Who Takes Care of the Yard? It might be you - the tenant!

by Kendall Clements

Who Takes Care of the Yard? A Guide to Rental Landscaping Duties

Moving into a rental home with a yard brings plenty of perks—space to relax, host weekend barbecues, or let pets play. But with that green space comes an important question: who is actually responsible for keeping it alive and tidy?

While you should always check your specific residential lease agreement, standard rental practices divide exterior upkeep into routine maintenance versus major structural repairs. Here is the most common breakdown of where tenant duties end and landlord responsibilities begin.

What Tenants Handle: Routine Yard Maintenance

For standard single-family rental homes, day-to-day curb appeal almost always falls on the tenant. Keeping up with routine chores preserves your security deposit and prevents costly remediation later:

Mowing & Edging: Keeping grass cut to a healthy, neat height and edging along sidewalks and driveways.
Weed Control: Regularly pulling weeds from garden beds and gravel areas, or applying weed spray before they take over.
Hedge & Bush Trimming: Keeping shrubs and hedges shaped so they don't encroach on walkways, windows, or neighboring fences.
Light Pruning: Trimming low, accessible branches and picking up fallen twigs or debris.
Watering Schedules & Timers: While the hardware belongs to the property, setting and managing the sprinkler timer according to seasonal needs and local watering restrictions typically falls to the tenant.
Pest Control: Pest control is also a common duty of a tenant. We'll address this is another post but it should be on your radar as well.

What Landlords Handle: Major Tree Trimming & System Repairs

Tenants are generally not expected to handle dangerous work or structural capital repairs. Those duties belong to the property owner:

Major Tree Trimming: Pruning large limbs, trimming near power lines, or hiring professional arborists to address dead or hazardous trees.
Major Sprinkler & Irrigation Repairs: Fixing cracked underground mainline pipes, broken backflow preventers, or replacing failed master control valves.

Renting in an HOA Community

If your rental is located within a Homeowners Association (HOA), routine landscaping services may be bundled into the HOA dues and handled by an association contractor.

However, that does not mean tenants are off the hook entirely. In an HOA:

You still have a duty to monitor and report. If a sprinkler head breaks, a patch of turf dies, or weeds sprout in private flower beds, you must alert your landlord or property manager immediately.
HOA fines for neglect or unkempt areas are typically charged back directly to the tenant if the issue stemmed from unreported problems or failure to maintain assigned areas.

The Golden Rule: Inspect Your Lease

Landscaping clauses can vary significantly depending on climate, property type, and owner preferences. Before signing your lease—or before pulling out the lawnmower—review the yard care addendum in your rental agreement so expectations are crystal clear from day one.

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Kendall Clements

Broker

+1(435) 256-0088