We maintain a fair number of rental houses and small multi-unit properties around Monticello and out along Highway 90, and the ones that look good all have the same thing in common: somebody decided up front who was responsible for the yard and made it easy for that to actually happen. The ones that look rough are the ones where it was left to work itself out.
Tenant or landlord?
Most single-family leases put the lawn on the tenant, and it works when the tenant has a mower and cares. It stops working when they do not, and by the time a landlord notices from across town the yard has become a problem: tall grass, a code complaint, weeds seeding into the neighbor's lawn, a fence line gone. Then it is a rescue job, a conversation nobody enjoys, and a lawn that never quite comes back to what it was.
The landlord-handled option costs money every month and removes every one of those problems. The yard is done on a schedule, the property looks kept, the landlord sees it through the crew's eyes every two weeks, and the tenant has one less reason to leave. On multi-unit properties and on anything with a shared yard, there is no real choice; the landlord handles it.
A middle path that works: the landlord handles the front yard and the visible edges, and the tenant handles the back. The street-facing part of the property is protected and the tenant still has responsibility for the part they use.
Put it in the lease either way
If the tenant is responsible, the lease should say what that means: mowed at least every two weeks in season, edges trimmed, no accumulation of debris, beds kept free of weeds. Vague language like "keep the yard maintained" is unenforceable. If the landlord is responsible, the lease should say the crew has access to the yard on a schedule and that gates will be unlocked and dogs contained on that day.
Setting up landlord-handled service
- A recurring schedule for the growing season, biweekly for most rentals, with a reduced winter rotation. See our post on recurring service versus per-visit.
- A clear scope: mowing, edging, blowing off the drive and walks, and whether beds and shrubs are included. Add a seasonal cleanup in fall and a bed refresh in spring if you want the property to look like the owner cares.
- The tenant informed. Which day, what to expect, and what they need to do: move the car, put the dog up, pick up the toys and the hose.
- Photo updates after each visit. They show the work was done and, just as usefully, they show the landlord what the property looks like every two weeks without a drive-by.
- A path for problems. The crew sees a broken window, a leaking spigot, a pile of junk, a car on blocks. The landlord should hear about it that day.
Between tenants
A vacant unit needs the yard sharper than an occupied one, because the yard is what a prospective tenant sees first. A make-ready cleanup, beds mulched, edges cut and the walk blown clean before the first showing costs a little and shortens the vacancy. Our post on bed edging covers the single cheapest thing that makes a yard look finished.
What we see go wrong
- Tenant mows with a dull mower at the lowest setting. The lawn is scalped every two weeks and dies in July. Our post on why a cheap mow costs more explains it.
- Nobody handles the fall leaves and the lawn under the oaks is dead by spring.
- The beds go feral because the lease said "lawn" and everyone read that as grass only.
- The fence line disappears on a rural rental because nobody was responsible for anything past the mown yard.
Every one of those is fixed by a scope that names it and a schedule that covers it.
FAQ
Can I bill the tenant for the lawn service?
Many landlords fold it into the rent. Whether it can be a separate charge depends on your lease and local rules; ask whoever drafts your leases.
What if the tenant will not let the crew in?
The lease should give access on the scheduled day. In practice a heads-up text the day before solves it almost every time.
Do you handle small multi-unit properties?
Yes. Duplexes, small apartment buildings and commercial rentals. Our commercial versus residential post covers the differences.
What is included?
Whatever the scope says. Mowing and edging are the base; see our services page for the rest.
If you own rentals in the area and are tired of chasing the yard, get in touch and we'll set up a schedule the tenants and you can both count on. We maintain rental properties across Monticello, Madison and the Highway 90 corridor.