Rented out property .. garden a mess

WLM21

I rent a property out to a family who has been there for about 6 years.

Neighbours have contacted me to say the gardens are in a very sorry state, with weeds several feet high.

What should I do ?

Obviously, I should be writing to the tenants asking them to fix up the garden, but if they choose to ignore me, is there anything else I can do. From what I understand it may need the services of a proper gardener, rather than myself and my wee lawnmower.

Who is responsible to cover the costs of any gardening work ?

In the original lease, there was a comment on the lines of 'gardens to be maintained'

thank you

Comms69

Why would you even consider doing something?


It's not your garden, so why are you getting involved?


Leave your tenants alone.

muhandis

1. The neighbours might well be exaggerating as they have other problems with the tenants. Maybe drop with (with notice) yourself if it's been a while?

2. You could ask them to maintain the garden but I doubt there's anything you can force them to do. If and when they vacate, if they don't return the garden to the state it was when you rented it out, you could attempt to recoup costs from their deposit. I doubt there's anything similar you can do mid-tenancy.

3. You could give them an S21.

In your place I would ask the neighbours to talk to the tenants if they wish to. It's not really your problem. If you entertain these kind of things from the neighbours, next they'll be complaining about the noise the tenants' kids make.

Durban

Do you manage the property yourself or do you have a letting agent who does this
Are there regular inspections?

I don't think that they would be liable for the cost unless , when they vacate , they leave it like that. Even then , if would be their word against yours unless you had a proper inventory done at the beginning.

Andysandy

I second this. I made this mistake (and lived to regret it) In my early days as an LL when I didn't know any better. It really isn't your problem.

Assuming that you are conducting periodic inspections and nothing major is amiss, I would let it lie.

muhandis wrote: »

If you entertain these kind of things from the neighbours, next they'll be complaining about the noise the tenants' kids make.

need_an_answer

With the greatest of respept the tenant can keep the garden in whatever state they wish whilst they have the tenancy...they just need to ensure that it is returned to you in the same state as documented in the inventory when they moved in...

Hopefully you have an inventory that they agreed when they moved in...ideally with a few good clear photos.


I do actually have quite a bit of sympathy with you...I've got one rental with a garden and its the bane of my rentals!


On the whole tenants love a garden when they look round the property with a view to renting it,but they don't always remember that actually because its a living growing thing it needs a bit of care and quite often one year goes into two and they don't get the weather to sit in it and enjoy it then they shut it off and forget about it....sounds like youre at that stage.


You could arrange an inspection of the property with them then make a suggestion that they could tidy it ...or indeed you could bite the bullet and pay for someone to attend to it...although I am unsure that you would be able to pass this cost onto the tenant unless they specifically agreed to it prior to the work being done...you would simply be doing it for your own benefit and peace of mind.


Alternatively you can wait until they leave and assuming they don't return it to inventory state,claim a deposit deduction.

FWIW if I ever have a deposit dispute with the tenants in this one particular property it is always over the garden and the cost to bring it back to inventory standard....its so much easier with flats and a few plants in pots!!!

I've also visited the property on occasions and seen weeds as tall as me...only to find them completely disappeared come check out...so there is hope for you....

pinkshoes

Tell the neighbour that as you do not live at the property, the garden is not yours to tend.

At the end of the tenancy you might need to remind the tenant that the garden needs returning to its original state as per the inventory taken.

You did protect their deposit, taken an inventory and some photos didn't you?

Andysandy

I must qualify this statement. It CAN be the landlord's problem if your property requires a selective license (for non-HMOs) from the council and it includes responsibilities like the ones listed below. For instance, the license conditions for a council that I rent out a flat in states -

For all tenancies (regardless of start date), landlords must:
- ensure that yards and gardens are maintained in reasonable repair and are kept in a clean and tidy condition and free from infestations
- make regular inspections to ensure the property is in a decent state of repair and that aren’t any breaches of the tenancy terms and conditions
- ensure that rubbish we don’t routinely collect (such as large items or hazardous waste) is disposed of responsibly and safely

Andysandy wrote: »

It really isn't your problem.

danlewi2

Are you my landlord?

danlewi2

Could be the simple fact that we have had several weeks of rain - so they had a chance to tend the garden at a weekend. Every time I go to cut my lawn it rains - so its slightly higher than normal a few weeds popping up.

need_an_answer

Andysandy wrote: »

I must qualify this statement. It CAN be the landlord's problem if your property requires a selective license from the council and it includes responsibilities like the ones listed below. For instance, the license conditions for a council that I rent out a flat in states -

For all tenancies (regardless of start date), landlords must:
- ensure that yards and gardens are maintained in reasonable repair and are kept in a clean and tidy condition and free from infestations
- make regular inspections to ensure the property is in a decent state of repair and that aren’t any breaches of the tenancy terms and conditions
- ensure that rubbish we don’t routinely collect (such as large items or hazardous waste) is disposed of responsibly and safely

But that doesn't really tackle the problem of an overgown garden,that talks more of infestations and discarded large items ...it does not deal with what the OP describes as simply a garden that hasn't been looked after.

I also see this refers to tenancies...so how does that work if im the owner occupier of a freehold property with an overgrown garden...theres not that much that the council would be able to do about it until it was proved to be infested?