reason than they live in paranoia generally and believe we should go back to mud huts and smallpox...
What about insecticides and VOCs and petroleum distillates poisoning the environment? You hear less than nothing these days. Glyphosate is front and central. Why? The organic lobby keeps pushing the anti-glyphosate agenda because glyphosate keeps non-organic grains much more profitable. It doesn't help that glyphosate really does work like magic where it's used in the public eye, a solution to clearing residential weeds with minimal proven short and long-term negatives, too, far safer for children and pets than anything else ever used. And as a product of its usefulness, of its profitability, of the benefits it provides, NOT because we have real evidence but on the basis of vague suspicions and a great deal of sentimentality, glyphosate has become the whipping boy for all the environment's problems. I see something very cynical in the fact that it has turned into this whipping boy not because the science is there, not because we have anything close to compelling evidence, but because the organic lobby understands that killing glyphosate is the best possible way to advance their agenda and get a bigger stomach share of America.
I have a reaction to that because it's PSEUDOSCIENCE, just like I have a reaction to anti-vaxxers, just like I have a reaction to people insisting that the venom of the blue scorpion cured their cancer, or that that reiki healing and homeopathy are legitimate forms of medical treatment.
- Handyman · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes7y
@Account Closed
And just to be perfectly clear that this is not a political fixation with me, that I'm not doing this because I'm registered with one political party or another and believe in either of their agendas, I wholeheartedly believe that climate change is caused by human activity and that we're most likely headed toward a mass extinction event because of it. That we should be working much harder to pick ourselves out of the gravity well and find another home elsewhere because this one's not in good shape and getting worse.
THAT'S WHAT THE SCIENCE SUPPORTS.
- 7yJay HinrichsBusiness MemberReal Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
Originally posted by @Tom Makinen:
@Dennis M. you do know the poison leeches into the ground water which someone might end up drinking right.
I guess that might be true if your on well water.. not sure how it leach's into city water pipes though.. maybe we have to ask the watere department in Flint Mi how to do that..
- 7yJay HinrichsBusiness MemberReal Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
Originally posted by @Sylvia B.:
Originally posted by @Deborah Burian:
@Sylvia B. Oh, this stuff happens. Just today. In one morning. Tenant candidate #1 looking at 400 sf studio apartment and has "7 pinball machines that are part of his income." Tell Tenant candidate #2 that they need to bring a pay stub and ID to a showing. "Well, never mind."
Yes, there is a whole thread for that kind of thing: Tenant Applicants say the dumbest things
But the OP has posted many threads of this kind. I don't see how one person could have so many things happen to his 4 rentals in such a short stretch of time.
Maybe there should be a new thread Landlords ask the dumbest things ???
- Member since 2018 · 1 post · 0 votes7y
Depends on what the lease agreement. I wouldn't evict. I would send them official notice to cut the lawn or be charged and if neglect continues possible eviction.
I would have it cut and charge them. Maybe they're okay with paying the additional fee.
Always charge an admin fee for hiring the landscaper.
- Specialist · Owings Mills, MD · Member since 2017 · 485 posts · 415 votes7y
This is a moot thread, @Charlie Moore never answered the question "Does the lease specify Tenant mows the lawn ?"
Irregardless of what the lease says the property owner is responsible to ensure property in in compliance with local ordinances. - Brandon, MS · Member since 2017 · 40 posts · 26 votes7y
@Charlie Moore All of the rentals I own have yards, some of them are pretty decent sized too. And in Mississippi your yard will look like a jungle if you don't cut it every two weeks. Seriously.
We make all of our tenants cut their yards. It's in our lease. If they don't cut it the first time we ask them, we will shortly after send the 30 day notice to vacate or cure the non-compliance with their lease. Our state is 30 days for the first notice, and 14 days if it happens again within 6 months.
People will figure out a way to cut their yard pretty quick when eviction is on the table.
- Rental Property Investor · D.C · Member since 2019 · 501 posts · 102 votes7y
@Darryl Bass
Can you send me your lease
- Rental Property Investor · D.C · Member since 2019 · 501 posts · 102 votes7y
@Brian Van Pelt
Exactly. My lease states she must do it. But ultimately I’m responsible loll
- Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes7y
Originally posted by @Jim K.:
@Account Closed
And just to be perfectly clear that this is not a political fixation with me, that I'm not doing this because I'm registered with one political party or another and believe in either of their agendas, I wholeheartedly believe that climate change is caused by human activity and that we're most likely headed toward a mass extinction event because of it. That we should be working much harder to pick ourselves out of the gravity well and find another home elsewhere because this one's not in good shape and getting worse.
THAT'S WHAT THE SCIENCE SUPPORTS.
Wait what? Hold on there Mr Downer and let me help you out of whatever that is your in. Global warming has occurred before, and so has global cooling, and humans survived just fine right through it, with limited knowledge of the world. Well ok, not everyone survived, but a mass extinction because of it? Naw. Need something more powerful than all that.
But, if you really want to get riled up and keep your mind stinky, think about how our global transportation and trade systems are poised to spread an uncontrollable epidemic!!! I think that's our most likely extinction event.
But getting back to water, it sure would suck to wake up one day without clean water. But like Joe Rogan says, we don't have a water problem, we have a salt problem - lol.
Well, and then there's the super volcano under Wyoming that's overdue to pop.
Never know when a meteor might show up, except that it will show up.
And of course there's Darth Vader snuffing out the Jedi. Or is that just the natural balance resetting itself?
Solar flares taking down the power grid? People eating each other after a week?
Old fashioned political coup resulting in a civil war that turns global? Nuclear war?
How about the problem of nuclear power plants and inevitable earth quakes? (I recommend Chernobyl on HBO, very well done)
Our problem is definitely us, but not just us. Hopi say the mother will shake us off like a dog shakes off fleas. I might if I were her.
And on another thought, time to re-watch Weird Science - lol.
And because this is a real estate forum, the only issue with global warming is a global shift in real estate value. Florida does not look like a long-term generational play to me - lol. I wonder if New York will pony up and build a sea wall.
Anywhos...all we really have is right now. It would be nice to leave something for the next generation.
- Handyman · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes7y
Originally posted by @Account Closed:
@Account Closed
And just to be perfectly clear that this is not a political fixation with me, that I'm not doing this because I'm registered with one political party or another and believe in either of their agendas, I wholeheartedly believe that climate change is caused by human activity and that we're most likely headed toward a mass extinction event because of it. That we should be working much harder to pick ourselves out of the gravity well and find another home elsewhere because this one's not in good shape and getting worse.
THAT'S WHAT THE SCIENCE SUPPORTS.
Wait what? Hold on there Mr Downer and let me help you out of whatever that is your in. Global warming has occurred before, and so has global cooling, and humans survived just fine right through it, with limited knowledge of the world. Well ok, not everyone survived, but a mass extinction because of it? Naw. Need something more powerful than all that.
But, if you really want to get riled up and keep your mind stinky, think about how our global transportation and trade systems are poised to spread an uncontrollable epidemic!!! I think that's our most likely extinction event.
But getting back to water, it sure would suck to wake up one day without clean water. But like Joe Rogan says, we don't have a water problem, we have a salt problem - lol.
Well, and then there's the super volcano under Wyoming that's overdue to pop.
Never know when a meteor might show up, except that it will show up.
And of course there's Darth Vader snuffing out the Jedi. Or is that just the natural balance resetting itself?
Solar flares taking down the power grid? People eating each other after a week?
Old fashioned political coup resulting in a civil war that turns global? Nuclear war?
How about the problem of nuclear power plants and inevitable earth quakes? (I recommend Chernobyl on HBO, very well done)
Our problem is definitely us, but not just us. Hopi say the mother will shake us off like a dog shakes off fleas. I might if I were her.
And on another thought, time to re-watch Weird Science - lol.
And because this is a real estate forum, the only issue with global warming is a global shift in real estate value. Florida does not look like a long-term generational play to me - lol. I wonder if New York will pony up and build a sea wall.
Anywhos...all we really have is right now. It would be nice to leave something for the next generation.
To take them from the top:
1. The Permian extinction event. We would not have survived that. The rate of increase in carbon dioxide in the world's atmosphere far exceeds what happened 250 million years ago.
2. I think it's reasonable to expect another epidemic such as the Spanish flu in our lifetime. Extinction-level event? I doubt it.
3. Nuclear power would seriously step up our desalination efforts if we needed it. Look at what Israel's done with existing technology.
4. We do not really know what the Yellowstone volcano is really going to end up doing, but even in the worst-case scenario, I'm a dual citizens and I'll be on the other side of the world by the time it really steps up.
5. NASA is stepping up efforts to give us ample time before Big Rock Hits Earth. I saw Armageddon. Bruce Willis will save us. I also saw Deep Impact. Elon Musk will help us ram it.
6. I was there in the theater on the opening night of The Phantom Menace when the midi-chlorians were introduced into the Star Wars official canon. They killed The Force for me and left me a cynic. The prequels working together broke things inside me that will never heal.
7. We can survive without the power grid. It will be hard and yes, we will eat each other after we get done with the dogs and cats as blockade mutton. I do not anticipate it will be all that bad, and we will mostly only eat the corpses of the freshly dead. The Siege of Leningrad provided the most documentation ever about adults killing children for food, yes, it will happen, and there will be some whose lips will be especially greedy about the spoon afterwards
8. I don't think we're past the threat of a global theocractic dictator killing significant numbers of his subjects with nuclear weapons, but I doubt that will reach the proportions of an extinction event. The threat of a WWIII that leaves the world so devastated that a WWIV could only be fought with sticks and stones has passed humanity, I believe.
9. We will get to the earthquakes as part of global warming. Nuclear power plant proliferation isn't going to need to happen if we don't need massive desalination efforts, as I've detailed above. Sooner or later solar cells will become efficient enough to make nuclear power obsolete except in space exploration. I have a buddy who's figuring out how planes can use solar power to run their onboard systems, just signed a major deal with Airbus. Check out Metamaterial Technologies Inc and rolling mask lithography.
10. I don't have much faith in the Hopi prophecy. I was in the Yucatan in 2012 when Kukulkan was supposedly on his way. That didn't work out and I was crushed. Not getting all worked up again over Native American prophecies.
11. I never saw Weird Science. Honest.
12. I have no clue about Florida and NY. I am not planning to go back to Greece anymore to retire, given the rapidly worsening state of warming there. They've had to institute a policy that the Acropolis will now be shut down every time it gets up past 104 degrees -- the risk of people dying up there with no immediate water supplies is too high. Looking much further north now for my retirement, on the shores of the Black Sea, place called Kerch in the Crimean peninsula.
You mentioned nothing about alien space bats. They're coming, Merritt. They're coming and they're going to turn off the power for good. Practice your sword and buckler skills, you're going to need them in the Emberverse.
- Real Estate Investor · Wichita, KS · Member since 2017 · 30 posts · 24 votes7y
We went from not mowing the lawn to the Apocolypse?
- Handyman · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes7y
Originally posted by @Wanda Wilkinson:
We went from not mowing the lawn to the Apocolypse?
It's all one big slippery slope!!!
- Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes7y
Originally posted by @Jim K.:
Originally posted by @Account Closed:
Originally posted by @Jim K.:
@Account Closed
And just to be perfectly clear that this is not a political fixation with me, that I'm not doing this because I'm registered with one political party or another and believe in either of their agendas, I wholeheartedly believe that climate change is caused by human activity and that we're most likely headed toward a mass extinction event because of it. That we should be working much harder to pick ourselves out of the gravity well and find another home elsewhere because this one's not in good shape and getting worse.
THAT'S WHAT THE SCIENCE SUPPORTS.
Wait what? Hold on there Mr Downer and let me help you out of whatever that is your in. Global warming has occurred before, and so has global cooling, and humans survived just fine right through it, with limited knowledge of the world. Well ok, not everyone survived, but a mass extinction because of it? Naw. Need something more powerful than all that.
But, if you really want to get riled up and keep your mind stinky, think about how our global transportation and trade systems are poised to spread an uncontrollable epidemic!!! I think that's our most likely extinction event.
But getting back to water, it sure would suck to wake up one day without clean water. But like Joe Rogan says, we don't have a water problem, we have a salt problem - lol.
Well, and then there's the super volcano under Wyoming that's overdue to pop.
Never know when a meteor might show up, except that it will show up.
And of course there's Darth Vader snuffing out the Jedi. Or is that just the natural balance resetting itself?
Solar flares taking down the power grid? People eating each other after a week?
Old fashioned political coup resulting in a civil war that turns global? Nuclear war?
How about the problem of nuclear power plants and inevitable earth quakes? (I recommend Chernobyl on HBO, very well done)
Our problem is definitely us, but not just us. Hopi say the mother will shake us off like a dog shakes off fleas. I might if I were her.
And on another thought, time to re-watch Weird Science - lol.
And because this is a real estate forum, the only issue with global warming is a global shift in real estate value. Florida does not look like a long-term generational play to me - lol. I wonder if New York will pony up and build a sea wall.
Anywhos...all we really have is right now. It would be nice to leave something for the next generation.
To take them from the top:
1. The Permian extinction event. We would not have survived that. The rate of increase in carbon dioxide in the world's atmosphere far exceeds what happened 250 million years ago.
2. I think it's reasonable to expect another epidemic such as the Spanish flu in our lifetime. Extinction-level event? I doubt it.
3. Nuclear power would seriously step up our desalination efforts if we needed it. Look at what Israel's done with existing technology.
4. We do not really know what the Yellowstone volcano is really going to end up doing, but even in the worst-case scenario, I'm a dual citizens and I'll be on the other side of the world by the time it really steps up.
5. NASA is stepping up efforts to give us ample time before Big Rock Hits Earth. I saw Armageddon. Bruce Willis will save us. I also saw Deep Impact. Elon Musk will help us ram it.
6. I was there in the theater on the opening night of The Phantom Menace when the midi-chlorians were introduced into the Star Wars official canon. They killed The Force for me and left me a cynic. The prequels working together broke things inside me that will never heal.
7. We can survive without the power grid. It will be hard and yes, we will eat each other after we get done with the dogs and cats as blockade mutton. I do not anticipate it will be all that bad, and we will mostly only eat the corpses of the freshly dead. The Siege of Leningrad provided the most documentation ever about adults killing children for food, yes, it will happen, and there will be some whose lips will be especially greedy about the spoon afterwards
8. I don't think we're past the threat of a global theocractic dictator killing significant numbers of his subjects with nuclear weapons, but I doubt that will reach the proportions of an extinction event. The threat of a WWIII that leaves the world so devastated that a WWIV could only be fought with sticks and stones has passed humanity, I believe.
9. We will get to the earthquakes as part of global warming. Nuclear power plant proliferation isn't going to need to happen if we don't need massive desalination efforts, as I've detailed above. Sooner or later solar cells will become efficient enough to make nuclear power obsolete except in space exploration. I have a buddy who's figuring out how planes can use solar power to run their onboard systems, just signed a major deal with Airbus. Check out Metamaterial Technologies Inc and rolling mask lithography.
10. I don't have much faith in the Hopi prophecy. I was in the Yucatan in 2012 when Kukulkan was supposedly on his way. That didn't work out and I was crushed. Not getting all worked up again over Native American prophecies.
11. I never saw Weird Science. Honest.
12. I have no clue about Florida and NY. I am not planning to go back to Greece anymore to retire, given the rapidly worsening state of warming there. They've had to institute a policy that the Acropolis will now be shut down every time it gets up past 104 degrees -- the risk of people dying up there with no immediate water supplies is too high. Looking much further north now for my retirement, on the shores of the Black Sea, place called Kerch in the Crimean peninsula.
You mentioned nothing about alien space bats. They're coming, Merritt. They're coming and they're going to turn off the power for good. Practice your sword and buckler skills, you're going to need them in the Emberverse.
So let me get this straight...
You never watched Weird Science??? Well...you have some catching up to do my friend. LOL.
And...the midichlorians ruined the entirety of Star Wars for you? Hmm...not even sure what to think...are you one of the group that allowed Jar Jar to ruin the whole thing? The midichlorians were like, you know, the best part...among so many great parts...sigh. I dunno my friend, I dunno... Now, if you want to point out some bad acting, for which I blame bad directing, you have a serious point. However, the original three had their fair share of corny scenes too, we (as an audience) were just less particular about such things at the time - lol.
For the record and as something I am much too proud of, I viewed each and every Star Wars in the theater at the time of it's release, with the exception of the most recent Solo, and for that I will never forgive myself.
...but back to Real Estate, I wonder how many lost their condo money when the Death Star was blown up, twice.
- Rental Property Investor · D.C · Member since 2019 · 501 posts · 102 votes7y
@Adam Moore
Adam, what MUNICIPALITY is this. Interesting
- Rental Property Investor · D.C · Member since 2019 · 501 posts · 102 votes7y
@Greg H.
Texas holds the tenants more accountable for things?
- Urbana, OH · Member since 2017 · 12 posts · 8 votes7y
Originally posted by @Charlie Moore:
@Adam Moore
Adam, what MUNICIPALITY is this. Interesting
@Charlie Moore -- City of Urbana (small city, roughly 12,000 population, located in west-central Ohio. Located equidistant (approximately) from Dayton and Columbus).
Disclaimer: I work for the City and am in charge of the code enforcement and zoning departments. Our code section which allows us the ability to charge landowners, tenants, property management companies, etc. is listed below.
1339.02 PUBLIC NUISANCES PROHIBITED. (a) No owner, tenant or other person or legal entity in charge or possession of the property shall create, permit or allow a public nuisance to exist upon such property.
Check with your city's code enforcement department to see if they have a similar language, or suggest some other resolution to the issue. Our job is to abate nuisances and protect the aesthetics and property values of properties within our city; we don't care who, what, or how a nuisance gets resolved, just that it gets taken care of. - Nashville · Member since 2019 · 110 posts · 23 votes7y
Like others have said, give her these simple choices. Tell her you'll mow her for 24 hours. If she doesn't, hire someone else to do it and bill her. If she does not pay, the expulsion procedure begins.
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