Looking behind our 4 ft fence at their wall, there is a plastic pipe coming out of their wall and pointed in our direction.

Yes them being responsible for ANYTHING can be scary.I do not like the lease where they are responsible for first 50 dollars etc.As stated they never fix anything or report it and it gets worse.I also do not like them to change light bulbs.I have seen them mess up cord chains on ceiling fans,drop the globes and break the lights,take lights out of 4 unit in bathroom and put in another place and only have one bulb left in bathroom so they don't have to buy more,try to use wrong size bulb that reams out the fixture or causes an ark,mess up the outside lighting and rim out the casing that holds the unit to the wall etc.I have about seen it all.We get the extended life lights so we have less maintenance calls and the tenants like it because it cuts down on their power bills.You can find them on sale as nobody buys them because of price.We find them on sale at Home Depot for half off and stock up.Same thing with washer and dryer.They install improperly and water comes down into the ceiling when running.Also they don't call if toilet is running from tank to bowl as they are afraid only 25 dollars to replace so they would have to pay.Instead I tell them we will take care of it and to call us.We build a rep as a landlord not out to rip them off and we take care of them.We also screen tenants heavily to keep out the bad element.If I made them fix it they would rig it plus since I pay water with one line going to the building by them not reporting my water might be 50 dollars more for that unit that month.I have seen tenants take off smoke detector and use it for ash tray,take a piece of plastic from a bag and connect it for the pull chain when the rubber one broke on the toilet etc.So my experience with many tenants is you DO NOT leave it up to them.It costs more money and I end up fixing it anyways.I think the big distinction here is some investors on here might own a house they are renting out which will be different on many levels from an apartment complex.Someone that owned a home and is now renting might take better care of it versus someone that lived with another person and now wants to rent an apartment.With my 20 unit I have a repair guy on site.Now I don't let tenants give me a list of demands.If the fridge is old but working,stove,stove hood,or a part goes out we replace the old part to fix.We DO NOT meet cosmetic demands from the tenant.They have to pay and do that themselves if they want a plusher carpet,designer paint etc.

This can consist of flatwork (sidewaks and driveways, etc.) or plastic sheeting.

Certainly that can be used over and over but what really drives the extra cost is all the labor that has to go into the prep before the job (sealing off windows, doors, and vents), the additional materials required, and the labor to carefully remove all the plastic and vacuum when done, which can take quite awhile to do.

Also, plastic items (such as mini blinds) should be removed so the heat does not cause deformation.

I'm planning to stake down plastic sheeting to prevent grass and weeds from growing up into/throughout the rock.

Nice to own a piece of something not tied to the market :)Anyways, it's not like my parents made any bad choices- they pay off their plastic each month, house is paid for, etc.

i used to do some lawn cutting/landscaping a few years ago.i had a 44" exmark and loved it. had the Kaw engine. costs a LOT (7k), but i loved it. but mine did not stripe well.i'd NEVER, EVER, EVER get any mower from a big box store. they all have plastic rollers and plastic spindles. go to a commercial lawncare store and get to know them. you can buy a bunton, toro, exmark, but dont get a cub cadet, john deer or any of the other crap that call themselves "commercial".

I'm very familiar, have helped design and build carbon fiber plastics on some this worlds best aircraft like the B-2, F-35, Boeing Dreamliner (structure, not battery lol)....It is amazing what happens in the tech world by accident.

If it's latex paint, Goof Off and a plastic putty knife work ok.