Damaged lawn - who is liable landlord or tenant?

simpson_77

Hi,
Not sure if this is the correct place for this but here goes...
We are in a rental property and will be leaving in July. when we moved into the property (June 2019) the garden was covered in grass. Fast forward to now and leathjackets have eaten 60% of the grass and we have alot of  bald patches (the garden is approx 13m x 13m)! In the tenancy agreement is says:

'To keep the garden in the same character, weed free and in good order and to cut the grass at reasonable intervals during the growing season.' 
Is it my responsibility to have the garden treated and have a new lawn put down? Or should I ask the landlord to resolve? The deposit is quite considerable and don't want them to make any deduction if it can be avoided.
The landlord is a private individual and is the normal contact. He used an agency for the tenant finding / contract etc.
Before anyone asks, the garden is kept weed free and any children's toys (slides/bikes) are moved on the the patio or into the garage every evening.
Thanks,

anselld

I would say pest treatment would come under "keep the garden .. in good order". 
Did you report the problem when it first arose and at which point it could have been dealt with promptly and cost-effectively? 

simpson_77

anselld said:

I would say pest treatment would come under "keep the garden .. in good order". 
Did you report the problem when it first arose and at which point it could have been dealt with promptly and cost-effectively? 

Only really noticeable when we cut it for the 1st time a few weeks back. By then the damage would have been done. 

dimbo61

Did the landlord or letting agents do a Video inventory or photo inventory which you have seen and signed a copy.
If you can get treatment from one of the garden centres or B&M, B &Q or Home Bargain then buy some and put on the lawn. Water well.
The Landlord would find it hard to claim for damage to the lawn without clear photographic evidence.
Make sure you clean the property and remove all your stuff when you leave.
Get rid of rubbish you don't want to take with you now.
Take lots of photos 

JMKelley

Take photos of everything.
Tell the Agent/Landlord immediately of any damage and keep email evidence.
Inform the landlord of any fix you are attempting to do before doing it. (They may want changes anyway)
Got told this from a nice letting agent on how to keep most of your deposit.

Grumpy_chap

I think if you have paid everything that is due when it is due and will leave the property with everything in good order and clean apart from some weeds in the lawn (i.e. you have been good tenants), then a reasonable landlord will be happy and refund the full deposit.

To minimise any questions, keep the grass cut weekly, that will help it improve, and make sure everything else is swept and weeded so the garden looks good.  That's really all that can be expected.

simpson_77

Hi,
Everything is in good order, however the photos on the inventory show green grass and now it is green / brown and bald! 

greatcrested

If you've just cut the grass for the first time since June2019, then you can hardly claim to have kept " the garden in the same character, weed free and in good order and to cut the grass at reasonable intervals during the growing season."

But even if you just mean 1st time this year, garden maintenance is clearly your responsibility. Some LLs provide gardeners to ensure garden is kept relatively good order, but if not then it's the tenant's job. You had the benefit of the use of the garden, just as you did wih the house - both need to be kept clean and in good condiion (or at least a similar condiion to whn you moved in).

Grumpy_chap

simpson_77 said:

Hi,
Everything is in good order, however the photos on the inventory show green grass and now it is green / brown and bald! 

If you do some intensive care and watering the lawn from now until July it will probably all recover and look pretty good.

franklee

Put some grass seed down, should be growing by July.

vitaweat

simpson_77 said:

Hi,
Everything is in good order, however the photos on the inventory show green grass and now it is green / brown and bald! 

Go to your local garden centre with a few blades of grass and ask for the most similar seed they have to what's already there.  Buy a small bag of the seed plus some garden compost and some lawn fertiliser.

Apply the fertiliser as advised on the packet.  Leave it a couple of days then scratch up the soil on the bald patches, spread the seeds and cover in a thin layer of soil.  Water if the soil dries out too much and it should all be sorted by July with change from twenty quid.