Tenants’ Poor Garden, Patio Maintenance

anamariapie

Could anyone advise on the following -
Though the TA agreement includes Garden/Patio Maintenance, when I visited the outside of the property, both front + back areas were excessively overgrown, grass, plants, weeds … in fact it’s lost all its section borders … quite honestly it’s taken on a “jungle” appearance.
Having sent a firm but polite message and had no reply, I sent a second one today asking for a response within the next few days (5).
I’ve even offered to help them source a gardener that can provide them with a quote … should I be paying for a garden service … please advise 

FlorayG

I assume you are the landlord
Does your TA say that they need to maintain the garden? If so then they need to do that at their own cost.
If it doesn't say that then they are only required when they leave to put it back to the condition it was in when they got it
Sadly tenants don't do much gardening - it's a long term thing and they usually aren't there long term

theartfullodger

Irrelevant until tenants leave, then you may - or may not - have a case for damages against deposit.

As long as they leave it as was, less fair wear & tear (***) they've done nothing wrong.  That it looks like a tip today  is (largely) irrelevant.  

You could serve s8g12 (breach of contract) but would you want to.

*** Fair wear and tear is obviously much less for say a single little old lady  (or man) than a couple with 4 kids and three rottweilers...

Done any training in how to be a landlord and/or landlord/tenant law?

With my student tenants I pay for garden maintenance, only rational approach.

Best regards.

chrisw

FlorayG said:

Sadly tenants don't do much gardening - it's a long term thing and they usually aren't there long term

Not always. One of my tenants has the gardens absolutely stunning. I dread that I might one day have to ask them to leave!

CurlySue2017

FlorayG said:

I assume you are the landlord
Does your TA say that they need to maintain the garden? If so then they need to do that at their own cost.
If it doesn't say that then they are only required when they leave to put it back to the condition it was in when they got it
Sadly tenants don't do much gardening - it's a long term thing and they usually aren't there long term

Bit of a sweeping assumption there!

OP have you provided the necessary equipment for the tenants to do the garden themselves?

Sapindus

CurlySue2017 said:

FlorayG said:

I assume you are the landlord
Does your TA say that they need to maintain the garden? If so then they need to do that at their own cost.
If it doesn't say that then they are only required when they leave to put it back to the condition it was in when they got it
Sadly tenants don't do much gardening - it's a long term thing and they usually aren't there long term

Bit of a sweeping assumption there!

OP have you provided the necessary equipment for the tenants to do the garden themselves?

Why would you have to provide equipment that they could then hurt themselves on and sue you?  Is the landlord obliged to provide vacuum cleaner and cleaning materials to keep the inside of the house in good condition? 

35har1old

Sapindus said:

CurlySue2017 said:

FlorayG said:

I assume you are the landlord
Does your TA say that they need to maintain the garden? If so then they need to do that at their own cost.
If it doesn't say that then they are only required when they leave to put it back to the condition it was in when they got it
Sadly tenants don't do much gardening - it's a long term thing and they usually aren't there long term

Bit of a sweeping assumption there!

OP have you provided the necessary equipment for the tenants to do the garden themselves?

Why would you have to provide equipment that they could then hurt themselves on and sue you?  Is the landlord obliged to provide vacuum cleaner and cleaning materials to keep the inside of the house in good condition? 

Oh you forgot to mention pots and pans 😀

Grumpy_chap

anamariapie said:

Could anyone advise on the following -
Though the TA agreement includes Garden/Patio Maintenance, when I visited the outside of the property, both front + back areas were excessively overgrown, grass, plants, weeds … in fact it’s lost all its section borders … quite honestly it’s taken on a “jungle” appearance.
Having sent a firm but polite message and had no reply, I sent a second one today asking for a response within the next few days (5).
I’ve even offered to help them source a gardener that can provide them with a quote … should I be paying for a garden service … please advise 

Usually the tenancy will make the Tenant responsible for maintenance of the garden.  

However, we have a property that we let out.  We have great Tenants, they look after the property, they pay in full on time every time.  For reasons that I do not understand, they seem unable to maintain the garden and twice a year make contact that the garden is overgrown.  I could respond "Tenant's responsibility" and leave it there but, taking all things into consideration, I find it better customer service to simply pay a Gardener for a day each time.  It is a lowly expense in the greater scheme of things.

poppy12345

FlorayG said:

Sadly tenants don't do much gardening - it's a long term thing and they usually aren't there long term

I've been living in rented properties for over 20 years and have always maintained my garden. I moved house that the start of the year and totally transformed my garden from 4ft high weeds to so many plants you couldn't see the ground, as well as a newly seeded lawn. 

CurlySue2017

35har1old said:

Sapindus said:

CurlySue2017 said:

FlorayG said:

I assume you are the landlord
Does your TA say that they need to maintain the garden? If so then they need to do that at their own cost.
If it doesn't say that then they are only required when they leave to put it back to the condition it was in when they got it
Sadly tenants don't do much gardening - it's a long term thing and they usually aren't there long term

Bit of a sweeping assumption there!

OP have you provided the necessary equipment for the tenants to do the garden themselves?

Why would you have to provide equipment that they could then hurt themselves on and sue you?  Is the landlord obliged to provide vacuum cleaner and cleaning materials to keep the inside of the house in good condition? 

Oh you forgot to mention pots and pans 😀

And how are pots and pans relevant to maintaining the property? 

CurlySue2017

Sapindus said:

CurlySue2017 said:

FlorayG said:

I assume you are the landlord
Does your TA say that they need to maintain the garden? If so then they need to do that at their own cost.
If it doesn't say that then they are only required when they leave to put it back to the condition it was in when they got it
Sadly tenants don't do much gardening - it's a long term thing and they usually aren't there long term

Bit of a sweeping assumption there!

OP have you provided the necessary equipment for the tenants to do the garden themselves?

Why would you have to provide equipment that they could then hurt themselves on and sue you?  Is the landlord obliged to provide vacuum cleaner and cleaning materials to keep the inside of the house in good condition? 

Where did I say that anyone "has to" provide equipment?  It was simply a question (hence the ? at the end).

As someone has said above, LL could easily just say not my problem, but there can be a compromise to keep all parties happy. 

In a previous rental, my LL OFFERED to provide a lawnmower so that we could keep the lawn neat and tidy.

There are other options is all I was saying