Homes and Gardens – When you become a landlord, your main concern is the bricks and mortar you are letting out. That’s unsurprising – that’s the main concern of tenants too. Outside space can often be a neglected afterthought, but it shouldn’t necessarily be that way. Outside space can add more value to your property than you might think, but it can also reduce its value and cause problems for tenants and neighbours if neglected.
Gardens as assets
A garden should be seen as an asset to a property, not an annoyance. There is an obvious temptation for many landlords to simply follow the path of least resistance and either pave over gardens for minimum maintenance, or leave them largely to their own devices. This fails to make the most of the potential of the property, but it can also mean that tenants are inclined to treat the garden in the same way. While their rental contract might specify that they should maintain the garden, it’s easy for tenants who lack interest or green fingers to allow a garden to become hopelessly overgrown in a short space of time, costing time and money to fix when the tenancy is up.
Getting rental property gardens (and roof terraces, and balconies) right is much easier if they are treated as an extra room. As a landlord, you provide the basic backdrop, while the tenant does the day-to-day maintenance. You can’t make your tenants want to spend time gardening, but you can let them know that they are free to plant flowers and put their own stamp on the garden if they like. They’ll have an investment in the garden and so be keener to keep it in good condition, and you’ll get added value. Try and avoid putting anything in rental gardens that needs lots of ongoing maintenance. Decking and large shrubs that need regular pruning, for example, are probably best avoided.
When things go wrong
Outside space can often be a at the root of neighbourly disputes, with complaints about noise, obstructions and rubbish not uncommon. The garden is the place where neighbours come up directly against each other in a way they can’t through even the thinnest of walls. Keep clear and well-maintained boundary fences to avoid any doubt about whose land is whose, and to improve privacy, as well as keeping up with the maintenance and making sure your tenants do their share too. Make sure, too, that you are covered for unexpected problems and expenses such as damage from tree roots as part of your landlords insurance.
Gardens can be a joy to have and to look at, but they can easily be a property’s worst feature. Make the most of yours and maximise your rent.