Who takes care of landscape and lawn in rental SFH?

[Parag D.]

I have a rental SFH and my current renter isn't taking good care of the lawn and landscaping. There are weeds all over and lawn isn't watered properly. I am trying to figure out the best way to get this sorted - do I keep following up and ask the renter to take better care of lawn or hire a lawn maintenance company and charge the renter the fee to take care of the lawn or do landlords pay the cost of lawn maintenance?

Thanks in advance!

[Jody Sperling]

This is a great question, and one that may differ for different states, but in Nebraska, the lease agreement dictates who is responsible for lawn maintenance. In my rental, the tenant is responsible to mow, water, and trim the lawn as needed to keep the grass in good health.

In the same way that a renter would be responsible for the cost if they broke a window or clogged a toilet by flushing feminine hygiene products, the tenant is responsible for any cost of repair to a neglected lawn.

If I have to pay for weed control, contract lawn mowers, or reseed the lawn because the tenant neglected to care for the lawn, that cost is passed on to the tenant, including a fee for my time.

If your lease (and state law) allows it, holding to strict observance of your expectations for lawn care tends to motivate the tenant quickly. Best of luck!