Tenant wants me to sod yard?

[Ashley V.]

I am about 6 months into a lease with a new set of tenants in my rental house. In the front yard there are several large oak trees and due to the shade the grass is very sparse. It has always been this way and the tenants viewed the house twice before committing to the lease. Per the lease the tenant is responsible for all yard maintenance. 

6 months into the lease they are starting to complain about the lack of grass in that area and have asked me to have it sodded. I have asked a lawn care company about sodding it just to get ideas and it will be very costly and they also cannot guarantee that the sod will last due to 1) large trees causing shade and sucking all of the moisture out of the ground and 2) poor soil in that area. They said it would be a lot of maintenance to keep it going.

Due to this I really don't want to invest $$ into the sod to only have it die later if the tenant does not maintain it property. It would be up to the tenant to properly water it and I just don't see her as being the type to maintain it. For instance, we just came out of a 4 month drought and she let several areas of groundcover die from not watering it and is also the type to complain about her water bill being high.

Should I just say no?  Or let her do it at her expense (which I doubt she will)?

[Jeff B.]

Seek alternative landscaping.  With the Calif drought, a lack of grass is seen as being socially responsible.

btw: imo, it's a mistake to make the tenant responsible for landscaping, as you can spot a rental from the corner of the block - - it always looks terrible.  The yard is part of your curb appeal as you noted two viewings before signing.  Eliminate the issue by some landscaping and hiring your own yard maintenance company.

[Jonathan Smith]

Sod won't grow because of the shade and roots of the trees as the landscape company suggested. You could plant hosta plants that do well in the shade or mulch the whole area. I would not do anything personally if it is the same when they viewed the house. You will just keep spending money for this then in 6 months they will not renew the lease. Just tell them what the landscape company said about grass not being able to grow. From their comments it seems that they do not know a lot about landscaping.

[Colton S.]

@Jonathan Smith I agree with Jonathan. If this was an issue, they should have presented it during the first two visits and moved on from there.

[Gail K.]

Feel free to tell them "no".

Or, if you wish, explain that you have had the yard evaluated by a lawn care company and they have told you that sodding is not an option because of the large trees in the area and the quality of the soil.  Adding sod would require significant amounts of watering which would increase their water bill quite a bit (I'm assuming your tenants are paying the water bill; if they aren't, leave that last part off).

Gail

[Thomas S.]

Just say no. That should be a standard response to all tenant "special" requests.

The property is rented "as is". If they want something extra and are prepared to pay you may consider fulfilling their requests but not on your dime and nothing that can not be reversed again at their expense when they leave.

What a landlord does to maintain or upgrade their property is governed only by what the landlord chooses not what a tenant wants. (unless the tenant is willing to pay).

[Lynn McGeein]

No matter what you do, sod, seed, cover with those moisture particles that supposedly help, what it comes down to is tenants do not water lawns.  So any expense you put into trying to establish grass is futile.  Mulch is your friend.  We have learned to just create a nice mulched bed, and I have offered a $100 rent credit per year for tenant if they give me receipts for the cost of perennials only, no labor, no other materials, just the cost of the plants.  They tend to take care of it if they've planted it themselves, and they like that they get to choose them (although I stress non-invasive only, no ivy, no bamboo, etc.).  Some work, some don't, but it's helped over the years.   

[Jackson Carr]

I would look into alternatives such as fake grass. I personally have never done it, but saw it at a friend's house and was amazed. Very close to the real thing. The technology has come along way.

Might give you the curb appeal you are looking for with reductions in water and landscape maintenance costs. Otherwise I would go with the alternative low water landscape.

Jack

[Jonathan G.]

Welcome to BP,
Respectfully decline their request as it's not required or expected. Your tenants likely already know that but they figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.

[Jim Adrian]

Buy them a bag of seed and tell them to sow it and water lile crazy.

[Jerry W.]

You might suggest to them that planting grass seed only costs a few dollars and they will have grass in 30 days if they do it right.  They will still be responsible for keeping the new grass watered, mowed, fertilized and looking nice.  I once bought a bag of grass seed for a tenant who complained.  It was still there when he moved out 8 months later.

[Matthew Paul]

Lime the area very heavy , topdress with a thin layer of peat moss , water heavy 2 times a week . Get the seed down EARLY spring , a month before the leaves come out , repeat in late summer going into fall .

[Alan Grobmeier]

I not only say no, but hell no!  Lol.  They rented the property as it sits.  If things have not significantly changed, then tell them to do it themselves and save.  My tenants are responsible for the upkeep of the grounds.  ;-). AG