Tenants in our rental property have asked us to replace lawn with pavers because they let it die?

Badinsk on 02/02/2017 - 16:57

Hi everyone

I'm hoping you can give me some advice on our rental property. Our property managers have sent me this email this afternoon and I don't know how to respond? (We also did not know they were given a breach in the first place).

"We have had the tenant contact us in regards to the breach we recently served on them.

They have not maintained the lawn and have allowed it to die. There are all sorts of excuses and they have asked if it would be possible for you to have the area paved.

I really don't know what your thoughts on this would be, I understand you have spent money already having the lawn installed, however, it appears that given the small area and lack of reticulation it is proving difficult for tenants to keep it in good condition.

Personally I don't have any problems keeping my lawn green and healthy, but there are always people with excuses in regards to the lawn maintenance.

If you plan on having this property as a rental/investment for a while it may be a good time to have the area paved or put pea gravel down.

Please let me know your thoughts."

Advice would be appreciated!

Thank you!

Home & Garden

Comments

  • stratbargain on 02/02/2017 - 17:13
    +143

    Step 1. Say no.
    Step 2. Ensure to recoup costs for new grass when they end their tenancy via the bond
    Step 3. Use money recouped to replace grass or pave after they have moved out.

    Seriously, how do you kill grass?

    • Badinsk on 02/02/2017 - 17:24
      +8

      Exactly!

    • rambutann on 02/02/2017 - 17:38
      +93

      this! I had a small patch of grass in a property I rented, I had to go out of my way to get a small mower (I actually tried mowing with a pedestal fan but it didnt work….).

      They knew when they moved in that there was grass to be maintained, if they didn't like it they should have moved into an apartment.

      • [Deactivated] on 02/02/2017 - 18:16
        +96

        +1 for repurposing the fan to save money.

      • havebeerbelywillsumo on 03/02/2017 - 01:46
        +19

        ROFL the fan.

      • zambuck on 03/02/2017 - 09:35
        +13

        Needed the pedestal version huh? Grass must have been quite high. ;)

      • idonotknowwhy on 03/02/2017 - 12:20

        LOL!
        Did the fan work?

        • rambutann on 03/02/2017 - 18:30
          +13

          Nah it just died when it got caught in the grass. Had to source a fairly long extension lead for it haha

        • Kangal on 03/02/2017 - 20:22
          -3

          @rambutann:
          Did you try bikies?

        • [Deactivated] on 03/02/2017 - 21:21
          +1

          @Kangal:

          Bikies must have fallen on hard time… Have to resort to gardening now.

        • ruddiger7 on 04/02/2017 - 00:44
          +8

          @Kangal: i did. They gave the grass steroids and ice. It grew to big and aggressive for me to deal with.

        • AMLagonda on 04/02/2017 - 18:49

          @Kangal:

          Bikies only deal with weeds…

        • Kangal on 05/02/2017 - 12:12

          @ruddiger7:
          Damn, getting downvoted for a joke.
          I thought it was hilarious to picture bikies trying to mow the lawn with their choppers.

      • woteva on 03/02/2017 - 12:33
        +10

        Glue razor blades to the fan blades.

        • A Banana4scale on 03/02/2017 - 14:26
          +2

          that's so reckless. Please don't try this at home kids.

        • Munki on 03/02/2017 - 16:27
          +7

          Just secure it with tape.

        • [Deactivated] on 04/02/2017 - 09:39

          Use a hair trimmer instead 😁.

      • [Deactivated] on 03/02/2017 - 16:26
        +7

        Pedestal fan as makeshift lawn mower. You win at OzBargain!

      • [Deactivated] on 05/02/2017 - 20:15
        +2

        500 bucks dyson fan would done some damage

        • jackary on 06/02/2017 - 00:10

          I like your grasp on the English language. Here, have an upvote.

      • [Deactivated] on 06/02/2017 - 05:30

        Try with dyson next time

        • Abaddon on 06/02/2017 - 13:46

          Bladeless fan isn't much good for that.

        • [Deactivated] on 07/02/2017 - 13:42

          @Abaddon:I meant the vacuum

    • StewBalls on 03/02/2017 - 07:42
      +31

      Step 4. Change managing agents…regular inspections would have indicated poor garden/lawn maintenance & warnings should have been issued without your involvement…this is not a discussion you should ever have needed to have with tenants.

      • froodh on 03/02/2017 - 07:57
        +6

        Step 5. Profit

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 04/02/2017 - 10:40

        I assume OP is in Perth. How is OP's managing agents going to get access to inspect more than twice a year?

        • Talonparty on 04/02/2017 - 13:41
          +1

          In Perth the law allows inspections every 12 weeks and most places follow that exactly.

    • nikey2k27 on 03/02/2017 - 08:16
      +9

      i went i was 18 live in share house not on lease lawn went brown so some housemate burn it off. luck i used water house did not burn down. lawn was high as windows. i still remember the real estate agent face.

    • knitwear on 03/02/2017 - 10:09

      The only way for them to kill the grass, is to put something on top of it. Initially I thought they must've parked on the lawn, but seeing the letter mentioned small area, they might've just put their stuffs (possibly garbage) on it.

    • Minotaur on 04/02/2017 - 18:25

      Maybe they have cars parked on it constantly

    • SkMed on 06/02/2017 - 10:53

      We killed out grass at our rental property. We left bags of lawn clippings on top of it as we weren't provided with a green bin (we also have a massive garden) we still don't have the bin as the landlord refuses to buy one so we dump it all in a pile in the corner of the garden now… its a huge pile.

      I ended up buying grass seeds and regrowing the grass, but over summer it pretty much dies out unless you water it most days. It's definitely possible to kill grass just by neglect alone.

      Also I hope you provided them with a green bin unlike our landlord.

  • EightImmortals on 02/02/2017 - 17:13
    +13

    Yeah, nah.

    We've had a couple of properties over the years and even the most useless tenants never killed off a lawn. Had to buy a lawnmower for one mob, but whatever. If it were me I'd be replacing the lawn and claiming it on tax then upping the rent by the amount it costs you per week to get a lawn maintenance crowd around to keep it in good condition. If I was a tenant I would walk straight past a yard with gravel and no lawn. GL.

    • nikey2k27 on 03/02/2017 - 08:12

      Went i was Tenant i go place with out lawn.

    • syousef on 03/02/2017 - 14:01

      Replace the lawn and risk it being killed again?

      • Badinsk on 03/02/2017 - 14:06
        +1

        Maybe they would actually look after it, if it was their money being spent on the grass.

    • suti on 03/02/2017 - 18:47
      +1

      Another thread another person saying they can claim capital improvements as tax deductions…. it wouldn't surprise me if some build a second story extension and claim it all in one hit as a tax deduction.

      • Piranha2004 on 04/02/2017 - 08:30
        +1

        It would be classified as a repair in this case.

    • Untameable on 04/02/2017 - 19:14

      I agree. IMHO given how common the situation is, owners should just include maintenance in the cost of the property. Never had a problem that way.

      All other maintenance is factored in. Why do they think sensitive plants which require regular, long-term, sustained hard work would be any different?

  • loulou1 on 02/02/2017 - 17:18
    +3

    yeah, no! If you didn't mind having it paved, let them know it can be paved at their cost by a professional (whatever you do, don't let them do it) if they so wish. Why should you wear the cost for their inability to maintain the property to the standard it was when the lease began?

    • EightImmortals on 02/02/2017 - 17:23
      +12

      And why devalue the property by replacing nice grass with crappy concrete?

      • macrocephalic on 03/02/2017 - 10:32

        It depends on the space really. If it's too small, to be used as a lawn then it might be better as a paved area (doesn't have to be concrete, could be stone or pavers). I would still make them pay for it though.

      • secondstory on 03/02/2017 - 11:16

        I've always like concrete/rocks over grass - I was baffled when my friend's property had pebbles down (mixed amidst lawn grass strip) and the tenants asked if they could (as in the tenants do it themselves) move the pebbles to one of the dirt sections of the garden and get the grass growing.

  • oscargamer on 02/02/2017 - 17:27
    +39

    my reply would be "no, the grass was good when you moved in, you are required to maintain it. if you don't maintain it, that's your choice, but when you leave, the cost of re-turfing will be taken from your bond"

    • ItsMeAgro on 03/02/2017 - 13:14
      +1

      …PS: re-turfing may not be cheap.

  • Badinsk on 02/02/2017 - 17:29
    +1

    How should I reply to the email tactfully do you think?

    • stratbargain on 02/02/2017 - 17:32
      +28

      "no, the grass was good when you moved in, you are required to maintain it. if you don't maintain it, that's your choice, but when you leave, the cost of re-turfing will be taken from your bond"

      Seriously though that's the job of the property manager. Let them deal with it.

    • PVA on 02/02/2017 - 18:34
      +19

      the property manager you pay will be writing the letter.
      you are advising your property managers that no, you dont want paving and they need to restore it etc.

    • resisting the urge on 04/02/2017 - 17:17
      -7

      Sounds to me like u got l4wned… so best not to reply. It's probably just spam.

      All your grass belong to us!

      Bwaaahaaahahahaaaaaa!

  • robbyjones on 02/02/2017 - 17:32
    +24

    The bigger long term problem is your agent. Why did they not let you know there was an issue with the tenants and gain your input prior to giving them a breach (possible retaliation on your property)? The agent suggesting it may be wise to replace the lawn…wtf?

    I have a rental property and if this happened to me I would want to know when the last check was done on the property as if they have let the lawn die what else are not doing, is the property being looked after?

    If your tenants are long term and everything else is fine and you honestly don't care if the lawn is replaced with pavers then perhaps suggest it is ok with you however as they let the lawn die they need to replace either the lawn or put down pavers but at their cost not yours.

    • Badinsk on 02/02/2017 - 17:43

      Thank you for the advice!

      We have had nothing but problems with our property manager, but we signed a 2 year agreement with them (they had great reviews even though they are expensive). I don't know if there is any way to get out of the contract because they are hopeless. The property is in Perth, and we live in Canberra so I can't just go over there and speak with them.

      I will ask the property manager those very questions!

      Thank you!

      • oscargamer on 02/02/2017 - 19:03
        +8

        you can get out of that agreement with about 30 seconds of effort and no cost

        • Badinsk on 03/02/2017 - 11:23

          Oh yeh? How?

        • sav11 on 06/02/2017 - 19:06

          @becevans1992: Just find your new preferred property manager. They will organise the changeover for you. The rental agreement is between you and the tenant, you can change who manages the agreement on your behalf at any time.

      • zolinger on 02/02/2017 - 19:05
        +7

        As far as I know, the 2 year agreement was for the rental property, not for the property manager. You are not specifically required to stick with the property managers if you're not satisfied unless a second contract was signed.

      • Diji1 on 02/02/2017 - 21:58
        +4

        they had great reviews

        Let me guess: the reviews were on the internet?

      • Glider on 02/02/2017 - 22:28
        +24

        It's worth pointing out that Perth summer and lawns are not friends at all. Over summer it is very hard to keep a lawn alive, let alone nice, particularly when you said it's not reticulated. The only nice lawn on our street is tended daily (or more) by an obsessed retired guy, and even his lawn gets dead patches after a week of 40+ days.

        I can't understate to you what an uphill PITA a lawn is in Perth during summer, so don't be too harsh on your tenants. If you absolutely positively must have a lawn in your rental property you could ask the tenants to contribute to replacement of the dead grass but you should pay to install automated subsoil irrigation. And do it in autumn, not now.

        Otherwise, it's not a bad idea to consider paving, but perhaps combined with a waterwise native garden so the backyard doesn't turn into a giant clay oven.

        • Badinsk on 03/02/2017 - 10:32
          +2

          We lived in perth before we moved and never had any problems maintaining our lawn though… it requires effort, like most things around the house.

        • Hikey on 03/02/2017 - 11:14
          +2

          I just thought the same, you would not be able to maintain a lawn without reticulation in Perth.

        • stemcell on 03/02/2017 - 12:25
          +3

          The last thing I'm wasting water on in summer is the lawn.

        • Badinsk on 03/02/2017 - 12:38

          @stemcell:

          We pay for the water, not the tenants in WA.

        • Brouw3r on 03/02/2017 - 14:05
          +3

          @becevans1992: You pay the rates, not the water unless you put 100% in your rental agreement.

        • driveahardbargain on 04/02/2017 - 00:40
          +1

          WA Has just had the wettest January in 17 years. Lawns shouldn't be dieing

        • Talonparty on 04/02/2017 - 13:45

          @becevans1992: You know you don't have to right. The water corporation allows billing directly to the tenant outside of the water rates precisely because most rental tenants pay 100% of the water usage costs.

      • Chewie on 06/02/2017 - 01:47

        Dare I ask who the property manager was? I've had trouble with mine in Perth as well, and escalated it to their director who ended up physically fixing things himself. I was ropeable before that!

  • subywagon on 02/02/2017 - 17:46
    +1

    They might be parking a car on it?

    • Badinsk on 02/02/2017 - 17:46
      +1

      It's in the backyard which can't be accessed by a car- but good thinking!

  • airzone on 02/02/2017 - 18:06
    +21

    Actually I have a grass infestation in one of my veggie gardens that I cannot get rid of. Can I borrow your tenant for a day?

    • Badinsk on 02/02/2017 - 18:10
      +1

      Haha! You may not have a veggie garden at all if they were there!

    • aerom on 03/02/2017 - 17:54

      Can I borrow them after you :)

  • tj101 on 02/02/2017 - 18:11
    +4

    In my area (hot, dry) lawn dies if it is not watered regularly. So here it is easy for a lawn to die in some climates in Australia.

    • Badinsk on 02/02/2017 - 18:16
      +5

      Yes, but we left a watering system at the property to assist with this, and they still let it die.

      • toristo on 02/02/2017 - 18:37
        +12

        I'd highlight that to the Property Manager. The tools required were there - which you didn't actually need to provide, but you did all the same. There is no excuse.

        The only slack I would cut them is if it was a single person who ended up in hospital for an extended period and it went brown and needed some extra TLC to bring it back. Anything outside of that is just laziness.

        • Badinsk on 02/02/2017 - 18:56
          +3

          It's a young, very able bodied young family so I don't feel any tickles in my sympathy bones haha!

        • kolorijo on 03/02/2017 - 08:17
          +2

          @serpserpserp: well they must pay the consequences then for avoiding their responsibilites

        • pandabun on 03/02/2017 - 08:39
          +2

          @serpserpserp:

          Not so much about time poor.
          They just don't care. If that was their own lawn, they would care.
          Heck, they would even hire gardener to come weekly/fortnightly to look after it.

        • macrocephalic on 03/02/2017 - 10:36

          @pandabun: Exactly. When I rented I didn't care about the lawn. Mowing was a chore, and was usually done just before the rental inspection. When I bought a house I was excited that I wouldn't have to worry about inspections. After a couple of years I started caring, and now, after a bit of work, I have a decent lawn (instead of the mowed weeds that it was when we moved in).

        • Talonparty on 04/02/2017 - 13:52
          +1

          @pandabun: Honestly, why should it bother me much? I have lived in loads of rentals and I'm never allowed to make the place my home or build a connection to the area. I can't hang photos, every 6 or 12 months I face the possibility of being kicked out if the owner wants to sell, and I've been driven out of quite a few places because the price rises every renewal.

          I've let the lawn fall into disrepair many times, I usually mow before an inspection and let the automatic reticulation do its work. That's the extent of how much I will ever care about a place that's not truly my home and I'll probably be leaving before long.

          Let me build a connection to the place, hang some family photos, give me a long term lease and treat me with respect and then I'll treat your house like my home because it will be. Otherwise it's just somewhere I live.

          Unfortunately our system heavily favours the landlord and we're becoming a nation of renters so this is only going to get worse unless tenants are given rights like european countries.

        • decr on 04/02/2017 - 18:49

          @Talonparty: That's a two way street. I've rented overseas for years and I can't remember having a single inspection until moving out. Then again apartments are built with concrete not plaster board, tenants respect the property and don't trash the place. It's their home after all.

          Hanging photos (drilling into concrete walls) was acceptable in moderation as long as you patch it up when you leave (and do a decent job at it)

  • MCPokey on 02/02/2017 - 18:17

    How long is left on the lease?
    Will the bond cover the cost of replacing the grass?
    If they suck this bad at keeping grass alive, how bad will the rest of the place be and will the bond cover both?
    If it were me, I would be evicting, waiting until they leave to see the state of the place (via Property Manager).
    If place needs repairing (more than likely), then take the tenants to court for the cost of the lawn.

    • Badinsk on 02/02/2017 - 18:25
      +4

      Lease is up in September. Bond is roughly $1300 (i have no idea on how much it costs to remove and replace grass).

      I dont think you can evict on the basis of dead grass without giving the tenants reasonable time to fix the issue. Cost of going to court over less than $2000 is probably more than the cost to replace the grass.

      • WT on 03/02/2017 - 09:39
        +3

        Perth is a game changer. I would just deduct it when they move and install fake grass if its only a small patch

        • Badinsk on 03/02/2017 - 10:33

          It's around 30m2- so not too small!

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join