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-   -   QQ for those who lease with 'garden maintenance' (https://britishexpats.com/forum/usa-57/qq-those-who-lease-garden-maintenance-484013/)

Mandana Sep 28th 2007 3:07 am

QQ for those who lease with 'garden maintenance'
 
If your rent includes garden maintenance, what exactly is included in that service?

TIA

CaliforniaBride Sep 28th 2007 5:15 am

Re: QQ for those who lease with 'garden maintenance'
 

Originally Posted by Mandana (Post 5362491)
If your rent includes garden maintenance, what exactly is included in that service?

TIA

Whatever it says on your lease/rental agreement.

snowbunny Sep 28th 2007 5:17 am

Re: QQ for those who lease with 'garden maintenance'
 
Usually this is for people who live in apartments and townhomes and means the monies to pay for landscaping the place. Sometimes this means mowing and maintaining whatever front/back garden you have, should you live in a townhome.

Mandana Sep 28th 2007 9:49 am

Re: QQ for those who lease with 'garden maintenance'
 

Originally Posted by CaliforniaBride (Post 5362744)
Whatever it says on your lease/rental agreement.

Well that's it .. it doesn't. Just states garden maintenance.

The reason I'm asking is because we wrongly assumed it meant mowing, weeding and shrub cutting, but it doesn't. It covers mowing and 2 x yearly trimming of the shrubs, but not weeding and not mulching.

I'm feeling a bit aggrieved that on the night before we moved in, we discovered that not only do we have to do the weeding (weekly, I might add!), but pay to have their garden mulched. Not been able to get a quote yet, but the landlady said it's around $200 :ohmy::frown:

This is on top of being given a pot of varnish and being told to sand and varnish their front door twice a year. :blink:

another bloody yank Sep 28th 2007 11:40 am

Re: QQ for those who lease with 'garden maintenance'
 

Originally Posted by Mandana (Post 5363329)
Well that's it .. it doesn't. Just states garden maintenance.

The reason I'm asking is because we wrongly assumed it meant mowing, weeding and shrub cutting, but it doesn't. It covers mowing and 2 x yearly trimming of the shrubs, but not weeding and not mulching.

I'm feeling a bit aggrieved that on the night before we moved in, we discovered that not only do we have to do the weeding (weekly, I might add!), but pay to have their garden mulched. Not been able to get a quote yet, but the landlady said it's around $200 :ohmy::frown:

This is on top of being given a pot of varnish and being told to sand and varnish their front door twice a year.
:blink:


Does it state this in your lease?

Mandana Sep 28th 2007 11:46 am

Re: QQ for those who lease with 'garden maintenance'
 

Originally Posted by another bloody yank (Post 5363614)
Does it state this in your lease?

Not as far as I know.

Personal wish from landlords I believe. Contract is between them and OH's employer.

Jerseygirl Sep 28th 2007 11:50 am

Re: QQ for those who lease with 'garden maintenance'
 

Originally Posted by Mandana (Post 5363638)
Not as far as I know.

Personal wish from landlords I believe. Contract is between them and OH's employer.

If it's not stated in the lease you don't have to do it.

Mandana Sep 28th 2007 12:05 pm

Re: QQ for those who lease with 'garden maintenance'
 

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl (Post 5363655)
If it's not stated in the lease you don't have to do it.

Thanks

And back to the garden ..

Is it usual for maintenance to be mowing, blowing and shrubs over here? I think it's a case of one thing back home and another for here.

As in a couple of instances, what we presumed would be the same, quite clearly isn't. Just wanted to know if that's the norm across the country, or specific to Texas/our landlords!

Jerseygirl Sep 28th 2007 12:27 pm

Re: QQ for those who lease with 'garden maintenance'
 

Originally Posted by Mandana (Post 5363710)
Thanks

And back to the garden ..

Is it usual for maintenance to be mowing, blowing and shrubs over here? I think it's a case of one thing back home and another for here.

As in a couple of instances, what we presumed would be the same, quite clearly isn't. Just wanted to know if that's the norm across the country, or specific to Texas/our landlords!

I think much more attention and money is applied to gardening in the US than the UK. We also have a fall clean-up...which usually costs several hundred $'s...it mainly consists of blowing the leaves off the grass. :unsure: We don't bother with that...the wind does it for free. :D

Mandana Sep 28th 2007 12:42 pm

Re: QQ for those who lease with 'garden maintenance'
 

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl (Post 5363805)
I think much more attention and money is applied to gardening in the US than the UK. We also have a fall clean-up...which usually costs several hundred $'s...it mainly consists of blowing the leaves off the grass. :unsure: We don't bother with that...the wind does it for free. :D

So if you were told garden maintenance was included in the lease price, you'd assume weeding/mulching to be part of the package? Plus whatever needs doing on a seasonal basis? (fertilising etc.)

Jerseygirl Sep 28th 2007 12:45 pm

Re: QQ for those who lease with 'garden maintenance'
 

Originally Posted by Mandana (Post 5363871)
So if you were told garden maintenance was included in the lease price, you'd assume weeding/mulching to be part of the package? Plus whatever needs doing on a seasonal basis? (fertilising etc.)

Sure would. If your husband's employer handled the lease I would contact them.

Mandana Sep 28th 2007 3:43 pm

Re: QQ for those who lease with 'garden maintenance'
 

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl (Post 5363887)
Sure would. If your husband's employer handled the lease I would contact them.

Thanks JG. I wanted to pounce on this at the time, but OH wanted to 'keep the peace' :curse:

Now it's time to mulch/varnish/maintain beds (which we've been doing periodically ourselves), I'm of the opinion that if they want their door varnished and their beds mulched, they can pay to have it done!

Sorry, having a bit of a rant today :mad:

BritGuyTN Sep 28th 2007 3:43 pm

Re: QQ for those who lease with 'garden maintenance'
 
mowing and 2 x yearly trimming of the shrubs is exactly the norm

Maybe weeding an re-mulching annually. One of my businesses is rental property and I know a lot of other people in it also

sanding and varnishing the door sounds a bit ridiculous however... :D

I certainly would not expect a tenant to mulch themsleves, although some do...

Mandana Sep 28th 2007 3:48 pm

Re: QQ for those who lease with 'garden maintenance'
 

Originally Posted by BritGuyTN (Post 5364752)
mowing and 2 x yearly trimming of the shrubs is exactly the norm

Maybe weeding an re-mulching annually. One of my businesses is rental property and I know a lot of other people in it also

sanding and varnishing the door sounds a bit ridiculous however... :D

I certainly would not expect a tenant to mulch themsleves, although some do...

Ah, see, now that's why I posted! I didn't know what is the norm and what's not. Clearly I didn't (sorry, WE didn't) do our homework and find out exactly what 'garden maintenance' included. A lesson learnt there eh.

So, you're saying mowing/shrubs is the norm for the landlords to arrange? (if it's included in the lease price)

This is what they put in the informal letter when we collected the keys ...

The tenant is responsible for:
- weeding weekly
- seasonal plantings (flowers) as desired
- applying about 2" of mulch to all flower beds in September and March



ETA - if we'd known, we wouldn't have put all our garden tools into storage and needed to buy new ones here!

Pony Sep 28th 2007 3:53 pm

Re: QQ for those who lease with 'garden maintenance'
 
There is not a standard. It would either be stated on the lease or agreed verbally. We have no mention of garden maintenance on our lease, but the landlady told us what would happen (and it does). A team visits once every two weeks, they mow the front and back lawns, tidy up the shrubs, pick up the fallen fruit (usually half a recycle bin full - such a waste). They garden vac the drive, front patio and sides of the house. Periodically they perform larger tasks like cutting back the plants from the gazebo and garage etc. None of this is stated in the lease, but all was agreed verbally.
The landlady offered to fertilize and weed kill the lawns, but we do our own. We have 2 dogs and 4 cats - we want to control what chemicals are laid in the garden.


Originally Posted by Mandana (Post 5362491)
If your rent includes garden maintenance, what exactly is included in that service?

TIA



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