Rental Property Question: The grass is completely gone!

[Alisa Gonzalez]

I am a new landlord and have tenants that pay rent on time. They always call me right away when things need to be fixed. Over I believe the are good tenants. They take care of inside of the house that I can tell. The property is in CA.

My issue is that there was grass in the front and back yard and now it is completely gone. All there is left is dirt. I'm not sure what I can do about this?

Also, what is more upsetting is that the tenant said he would take care of the yard better than I did, smh!

What does this damage do to my property value?

Can I keep the rental deposit for this type of damage when they leave? ( Which wouldn't be enough to replace the grass)

It is upsetting to say the least and I'm realizing how hard it is to deal with these kinds of issues and not take it personal. We lived in this home for 5 years and rented to neighbors that was renting across the street from us.

Thank you all in advance for the responses!

[Wesley W.]

@Alisa Gonzalez what does your lease say about lawn care/maintenance?  If it is silent on this issue, use this as a learning opportunity and add it to subsequent iterations.

I suppose you could try and collect damages from the tenant, but I feel like that would be very difficult to prove.  If they neglected the lawn, and your lease is silent on this aspect, I think it's on you.  If they deliberately damaged the lawn, and you have no proof, that might be a tough row to hoe, as well (no pun intended).

As a new landlord, you are only allowed to make each mistake ONCE.  You pay your tuition (in this case, landscaping) and move on, slightly wiser than before.  Good luck!