Rental Property Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2019 · 88 posts · 49 votes
We’re currently considering adding an addendum to the lease where we reduce the lease amount in exchange for our tenant mowing the lawn and shoveling the snow in the winter.
Can anybody share advice, templates or resources related to doing this? Anything we should be acutely aware of? Is there any way to do it wrong and open yourself to extra liability?
If its a single family , make it their responsibility . If its a multi family , dont hire the tenant . You are creating a employer / employee relationship and when they pull their back or they dont get the job done the landlord will pay the price .
We manage property in NJ so we have to deal with snow as well as grass. We won't manage a property if the tenant is doing those things. Massive liability IMO. The properties I have seen where the tenant maintains the lawns, it looks like crap. Grass high, nothing edged, weeds, shrubs overgrown. For snow removal, if someone slips and falls they're not suing your tenant who is renting, they're suing the owner of the building.
When I get a new tenant in I make the last page of the lease contain a blank space . In that blank space I write “ tenant is responsible for mowing grass and snow removal “ then I have them sign and date under it .
I have been doing this for several years. Screen your tenants. If the landlord has to mow it once the rent goes up. They are responsible for any damage they cause. Hit something, run out of oil.... Get quotes from the pros and offer it at a lower cost to you.