Tenants are being warned to document the state of their lawns and gardens to avoid being stung with pricey bond claims.
How your lawn and garden is looking at the start of your lease may be the last thing on your mind after moving into a new rental property, but this small act could be the difference between you getting your bond back or not.
NSW Tenant’s Union chief executive officer Leo Patterson Ross said taking photos and noting conditions of lawns at the start of a lease is one way renters can protect themselves from landlords and property managers attempting to make unreasonable bond claims when the agreement ends.
“(Lawn and garden maintenance) is a tricky area because obviously lawns and trees are living things that will grow, spread, and even die off because of things outside of the tenants control, like drought and or floods,” Mr Patterson Ross said.
“It’s different to other forms of maintenance because it is much less predictable, and requires much more active work from the tenant.”
CEO of the Tenant’s Union of NSW, Leo Patterson Ross. Picture: Richard Dobson
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The unpredictability of lawns and gardens can make it a grey area when it comes to the tenants responsibility of maintenance of a property during their tenancy, making tenants vulnerable to loosing parts of their blond for unreasonable claims.
Mr Patterson Ross said along with photo, tenants should take note of any extreme events or weather that may have caused damage that was out of your control, including water restrictions.
“Do be responsible around leaving items on the lawn that might kill grass – like tarps, play equipment or vehicles,” he added.
This warning for tenants comes as an “exhausted mum” of two young children has been left stunned after her landlord tried to charge her $750 for lawn maintenance.
A Kiwi mother has taken to social media after she moved out of her rental house and the landlord tried to claim a whopping $750 out of her bond for not mowing the lawn adequately.
She claims she mowed the lawn one week before her and her family moved out and that the lawn in the property report is “higher than how we left it.”
Lawn maintenance could effect your bond at the end of your tenancy. Photo credit: Lawn Solutions Australia
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“I mowed the lawn a week before we moved out, and it was in the same condition as when we moved in,” she said.
“I know some lawnmower services charge $65 per hour, but I don’t think it would be that pricey,” she added.
The property agent then went on to say “the landlord is happy to pay half,” however she said she still “didn’t think that’s fair.”
“I can do it myself or find a professional at a much lower cost.
“I know we can dispute it with the Tenancy Service, but I just want to know if I am in the right?”
She signed the post off as “an exhausted mum with 2 children under 3 years old.”
Other people viewing the post were click to support the woman.
“Goodness with all the rain and warm weather the lawn is like in Spring, mow it every 4-5 days. That is disgusting charging that amount, get evidence of the mowing, go to the tribunal to get it sorted. I also am a Landlord,” Jeanette Cardwell commented on the woman’s post.
Another instructed her “just don’t pay it.”
A woman claims her landlord tried to charge $750 out of her bond for lawn maintenance. Picture: Kelly Barnes
“If he wants to collect it, let him set a hearing with the tribunal (he will have to pay a fee to do so). He knows he won’t win. He is just trying to exploit you. Typical landlord/rental agency behaviour here, in my experience.”
“Just submit your bond refund form and let the tribunal sort it out. They’re taking the piss with 750,” a third person responded to the post, receiving over 150 likes.
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