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 way before the colder days of winter come. Allowing that it may be tempting to leave the leaves on the ground, there are multiple rationales why that is not an excellent idea. In order to have and keep your rental’s lawn and garden healthy and to encourage strong roots that will help them withstand winter temperatures, the best method is to remove old growth and fallen leaves each fall.
Clearing dead leaves, flowers, and old-growth from your Alexandria rental property’s yard is not just about keeping the home’s exterior satisfactorily tidy and clean. Many property owners misguidedly assume that due to the fact that fallen leaves and old-growth are natural, they can be left safely on lawns and in gardens to decompose over the winter. The main problem 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.
Notwithstanding this is a good reason to clear your rental property’s fallen leaves and dead garden plants, there are multiple additional reasons to do this task. For example, uncleared leaves, and dead flowers can result in common plant diseases that can ruin an otherwise healthy yard. As the debris piles up, it is apt to trap moisture underneath and can result in damaging mold growths and other issues that will kill existing plants. One other complication that is typically associated with uncleared dead leaves is an increase in insects and other pests. Many kinds of roaches, spiders, and small mammals flourish in layers of decomposing foliage. As whole colony of these pests explode outside your rental home, it may indeed follow that they would find a way inside also.
With plenty at stake, it is not so difficult to ascertain why dead flowers, plants, and fallen leaves should be removed from a rental home’s yard before winter arrives. Even though various property owners may consider that this task is the tenant’s responsibility, it may probably not be a great idea to totally bank on your tenant for autumn landscaping clean-up. Tenants may not realize the gravity of removing dead leaves and flowers, or perhaps not really know how to work on it correctly. Likewise, just in case your property has tall trees that shed leaves onto the roof or other elevated surfaces, it is a bad idea to ask your tenant to get on a ladder to trim tree branches or clear the fallen leaves away.
Though not every leaf that falls should really be instantly removed, large leaf falls must be addressed in a timely manner to prevent damage to your rental property’s landscaping, foundation, and even the roof and gutters. There is a wide array of appropriate ways to deal with this task. Many property owners will 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. Others may authorize a professional company to get in and perform an annual clean-up, which may be both suitable and reasonable.
It doesn’t really matter how the work gets carried about, the most critical detail is to ascertain that you are caring for your rental property’s yard without putting your tenant at risk. You could bring off the task yourself if you make time for it but remember, as a real estate investor, your time is money. In this respect, Real Property Management Optimum handles important seasonal maintenance tasks for productive but really busy property owners like you. Our high-class property management services will make certain that your Alexandria rental property is suitably tended to and ever ready for whatever the winter season has in store. Contact us online or call at 320-289-4649 to get started.
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