As the autumn leaves begin to fall and summer flowers fade, it is important to clear them out of your rental property’s garden and yard before winter brings in colder days. Although it may be tempting to leave the leaves on the ground, that idea isn’t very sound. To make sure that your rental’s lawn and garden stay healthy and to encourage strong roots to grow and help withstand winter temperature, the best practice would be to remove old growth and fallen leaves each fall.
Clearing dead leaves, flowers, and old growth from your Big Rapids rental property’s yard isn’t only about looking tidy. Keeping your home’s exterior clean affects more things than its appearance. There are some property owners that look to nature and see that fallen leaves and old growth are natural, so they mistakenly conclude that it’s better to leave them on lawns and in gardens to decompose over the winter. The trouble with this approach is that layers of dead leaves and other debris can smother lawns and other plants, preventing air, light, and essential nutrients from penetrating the ground below. Healthy landscape plants and grass rely on a healthy root system, which in turn relies on abundant access to water, air, and light.
Having healthy plants and grass is a good reason to clear your rental property’s fallen leaves and dead garden plants, but that’s still not all there is to it. There are still some additional reasons to clear it up. As a case in point, uncleared leaves and dead flowers can result in common plant diseases that can ruin an otherwise healthy yard. As the debris piles up, it reduces ventilation and effectively traps moisture underneath. This can result in damaging mold growths and other issues that will end up killing existing plants. Another danger that comes with uncleared dead leaves is an increase in insects and other pests. Many kinds of roaches, spiders, and small mammals flourish in layers of rotting foliage. As the number of these pests explodes in your yard, they would start to explore and expand. They would then likely find their way inside your rental home as well. There is so much to lose. This is the reason why you should not allow dead flowers, plants, and fallen leaves to remain on a rental home’s yard before winter arrives. They have to be removed.
Some property owners think that it’s a good idea to rely on their tenants to do the autumn landscaping clean-up. This is a risky thing to do. Tenants may not fully comprehend how important it is to remove dead leaves and flowers. It’s also possible that they just don’t know how to do it properly. Tenants may be endangering themselves if they do that. If your property has tall trees that shed leaves onto the roof or other elevated surfaces, it would be a terrible idea to ask your tenant to get on a ladder to trim tree branches or clear the fallen leaves away.
Not every leaf that falls has to be removed immediately. That wouldn’t be practical. But large leaf falls, however, must be addressed in a timely manner. You have to deal with them to prevent damage to your rental property’s landscaping, foundation, and even the roof and gutters. There are different ways to efficiently do the job. What some do is rake fallen leaves onto the lawn and then use a mulching mower to shred them into fine particles, which will sift down into the soil and fertilize the grass. There are some property owners that like to do it this way. Others may opt to have a professional company do the annual clean-up. They would hire a company with a track-record to make sure they do it right. This may be more efficient and cost-effective than doing it yourself.
Whichever way you think is best would be fine. The priority here is to make sure you are caring for your rental property’s yard without putting your tenant at risk. If you have time, you can do the job yourself. But there is truth to the maxim: Time is gold. And this is true for real estate investors as well. That is why Real Property Management Investment Solutions takes care of important seasonal maintenance tasks for property owners that value their time. Our top-notch property management services will make sure that your Big Rapids rental property is cared for properly and will be ready for whatever the winter season brings. Contact us online or call at 616-419-4578 to get started.
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