The ultimate garden guide for renters this summer

Renting is not a barrier to enjoying the great outdoors but, just with the interior of a property, you will be required to look after the garden and behave in a respectful manner.

Our ultimate garden guide for renters this summer is a good reminder of how to keep the peace between you, your landlord, your property manager and your neighbours, whether you’re soaking up the sun or breaking out the barbecue tools. 

Keep on top of gardening

It’s no excuse to say you don’t have green fingers as the gardening responsibilities that usually fall to a tenant can be undertaken with very little knowledge or skill. A tenancy agreement will usually explain what duties a renter must undertake. The occupant will be expected to mow the lawn, keep beds and borders weed free, water plants that were there at the start of the tenancy, prune back shrubs and large plants, and keep the garden rubbish free.

If your tenancy agreement lacks detail, please contact us and we can clarify, in writing, what garden maintenance your landlord expects you to complete. We’ll also ascertain if any equipment will be made available, such as a lawn mower and secateurs. 

Be social…..but not to the point of anti

It’s only natural to squeeze every last drop out of the British summer and for many, that means decamping to the garden at every opportunity. There is a fine line between having a good time and annoying the neighbours, so be mindful of not crossing over into the type of anti-social behaviour that can elicit complaints.

Late-night parties, raised voices, speakers in the garden and dogs left to bark outside are generally tolerated when they’re isolated incidents but if they become regular occurrences, people are within their rights to complain to the local council.

Fire safety comes first

While a long, hot summer is something we dream of, dry conditions increase the risk of garden fires. A safety-first approach when having a barbeque or bonfire is essential. Always have a hose, buckets of water or a fire extinguisher to hand, and never leave a flame unattended. If anything is singed or burnt as a result of a tenant’s action, they will be liable to pay for the repair or replacement. 

On the matter of bonfires, these are not illegal but neighbours can report them to the local authority as a ‘statutory nuisance’. If a bonfire’s frequency or intensity is deemed dangerous, the tenant can be served an abatement notice that, if breached, can result in a fine. 

Always seek permission for permanent changes

Even if your grand plan will enrich or improve the garden, a tenant must have written permission from the landlord to make permanent changes. A permanent alteration could be creating a vegetable patch, digging a new border, laying a patio or deck, adding a pond, chopping down a tree or installing mains-operated garden lighting. 

Particular attention should be paid if you want to erect an outbuilding in a rental property’s garden. While most structures, such as sheds, pods and summer houses, do not need planning permission, they do represent substantial garden changes. Tenancy deposit  protection schemes regularly report disputes between renters and landlords, with an outbuilding at the argument’s heart. It is valid for a landlord to bill a tenant with the cost of dismantling an unauthorised outbuilding and making good the ground underneath.

Restore when you return the property

Although counterintuitive to think about the end of your tenancy when it’s just begun, what you do in your garden now can affect the work you’ll have to complete before you move out. Tenants have a legal obligation to return a garden back to its original condition at the end of the tenancy, using the inventory as a guide.

You may need to reseed a lawn if a paddling pool has killed off the grass underneath, fill in holes that have been made by people or pets and remove anything that’s been temporarily affixed, such as trellis, a basketball hoop or hanging baskets. If the garden’s original state isn’t honoured, the landlord can make deductions from the deposit to put things right.

If your next home must have a garden, contact us. We can supply you with a list of available rentals with a garden, a courtyard or even just a balcony.