Investor · Marion, IA · Member since 2010 · 177 posts · 117 votes
How do most of you handle snow and lawn care in single family homes? Do you make the tenant do it, do it yourself or hire it out? I am renting a house for $1200 and the lease says nothing about lawn and snow. Im guessing if would cost about another $100/mo to hire it out. I dont think the tenant has the time or ability to do it. But I'm wondering what is customary in the midwest.
You have a current lease with an existing tenant and no mention of lawn or snow, correct?
Typically this would be found in the same section of the lease that dictates utilities. In my experience, with SFH lawn is covered by the tenant. The owner covers landscaping (spring clean up).
On my SFH the lease requires the tenant to cut the grass and remove the snow from the driveway and walkways. I have never had a problem. They provide there own mower and shovels. If they are unable to perform this then they would need to pay me for the service.
I own 3 sfh in the Northern Ky area. To me the benefit with a sfh is that I provide the house, appliances, and that is it. It is up to the tenant for basic yard upkeep for snow and grass and they are to provide their own equipment. I do stop by once or twice a year to trim bushes and low hanging limbs so that I can keep shrubs the size I want but mowing and snow removal is simple and something most renters should be able to do. I have had one potential applicant say they couldn't and let them know there are plenty of teenagers who would most likely be more than happy to do it for them but they are responsible for the cost which they were fine with but were rejected based on the application. I occasionally have someone try to negotiate but this is not something I am willing to budge on. If they fail to mow it is in the lease that if I have to do it it is $75/ mow but have never had a problem in the past or had to charge. I also don't see many postings offering it as well so I think I am within the norm here.
@Mike D. Always have residents do their own snow removal and lawn care for single family. If they can't do it, they can pay someone to do it. It is common and expected in IA/NE. Make sure to spell it out in your lease moving forward.
Our management company manages about 70 properties here in NJ. That's a non-starter for us. Never let the tenants maintain the lawn and shovel the snow? Hell no. The properties we inherit that have tenants mowing the lawn, the curb appeal always looks terrible. The grass isn't trimmed back from the curb/sidewalk, shrubs overgrown, sometimes grass a foot high.
Then when it snows you want your tenant to shovel and salt to reduce your liability? Who do you think is getting sued in a slip and fall? The tenant or the owner?
Don't be cheap, hire this stuff out. If the monthly dollar amount to pay a landscaper is that big of a problem with your cash flow model then you overpaid for the property.