A new landlord wasn't sure how to deal with the grueling upkeep of their property's lawn and asked r/landlord for advice.
"Temperatures in the summer here are brutally hot, frequently above 100 for 2 months straight. Keeping even minimal and heat-resistant landscaping alive requires drip watering about 60 minutes a week," they explained. "... It's in the lease that we will maintain the landscaping, [but] the water is rolled into the electric, trash, sewer, street sweeper, etc municipal utility bill. There's no way to separate it out. Suggestions for how to handle this?"
Keeping non-native plants alive in the brutal summer heat is not a quick, easy, or cheap task. The landlord said they visit the property three times a week just to water the lawn. A drip system is a good short-term solution, but if the landlord really wants to cut down on maintenance while still keeping a beautiful yard, they should consider incorporating drought-tolerant native plants.
Xeriscaping, a type of native plant lawn, is a great option for homes in arid climates. Xeriscaped lawns are designed to be drought-tolerant and require very little maintenance, like mowing or watering — perfect for this landlord's predicament.
Native plant lawns save homeowners a ton of time and money. A traditional grass lawn can cost over a thousand dollars more in annual maintenance than a native yard, and "take 2400% MORE TIME than a native garden," according to The Plant Native.
Redditors gave the landlord a few different options to consider.
A fellow landlord highlighted the urgency of the issue, especially since the water is added to the tenant's bill. "If I were a tenant I would definitely feel uneasy about [this], maybe take[n] advantage of," they said.
"Get drought resistant plants, you're fighting a losing battle," another user wrote. "Apart from the fact you're forcing plants onto the renters that wasn't meant for the climate of your location."
Another commenter suggested the landlord "put the drip system on a timer," at least until replacing with more drought-tolerant plants.
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Mowing the lawn 🏡 "Look up the specs for the drip system and determine approximate usage and calculate estimated cost," they continued. "Kindly let them know this is the plan and give them an opportunity to voice any concerns they may have. You can always offer to offset their rent by this small amount of $ if they object."
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