If the property manager wants you to maintain the garden...

[danniellabella]

Then should they provide a hose and cover excess water costs?

Our property manager did an inspection yesterday and left a rather rude comment about the "lawn" needing to be watered urgently.

1. When we moved in, the "lawn" consisted of nicely mowed weeds.
2. There is no garden hose, shouldn't they cover the cost of buying a hose so we can maintain the garden?

[Visitor7]

Does it have it in the lease that gardens/lawns have to be maintained by the tenant? If not, then no. A property manager would be silly NOT to put it in the lease though. As for the hose, no, that would be tenants responsibility.

[danniellabella]

It is in the lease. It just seems a little strange that there would be no hose provided. In all of the houses we've rented before, a hose was either provided or we were asked to buy one and send the receipt to the property manager to reimburse us.

[Visitor7]

It could be a grey area. I've never heard, or seen of a situation where a tenant would be supplied or reimbursed a hose to keep lawns maintained. However, tenants have probably never thought of trying it It's a little like tv antennas. It's not the owners responsibility to supply one, but many do just to keep the tenant happy.
What does it say in the lease? Does it say to 'maintain lawns' or to 'keep lawns/gardens watered at all times'? If it doesn't say to actually water, then that would be your defense. Not sure of your water restrictions also, but you could also use that as well.

[danniellabella]

No, it says to keep lawns and gardens maintained at all times.
They even sent a letter saying that it all has to be rectified and returned to the state it was in when we moved in by 19 January when they will do a follow up inspection to make sure we've done it...they even included photos of what it looked like a week before we moved in!
Tell you what, I'm glad I have 2 weeks off at Christmas time.

[Visitor7]

If they want you to water and keep the lawns green, then let them know they will need to stipulate that in the lease when the renewal comes up. The wording of the lease is very important. Remind them that saying 'to keep lawns and gardens maintained at all times' does not necessarily mean to keep lawns green at all times. And insist that if this is what they want, they can provide the hose at the same time.

[Rainbow_Mumma]

we had big issues at our old house with our landlords and her "lawns" if its in the lease then you do have to maintain it but it is tentant costs stupidly and you wouldnt be able to water with a hose anyway due to water restrictions (depending where you are) we had to buy a grey water tank and install it ourselves

[ladybird11]

Thats my beef too - if they want the garden watered no worries, just don't make me pay the excess water for 'their' garden!

Luckily we don't have grass out the front - and weeds out the back are better looking than they were when we moved in

[danniellabella]

Well, we're gonna hire someone to prune all the plants. I was excited when we moved in to have a nice garden...but then quickly remembered that neither DH nor I know how to, or enjoy gardening!

I sware, when we get our own house, it's gonna have lots of paving, a bit of grass, and lots of hardy succulants or other drought hardy plants that look after themselves. (A set and forget type of garden)

[~clover~]

We've never ever been provided with a hose, but never been told to water either. But we always try to look after our lawns coz we like it & we like being able to let the kids run bare foot outside. We've always put in a bit extra money & time to have nice lawns & we try with gardens too, but the dogs aren't heping there right now!!

[somewoman]

Thats my beef too - if they want the garden watered no worries, just don't make me pay the excess water for 'their' garden!

I think it goes both ways...

we bought a house for the sole purpose of demolishing it and building a new home. We rented it out for a couple of years while we prepped ourselves for the build (moving from interstate, dealing with architects, a few changes of plan after being told that the house would cost more than double the initial figures, etc). The tenants wanted our house because of the big block, and because they were keen gardeners.

Fine, it was MY garden, but MY plans were to remove the whole things and start with a blank canvas (so to say). My tenants wanted the masterpiece in the interim. They claned up the place from the what the prior owners had left behind, planted lots of new stuff, and kept up the garden during the heatwaves last year then moved out about a month later. Should I be expected to pay for that, knowing that the whole thing was about to be bulldozered? It was their hobby - I didn't care if they let it die.

Just saying - sometimes it's not the owners who expect the garden to be a certain way. If the owner REALLY wants the gardens cared for then they should be employing a gardener - it's called property maintenance, and tenants shouldn't have to pay the landlord to maintain a property - financial or labour. It gives them good marketability on the house for the next time it needs to be rented or sold. If the owner couldn't care less, but the tenants want a pretty garden as a hobby or to show off to the neighbours then it should not be a burden on the owners to keep up with the aspirations of the extraordinarily keen gardener!!

having said that, I *do* think that tenants should at least take the time and effort to not let the place go to hell and look like something you would see on "Today Tonight" If the lease stated that the gardens should be cared for and the tenants didn't have the appropriate tools, I'd be more than happy to supply...