Deducting from Security Deposit: Yard Care Landlord vs Tenant

Deducting from Security Deposit: Yard Care Landlord vs Tenant

Member since 2020 · 1 post · 0 votes

I am a tenant in CA. My lease states that I am responsible for the yard maintenance, but my landlord pays for a gardener. We are required to let them have weekly access to the property (which we do) The first three years we had a great gardener who took care of everything! Our yard looked great no issues. Last year they decided to cut cost and changed to another company who is rude doesnt communicate. rarely shows up when they should. They spend 10min doing some basic lawn cutting and moves on. For two months we complained. nothing was done about it. We even told them we would take over the yard maintenance but they said no. Now the yard is destroyed. Even though we water like crazy the grass if full of weeds and dead. The new gardeners continuously break the sprinklers and run over our expensive hoses which we pay for to fix. When we terminate our lease who is responsible for the destruction of the yard?  Can the landlord hold our security deposit even though they took responsibility for the care of the yard? I can possibly get a noterized statement from the prior gardener saying the first three years the yards were cared for and looked good. it was when the landlord switched gardeners is when the destruction happened.

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  • Real Estate Broker · Hyde Park Tampa, FL · Member since 2019 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    6y

    This arrangement makes absolutely no sense. You're either responsible or you are not. If the landlord hires the gardener and the results are poor, send your landlord an email/letter (retaining a copy for yourself) to report the deficiencies and provide photos. Share what you have done to mitigate damages (like watering) but that you are not responsible for the issues created by their contractor - nor is the yard maintained to the standard in place when you moved in to the property.

    Put the landlord on notice now - versus allowing it be an issue with your security deposit later.  I hope you'll do this today...

  • Les GoodmanPro Member
    Member since 2020 · 7 posts · 2 votes
    5y

    I feel like I'm in the same situation with my landlord   and I'm in CA too. For the past 4 years they have paid for a yard work to be done.  Its mostly picking up debris in the front and back from 2 giant Redwood trees and then a neighbors tree drops tons of leave.

    I sent an email sating this:

    1. Gardner - I'm not sure if you have changed gardeners or changed what they should be doing on my side of the property, but they have not come inside the gate in ages. I was here one day recently and did notice they went into Michelle's  backyard, but then never come into mine.

    His response was essentially let's go over the contract. 

    When moving in he specifically told me that he would have a garden take care of all the fallen debris too.

    @Chelsea Slattery

    @Conrad Jackson do you have any thoughts on this

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