2 unit property lawn care maintance (bottom and top)

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2 unit property lawn care maintance (bottom and top)

Account Closed
Investor · Bethlehem, PA · Member since 2018 · 75 posts · 12 votes

Hi everyone,  looking for some feedback on how to handle lawn care maintained for my 2 unit ( unit on bottom and one on top)

I have a lease with the newer tenant who moved into the top unit back in December that she would take take of lawn maintenance (cutting the grass). 

Today she contacted me asking me if I am providing her a lawn mower to cut the grass. She told me ( my wife also confirmed to me privately) that I had initially told her I would figure something out for her like give her a lawnmower and somewhere to place it.

The issue is that I think it's a bad idea to give her a lawnmower and i don't know why I said that( it could break, or she could "get hurt" and an issue could second. Second there is not a shed for her to store it on the property.  (Basement is mine for storing)

I have thought of cutting the grass myself as it is a small section and can be done quickly.  I don't want to make her pay someone as her rent is high already.

The options I'm considering are 

1. Should I giver her a lawnmower with a small shed. (Lease says she needs to take care of the yard, doesn't matter how she does it)

2. Cut the grass myself( I live 8 mins away)

3. Tell her to figure it out herself and follow the lease ( i.e buy your own lawn mower or pay someone)


I have yet to reply to her message as I wanted the best solution.  This is the only property other than the one I live in BTW . Thank you!

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Aaron F.
Investor · US · Member since 2017 · 71 posts · 80 votes
5y

I have adjusted my leases on duplexes so that I am responsible for having the grass cut.

Issues I had were providing the mower/shed, lawn being mowed only on one half the yard (side by side), non-mowing tenant leaving dog toys/poop in the grass causing disputes, or grass being neglected altogether.

I have adjusted rents up to offset my costs and everybody is happier. 

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  • Account Closed
    OP
    Investor · Bethlehem, PA · Member since 2018 · 75 posts · 12 votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Brad L.:

    Is there any language about this lawn mower in your lease with her? 

    Obviously not likely that it's worth it to buy a shed for the property for storage of the lawn mower, but personally I definitely would not ask her to lock it to a fence and cover it with a tarp. I guess it depends on what class your property is, if it's D or maybe even C then it probably wouldn't look super out of place.

    There is nothing on the lease In regards to the lawn mower in the lease. It was verbal but I do not want to be a scum either. She is section 8, I get $1,100 from her and she has two young daughters. The mortgage itself is only $1,077. The other tenant pays $750 

     I'll say the property is c to b level . Address is 1145 Broadway fountain hill pa if you're curious. Let me know. 

    either give her the lawn mower and some storage.

    do it myself.

    Pay my friends company $35 bi weekly

    0Reply
  • Brad L.
    Rental Property Investor · Manitowoc, WI · Member since 2016 · 178 posts · 186 votes
    5y

    If I lived 8 minutes away, with that small yard I'd leave work 20 minutes early on Friday and do it myself.

    Very interesting looking property the way it's painted and landscaped.

    0Reply
  • Account Closed
    OP
    Investor · Bethlehem, PA · Member since 2018 · 75 posts · 12 votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Brad L.:

    If I lived 8 minutes away, with that small yard I'd leave work 20 minutes early on Friday and do it myself.

    Very interesting looking property the way it's painted and landscaped.

     I don't really have an issue doing that. The only thing is that there is grass in the front now instead of the bush. If I can reduce that it will take the extra work away

    0Reply
  • Bob S.
    Real Estate Consultant · Cleveland · Member since 2020 · 6k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    5y

    @Account Closed owners take care of the lawn and snow,  on MF,,,,,,

    0Reply
  • Ned J.Pro Member
    Investor · Manteca, CA · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    5y

    If it were me, since its my screw up, Id suck it up and do the lawn myself.... until I got sick and tired of doing it, then hire service and chalk up the cost of learning...... then at next renewal or turn over, integrate the cost into the rent

    I dont like to provide tenants with "stuff"...... invariable it breaks or has issues and they want you to fix or replace it.... or it gets stolen...or disappears when they move out....... more hassle than its worth.....

    I prefer to hire out yard maintenance and factor that into the rent whenever possible..... you may get lucky and have a good tenant stay on top of it, but many don't....... the only ones I let tenants take care of are the ones with yards that are garbage already, so they cant really make it much worse

    0Reply
  • Brad L.
    Rental Property Investor · Manitowoc, WI · Member since 2016 · 178 posts · 186 votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Bob S.:

    @Account Closed owners take care of the lawn and snow,  on MF,,,,,,

    Maybe in your market, but definitely not everywhere 

    0Reply
  • Account Closed
    OP
    Investor · Bethlehem, PA · Member since 2018 · 75 posts · 12 votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Bob S.:

    @Account Closed owners take care of the lawn and snow,  on MF,,,,,,

     Landlord next door has a 4 unit.

    each tenant cuts their grass that they're responsible for. And one cuts all the sidewalk so I disagree.

    0Reply
  • Matt Ziegler
    Rental Property Investor · Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2020 · 433 posts · 284 votes
    5y

    Get a manual push mower... about 90.00, and a bike lock . That way there is very little liability and no storage issue. We have done this and everyone was happy!

    Lawn gets mowed and the resident enjoys the exercise and the cold drink afterwards 

    Cheers

    0Reply
  • Saun-jay S. McIntosh
    Investor · Fort Lauderdale, FL · Member since 2021 · 17 posts · 5 votes
    5y

    @Matthew Crivelli yea I second that has similar issues and it almost got legal

    1Reply
  • Jourdan Johnson
    Investor · Oakland, CA · Member since 2020 · 41 posts · 9 votes
    5y

    @Gavin Joel arredondo Hey Gavin, if it’s not too much of a headache I would definitely stop by maybe once a week and cut the lawn myself. You never know, this could open a new door for a great opportunity down the road. I’m sure you know already, the realestate business is all about who you know. With that being said, the more value you add to a person’s life the more space you leave open for that value to be reciprocated. Hope this helps. Good luck.

    0Reply
  • Jacob Lapp
    Rental Property Investor · Souderton, PA · Member since 2020 · 124 posts · 106 votes
    5y

    @Gavin Joel arredondo

    I’m big on giving cash for things like this. Find out what used mowers are going for on fb marketplace. And offer this amount (one time) for them to either buy something used/ put it towards a new one/ pocket the cash and use their parents it doesn’t matter, this is just covering you because you told them that you would take care of this. Now you are off the hook for equipment maintenance, fixing it if it breaks etc.

    Now since it’s in their lease that “they are responsible for lawn care” you are waiving some responsibility to them. This doesn’t mean they need to do it, they could pay someone else too. If they decide to do it personally it’s on them.

    I’m not a lawyer and maybe the other people on this forum are right but this is how I handle it.

    Good luck

    0Reply
  • Donald N.
    Rental Property Investor · Northlake, IL · Member since 2019 · 23 posts · 4 votes
    5y

    @Gavin Joel arredondo, Have someone company cut the lawn . That way you know it's getting done. In the city will not get on you you it is not cut. Should only cost 25 to 35 dollars per week that way if you do buy a lot more for her or him if it breaks they're going to ask you to fix it. Because you bought it for them overall it would just be a headache.

    0Reply
  • Curtis Mears
    Property Manager · Raleigh, NC · Member since 2014 · 729 posts · 596 votes
    5y

    @Gavin Joel arredondo

    I would not buy her a mower. All my tenants are responsible for maintaining yard, and I do not buy them mowers.

    So either take care of it yourself or tell her you will not buy a mower. Another compromise option would be to have her buy a cheap mower, and let her deductible from rent. As far as storage, is there nowhere she can store a mower? If not, then maybe a cheap little dog house sized plastic shed. Does not need to be large, just big enough to store mower. Also be good if it can be locked.

    0Reply
  • Zachary Elliott
    Real Estate Agent · Burlington, KY · Member since 2018 · 207 posts · 232 votes
    5y

    I used to have a similar situation with a tenant and ran into issues with the lawnmower when it needed maintenance, etc. Also, in retrospect, this is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Cut your losses, hire a local company and just pay to have the lawn cut. 

    0Reply
  • Frank Chin
    Investor · Bayside, NY · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    5y

    I have an SFR rental that I had since 1985, and for the first 20 years, had tenants handle landscaping. Tenants get their own mower.

    Since everything is on the tenant, the results range from barely passable to horrible. I have:

    1. A tenant suffering an episode of depression that he was bedbound for a good part of the year. I went out to check, after neighbor complaints, grass was over a foot high, his hair was a foot long, didn't shave for months, and had his mom come by to care for him.

    2. When it was mowed, it was just that mowed, Edging was never done, crab grass sprouting up every where.

    3. Tenant goes on business trips, they'll cut it when they get back.

    4. The problem was neither the neighbors' or the town had any tolerance for that. Visiting the block, everyone had kept lawns, my property on the corner was the lone standout. Had one tenant doing it, when things got busy, had a neighbor's kid do it, till one time the grass was too high, and it broke the kids mower, and the kid's dad got upset, and said "no more". He had no luck getting a landscaper.

    So for the last fifteen years, I used a landscaper. For about $100/month, I no longer have to listen to angry neighbors saying "told you absentee landlords ruin the neighborhood", town threatening fines and more inspections, listen to stories on broken mowers. And I noticed for the first 15 years, no one did edging, spring cleaning, etc. other than plain mowing. And since the current landscaper lives a few blocks away, came by to plow snow and pick up sweep the place a few years back when my wife handle things since I had a stroke and she was hospitalized, and out of commission for a few months. The rental was empty that winter.

    0Reply
  • Bob S.
    Real Estate Consultant · Cleveland · Member since 2020 · 6k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    5y

    @Account Closed hmm In my 10 years PM more then  500 doors, owning MANY props,we always take care of exterior  Each tenant has their own lawn mower ? Wish it was that way in Cleveland, :)

    All the best 

    0Reply
  • James Wise
    Real Estate Broker · Cleveland Dayton Cincinnati Toledo Columbus & Akron, OH · Member since 2013 · 31k+ posts · 20k+ votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Brad L.:

    Is there any language about this lawn mower in your lease with her? 

    Obviously not likely that it's worth it to buy a shed for the property for storage of the lawn mower, but personally I definitely would not ask her to lock it to a fence and cover it with a tarp. I guess it depends on what class your property is, if it's D or maybe even C then it probably wouldn't look super out of place.

     Owner or PM should handle lawncare when dealing with a duplex.

    0Reply
  • Brad L.
    Rental Property Investor · Manitowoc, WI · Member since 2016 · 178 posts · 186 votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @James Wise:
    Originally posted by @Brad L.:

    Is there any language about this lawn mower in your lease with her? 

    Obviously not likely that it's worth it to buy a shed for the property for storage of the lawn mower, but personally I definitely would not ask her to lock it to a fence and cover it with a tarp. I guess it depends on what class your property is, if it's D or maybe even C then it probably wouldn't look super out of place.

     Owner or PM should handle lawncare when dealing with a duplex.

    I know you manage a ton of properties and you obviously know what you're talking about, but that's not the case in my market. Every duplex owner I know has tenants doing lawncare & snow removal. I have tenants doing lawncare & snow removal in all of our duplexes. Let's just agree to disagree and like most things say it's market specific.

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