How important is a garden when you are renting

Fuzzyness

very important to us but then we have a 4 year old. guessing the type of person renting a 1 bed flat wouldnt have kids. in my experience the type of person who may want a 1 bed flat is likely to be younger and may not have an interest in gardening per se but may like the ability to sit out/have bbqs. its swings and roundabouts. you could go for outside space that is low maitenance which should address both issues.

Mrs_Z

I think generally speaking a small garden would be a definite plus from the lettings point of view, especially if you are willing to accept tenants with pets. What you have to balance is the necessary maintenance vs. benefits. A smallish garden can be made fairly low maintenance by decking or paving just by having flower borders around.We have 1 BTL property (flat) with access to communal garden. The issue of drying clothes was also my concern at the time of purchase but we got round this by providing a washer/dryer to the flat.

benjus

Fuzzyness wrote: »

very important to us but then we have a 4 year old. guessing the type of person renting a 1 bed flat wouldnt have kids. in my experience the type of person who may want a 1 bed flat is likely to be younger and may not have an interest in gardening per se but may like the ability to sit out/have bbqs. its swings and roundabouts. you could go for outside space that is low maitenance which should address both issues.

I think an interest in gardening fits better with owning rather than renting. In our last place we were assured that the landlord was looking for a long term tenant, and we tidied up the garden quite a lot (even though it was a fairly low maintenance place) and made it look rather nice. Then out of the blue the landlord's cousin turns up and needs a place to live, so the landlord decides not to renew our tenancy agreement. Don't think I'd bother investing any significant time and effort in a rented place again.

Fuzzyness

benjus wrote: »

I think an interest in gardening fits better with owning rather than renting. In our last place we were assured that the landlord was looking for a long term tenant, and we tidied up the garden quite a lot (even though it was a fairly low maintenance place) and made it look rather nice. Then out of the blue the landlord's cousin turns up and needs a place to live, so the landlord decides not to renew our tenancy agreement. Don't think I'd bother investing any significant time and effort in a rented place again.

agreed. where we rent at the moment the garden is not wholly suitable but we cant be bothered to change it, especially as we're moving out in a few months.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I rent a property with a garden and love it. It's a high maintenence one though, which I've ended up enjoying but might become a chore to some tenants. If there is a lawn the LL should be prepared to provide a lawn mower and a secure shed, plus some basic tools if there are a lot of bushes/shrubs to keep tidy. My council also recently stopped free garden waste collection, meaning you have to drive to a tip or pay for a green collection bin. You also need to check who owns which fences and keep on good terms with the neighbours- they may not appreciate it if lazy tenants allow stuff like bindweed to rampage into their gardens.

Kastanie

Out,_Vile_Jelly wrote: »

I rent a property with a garden and love it. It's a high maintenence one though, which I've ended up enjoying but might become a chore to some tenants. If there is a lawn the LL should be prepared to provide a lawn mower and a secure shed, plus some basic tools if there are a lot of bushes/shrubs to keep tidy. My council also recently stopped free garden waste collection, meaning you have to drive to a tip or pay for a green collection bin. You also need to check who owns which fences and keep on good terms with the neighbours- they may not appreciate it if lazy tenants allow stuff like bindweed to rampage into their gardens.

Exactly what I was going to say! If the outside space needs more than a basic level of maintenance it's handy if the LL provides a few tools and somewhere to keep them, plus a green bin if available. Particularly important if you think you might have a fairly regular turnover of tenants as not all may be prepared to buy equipment. The rented house I live in has a lovely garden and so I've invested in mowers, tools etc but only because I knew I'd stay a while and will move on to buy my own place with a garden. I also don't want my place to look unkempt and "rented".

I agree with benjus and Fuzzyness that tenants might not invest a whole lot of time / effort for a place they won't be living for very long. They also might not have the spare cash to spend on tools they don't regard as essential. I guess if tenants don't want a garden they won't search for properties with a garden, but on the other hand you don't always have a choice where you rent, depends what's available at the time.

After years of being cooped up in flats, outside space is great though

mapcr77

I moved from a flat with a garden to a rented one without and it drove me insane! I couldn't wait to get out of there. As some have said, even the washing was a problem. We then moved to another one with a huge garden and I love it, and will miss it when we move to our new house (buying!). We also have a cat, and he was also suffering without access to the outdoors.
It depends on who you want as tenants. Very young professionals may prefer decking/patios rather than gardens. Mid-30s oldies like me want a space to grow your own and squeeze as many flowers as possible.

benjus

I must say I much prefer having a lawn than just decking/patio, although I can understand why landlords like the low-maintenance options. Being able to invite friends over for a summer BBQ and just sprawl over the lawn is a glorious thing, and just doesn't work with a hard surface.

isisini

When we were renting we had a cat which made outdoor space important. Being able to sit outside when it's hot with a G&T is nice, plus it just means having a bit more space to dry clothes.

Definitely agree with the above posters though about keeping things low maintenance.

I'd also make sure you set your expectations for garden maintenance in the contract with your tenants.. this ended up being a subject for dispute with our last landlord.

Fizzymartini

Each to their own; I'll pipe up for the "no garden" gang. I'm a FTB and buying a flat without any outside space. Apart from the clothes-drying aspect (which I'll solve by hanging wet clothes by open windows), I'm not remotely fussed, as this is London - there are parks everywhere! If I'm hankering after some grassland, I can cross the road to a cute patch of greenery, or take a 5min bus/10min walk to the local park. As for BBQs, I'd rather host a pot luck - less lingering smelliness