Are Tenants Responsible for Lawn or Garden Maintenance? Florida Property Management

Florida PMServices • September 11, 2020
Are Tenants Responsible for Lawn or Garden Maintenance? Florida Property Management - Article Banner
When you rent out a property, you understand that you’ll be responsible for maintaining the home and ensuring it’s safe and habitable for your tenants. The residents understand that they’re responsible for keeping the place clean, free of damage, and in good shape.

What about the lawn and landscaping?

Many owners ask us how to handle lawn care when it comes to their rental property, and it really depends on a number of factors. Do you have a sprawling 2-acre property with your single-family rental, or just a small courtyard attached to your condo? Is there an HOA that will fine you for overgrown grass or excessive weeds?

These are some of the things you need to consider as you’re deciding who should be responsible for the lawn and garden maintenance in your Florida rental home.

There are several ways to approach it.

Ask the Tenants to Take Care of the Lawn

Your first option is to make all the lawn care and landscaping your tenant’s responsibility. In this case, they will be required to mow and water the lawn, trim back any bushes and trees, and keep the exterior of the home in acceptable and attractive condition.

This will probably work best if you have a small and uncomplicated outdoor space with your rental property. In this case, we recommend that you include the fact that tenants are responsible for lawn care in your advertising and marketing. You want tenants to understand the responsibility before they see the property or apply for the home.

The tenants will always have the option to hire their own lawn professionals to mow and care for the grounds.

Hire a Lawn Service to Maintain the Yard

Another option is to keep the responsibility for landscaping and lawn care to yourself. A lot of owners care very deeply about lawns and grass, and they have high standards for how their homes look. If that sounds like you, hire your own team to go to the property weekly or monthly, depending on your property’s unique needs, to mow and take care of the garden and lawn.

This will ensure that your standards are met. Tenants who don’t want any lawn responsibilities will be attracted to this set-up as well. You can always build the monthly landscaping charges into the rental amount to keep your own costs down.

Include Lawn and Garden Responsibilities in the Lease Agreement

lease agreement

Whichever direction you decide to go, make sure you include the lawn and garden maintenance in your lease agreement. Be specific about how it will be handled and who is responsible for overseeing its care. You’ll want to be absolutely sure your tenants understand how you want this handled. You don’t want your tenants to assume it’s not their responsibility, and you also don’t want your tenants to be out there with a lawn mower if you’re already paying for a professional service. 


We can help you work through these details and any other questions you might have about leasing, managing, and maintaining your rental property. Contact our team at Florida Property Management Services. 

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