Lots of renters congratulate themselves on their Cambridge rental homes, fancying it an alluring home to reside in. For the property landlord, these tenants are some of the best considering they will work hard making the property look nice.
Almost all renters require or desire a fundamental and simple yard. If the landscaping is easily achievable, property landlords can fairly expect that their tenants will devote themselves to the endeavor expected of them. Owners should clearly explain their expectations about maintaining the yard, and who is responsible for mowing lawns, weeding flower beds or gravel areas, and so on.
Identifying a tenant who is ready to undertake all of these tasks is necessary. But what if a tenant fancies reworking the elements in the yard that go above and beyond basic maintenance, especially those that would require permanent changes to the garden and landscaping? Tenants with a green thumb may want to make certain changes, such as adding, moving, or cutting down trees or other plantings, planting a vegetable garden, or even installing a fence, walkway, or patio.
Expecting a tenant to manage an orderly backyard is one thing; creating significant alterations without consent, even if gorgeous or skillfully rendered, is another. Alterations of this type are in direct violation of most leases. In fact, if a tenant does alter the landscaping, it is their responsibility to put it back to its original condition upon moving out. If they can’t (or won’t), they may be subject to penalties or even eviction proceedings.
As exhausting as it may be to acknowledge, tenants of Cambridge rental homes may not understand that outdoing their contractual landscaping maintenance responsibilities may violate the terms of their lease. They might even anticipate that they are doing the property landlord a favor by constructing something charming in the backyard. Due to this, property landlords must be meticulous in making the distinction between maintenance and major alterations clear and to describe every possible legal action that may ensue.
At Real Property Management Boston, we include clear statements about yard maintenance and alterations in all of our leases, removing the speculation out of the equation. We even perform regular property evaluations for all of our clients, and can take proper action to have trees and bushes trimmed, lawns edged, or intervene in a resident’s unsanctioned yard improvement plans, if necessary. If you would like to absorb more about our property management services in Cambridge, please contact us online or call 617-996-0708 for information.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
