About 16% of all tenancy deposit deduction disputes last year were over gardening, according to the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. That translates to no fewer than 2,000 disputes.
Given it was National Weed Your Garden Day last week and the summer is here (is it?), it’s time to get your hands dirty and get rid of the unwanted beasts from your garden.
Not only will your garden flourish and make your neighbours green with envy, but you will also be more likely to avoid any disputes and deductions from your tenancy deposit once the lease has ended.
Not to mention that half an hour of weeding burns around 135 calories for women and 180 for men. It might be a great way to get or stay fit while enjoying the outdoors.
It might even be therapeutic too!
Check your tenancy agreement
If you rent a home with a garden, your tenancy agreement is very likely to have clauses within, setting your responsibilities when it comes to the garden’s maintenance.
A well written lease should describe areas which fall in or outside of tenants’ remit like front garden, rear garden, side alleys, large and independent trees or plants. The more detailed and specific the agreement is, the smaller risk of gardening related disputes.
Tidy garden?
Michael Hill, adjudicator with the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, highlights how important it is that the lease describes the condition the tenant has to return the garden in. This is most likely to be similar to how it was at the start of the tenancy.
Some tenancy agreements broadly state that the landlord expects the tenants to return the garden in a ‘tidy’ condition.
Michael Hill explains that uncertainty over the meaning of the word ‘tidy’ can be a source of a number of disputes. Therefore to avoid any, the lease should “detail whether tenants must take responsibility for cutting the grass, tidying flowerbeds and sweeping up leaves.” Also, any claim proposed against the tenant’s deposit should be “fair and reasonable.”
Maintaining a garden doesn’t have to be one of those chores that you dread. The key is regularity. You don’t have to spend hours in the garden. Even half an hour every so often will be sufficient for the garden to stay healthy and for you to be proud of it.
