Landscaping Tips for Landlords with Rental Properties
Rental homes have very specific landscaping needs. The best landscaping for a rental home is easy to maintain, requires (at most) upkeep only twice per month, and it will continue to look good even if the tenant is not diligent about lawn care. If you’re a landlord with a rental property and you would like to improve your rental home’s landscaping, these tips can help.
Keep Grass to a Minimum
A large, grassy lawn can easily start to look shabby if it’s not mowed regularly, and large lawns are more difficult to mow than smaller lawns. If you want to encourage tenants to keep the lawn trim, keep grass to a minimum.
Leave grass in the front yard to improve curb appeal. In the backyard, install a large concrete patio to cover portions of the yard. This will eliminate some of the grass while giving the tenant usable space for spending time outdoors. If a concrete patio does not appeal to you, install stone pavers to provide outdoor dining space and reduce the amount of upkeep the backyard requires.
Plant Ground Cover in Hard-to-Grow Areas
Most grass species will only grow under certain conditions, and they will not grow in heavy shade. If parts of the lawn are shady and dark or if grass will not grow in sections of the lawn for other reasons, plant ground cover. Ground cover is usually made up of plants that grow easily without any nurturing or encouragement from homeowners.
Typical examples of ground cover include ivy, certain types of phlox and hostas. All of these plants are known for their relatively low maintenance and their ability to grow and spread as needed. Landlords who want to grow ground cover on their lawn must check the light requirements before selecting a plant to ensure the ground cover they have chosen will grow in the lighting conditions on their lawn.
Install Low-Maintenance Perennials in Garden Beds
Perennials are essential for landlords who want to keep their garden beds occupied. When looking for perennials, seek out plants that are known for needing little pruning, fertilizing, and watering. Native plants are best because they’re already accustomed to growing in the natural conditions without help from anyone.
You can get native plants from local nurseries and plant shows. When seeking out perennials, avoid anything that needs to be deadheaded frequently and anything that requires a lot of pruning.
Plant Slow-Growing Shrubs
Landscaping needs shrubs to add visual interest and fill empty space. Rental properties benefit from shrubs just as much as any other kind of property, but the best shrubs to plant on a rental property are those that grow slowly and are naturally small and contained.
Dwarf English Boxwood is all of these things and thus makes an excellent filler plant to install in garden beds where there happens to be empty space.
Plant a Tree
Treeless yards have a way of looking vacant and a little sad. Planting a tree on the front lawn helps fill space and makes the home look welcoming to potential renters. If your lawn is treeless, look for a tree that is known for needing little upkeep. Evergreens are good for rental properties because they require no raking during the fall.
Work With Your Property Management Company
Work with your property management company to ensure that your rental property is well-maintained, especially when it is vacant. Once the home is occupied, if your tenants do not keep up with the lawn, you may need to increase the rent and work with your property management company to perform regular lawn maintenance on the property.
For more information about how you can maintain your rental home’s landscaping, contact MacPherson’s Property Management, Inc. We’ll be more than happy to answer your questions and give you suggestions for keeping your rental home in good condition.
