Does tenant need to be asked before shrubs are cut back?

Nixer

I'm a tenant and somebody has given one of the shrubs in my back garden a severe pruning. Nobody asked before doing it; my partner and I are at work all day so whoever it was nipped in and did it, sometime today I think.

I think it's either the landlady or the neighbours but I haven't found out which yet (will ask neighbour tomorow).

If it's the landlady can she do this or must she ask before coming into the garden (as she would have to do if she wanted to enter the house)?

If it's the neighbours - are they supposed to ask us or the landlady? This is bit more than clipping back overhanging branches, it's down to foot long stumps (although having just googled that is the normal way to prune this shrub - it looks dreadful though).

G_M

1) Neighbours should not enter the property without the tenant's permission.
2) Landlady should not enter the property without the tenant's permission.

My guess is it's the LL doing the gardening. What does the tenancy agreement say about maintaining the garden. If the LL is responsible, then by definition she has 'permission' to come in and do it. If it is the tenants responsibility, then see statement 2 above.

Write to her initially advising her that someone, not yourself, has caused damage by cutting the shrub and you are considering calling the police about criminal damage. If she admits it was her, then remind her politely you are netitled to 'quiet enjoyment' of the property, which means no visits without advance agreement.

Emmzi

or you could just ask if she did the gardening plain and simple and take it from there - why the need for a complicated hint dropping letter when you could be straight forward about it?

Nixer

Thanks.

I actually suspect the neighbours because there's a similarly pruned shrub on their side of the fence, plus (to my knowledge) the LL has always asked us when she wanted to come and do gardening. But it's complicated by the fact that the neighbours' gardener also does gardening work for our landlady in her (LL's) own garden so it might be that she's been asked by the LL to do it, or even that she's done it without being told to by anyone, whilst doing next door's.

I will speak to the neighbour, and if it was them ask them not to do it again. If it was the LL I will probably leave it - I am wary of quoting my rights at landlords as it got us evicted from our last place (we're in periodic so she can just give us 2 months notice).

benoit

Bit of an obvious question - does the landlady happen to have a gardener who maintains the gardens of her properties?



ETA: You just answered the question - yes. lol

missile

Why does it bother you? I would be very pleased if someone came and did my garden.

Nixer

benoit: no, as I said in the post above yours, the gardener I mentioned works for the landlady on her (LL's) own garden and she also does the neighbours' garden (neighbours are owner occupiers). She does not do ours - we're expected to maintain our own garden but the LL has asked a couple of times if she personally could come round and plant something, which we agreed to.

Alex_LS

G_M wrote: »

My guess is it's the LL doing the gardening. What does the tenancy agreement say about maintaining the garden. If the LL is responsible, then by definition she has 'permission' to come in and do it.

Not without advanced notice, she doesn't.