Lawns and gardens maintenance, tenant or owner?

Owning a property that has lawns and gardens is a nice addition to your investment property. In terms of who is responsible for maintaining these areas, there are a few rules of thumb to go by.

Tenant responsibility

A tenant is responsible for areas such as regular mowing and edging. The frequency of this will depend on the season and how fast the lawns grow. In the warmer months, it could be expected that the tenant would need to mow fortnightly, while it may be left monthly in winter.

They will also be responsible for the weeding of garden beds and lawns and are encouraged to fertilise the lawn regularly to maintain its health throughout the seasons during the tenancy.

In drier months, you may offer to provide discounts on water usage to ensure that the lawns and gardens are kept in good order in line with potential water restrictions that may apply. Where possible, rainwater tanks and recycled water options are a great addition to the property and can get through these drier months.

Tenants could also be expected to clear small branches, leaves and smaller objects that have fallen from trees and could fit into the green waste bin or go out with the council collections.

Landlord responsibility

Owners are responsible for carrying out larger lawns and gardens maintenance tasks at the property and the extent of this will depend on the range of the landscaping.

Pruning of shrubs and trees as well as cutting back and clearing larger branches away from the house and fence line could be expected and planned for as part of a larger maintenance schedule. Staying on top of these can reduce the potential for property damage during storms and adverse weather conditions.

Installing an irrigation system can support with watering of lawns and gardens, however any repairs to this need to be factored into the regular maintenance schedule as part of the owner’s costs.

If there is a particular style in which you would like the landscaping maintained, it is worthwhile investing in gardeners to ensure that the lawns and gardens are to standard.

Not everyone has a green thumb and if you would prefer to outsource the task, there are a range of trades available to take care of this responsibility and ensure that the lawns and gardens are cared for.

Our property management team can assist in arranging the relevant trades.