The situation I'm dealing with- and have before- is having rentals where I do all the yardwork. I state this in the leases by choice, because it gives me an opportunity to check out the property and since I don't have many rentals, I'm able to keep them looking fairly nice, and I care about their appearance.

The problem is renters move in and then quickly start to consider a nice looking lawn one of the entitlements of the rental. Though I think in some instances I do too much.... I've actually had times where a young tenant has texted me "Get over here and mow this mess, its getting out of hand!" as if I were some kind of on call yard service.

Fast forward to this week, when a new young woman moves in a the upstairs apartment. I spent half a day over there last week, trimming and clipping mowing, even planted new bushes..... then we had a blistering heat wave where days got up to 103'F.

I quite reasonably waited for temperatures to drop and for the heat to break to mow again, but was sent a griping email, "The grass is getting high here, when are you coming to mow?"

I informed the young woman that this is our property not hers, and we mow on our own schedule- after explaning the heat wave and that we were working at another property (which I think the explanation itself wasn't necessary).

I pointed out that the neighbors rent and mow their own lawn, which they do- and said, "You guys have a lucky arrangement", followed by "I will be out there Monday, as it is raining tomorrow, but thanks for letting me know."

To my surprise she writes back, saying "Ive looked at lots of apartments, and they all had mowing service" and "There are going to be many hot days since its summer, this is just one of the issues at this apartment".

I said, "Again, sorry I gave any impression of offense, but we have been doing this for years and we will take care of our lawn, you are free to use it. Thanks again and if there are issues with the apartment, then let me know and we will address them as they come."

Is it me, or this person being a jerk? I find not saying anything is often the best course, but sometimes you can't help but point out that you aren't their servant or on call free lawn service, you PAID for the lawn, its your lawn they're just renting there.

Years ago I realized my time is precious to myself and family. So when I got my first vacancy, I included in the lease contract a weekly gardening service and/or pool service too. I would just bump up the rent to cover much of those costs.

So my gardeners that trim grass cost me around $100 per month. That come to $25 per week per house. So killing my weekends with these chores, I have my spy's report back any issues.

I have a tenant that brought 18 pots of plants when they moved in. They thought my gardener would trim their plants. No, your plants your responsibility to trim them. If my gardener damages your plant I don’t want to be responsible!

can you define who you speak of being a jerk?

This time of year the opportunities' for landscape companies are many. That seems to be your calling-- not LL'ing.

Just moved in last week, and she has a list of issues that she hasn't told you about , in addition to the yard work not being up to her standards.

I can see this going two ways.

1) You set her straight right known no uncertain terms as to what she should expect going forward, and she learns you are in control, not her.

Include a review of the very recent move-in inspection, where she had the opportunity to point out anything broken. Now it is what it is.

If there is a legitimate repair needed, remind her how to properly, quickly, and respectfully report it.

Tell her if she won't be happy, there is the door. Leave now and I'll rent it to someone else who will appreciate what a good deal they have. Or, would you rather do the yardwork yourself?

DJ VA she is already doing #2 to "duplexer" in more ways then one!

DJ VA she is already doing #2 to "duplexer" in more ways then one!

I just had a question similar to yours (See: Am I Wrong).

Your tenant is rude.

You just have to decide if you want to let them annoy you or not and it’s definitely hard sometimes to keep your cool. Even with a regular lawn service grass sometimes gets high (times of high rain, workers quitting, equipment breakdowns, etc…).

You should have reply with a simple, thanks for letting me know. But you already recognize your mistake.

If I get one (very rare but it has happened) who is demanding, disrespectful and entitled, I simply suggest they move (without penalty of course). After all, in this case there is no issue of habitability. Remember you are in charge.

I find that new tenants like to tell you about problems when they first move in. I think it's to see if you are responsive to their needs. After about 60 days most seem to calm down or acclimate and I only hear from them about real problems.

>>You should have reply with a simple, thanks for letting me know. But you already recognize your mistake.>>

This is the whole point of my post. Do you say nothing or a quick thank you and just address when they send condescending messages, or do you explain the situation to a new renter who obviously thinks they're living at a Holiday Inn, set the boundaries straight off?

They are new to the landlord/tenant relationship and this woman is well on her way to becoming a pita renter, if she finds the role pleasing.

There is a difference. For one hotels charge 3x as much, and even then I can't recall ever calling room service and telling them I'm not pleased with the current condition of the front lawn.

I've been perhaps too accomodating, she complained about wasps outside for instance and one who had gotten in the house--- I got her a wasp trap to hang outside, sent her many messages offering advice about using mint incense, catching them under a glass, etc etc. Also I apologized to her about the deck stairs which I want to paint, but have been tied up and it keeps raining (and of course, the stairs would be wet, affecting her getting in and out).

Its weird how some people can't just say "Oh thanks for all you do!" and instead start becoming haughty.

My suspicion is a boyfriend who has been over there every time I am doing any kind of work, I suspect he's moved in but haven't said anything since the situation so far hasn't caused any trouble.

I picture the two of them now looking around saying "This place is too small!" and her starting to get restless and complainy wanting a new bigger place. Chalk the negativity up to past experiences, lol.

As reading, I too thought the PITA attitude might have been caught during the screening process.

Now that she is there and has shown her true colors, bite your tongue and thank her for letting you know. If she continues beyond...I'd reply "it's clear you are not happy here...feel free to give me your notice to move without penalty.

I'm sure the boyfriend isn't helping the situation...they are usually more entitled than the tenant.

STOP SAYING SORRY!!! Erase that word from your vocabulary when it comes to tenants. Replace it with "Thank you." Every single time. You might have stop and think about how to word your sentence, but it's very important in setting the right tone for the relationship. Generally "Thank you for letting us know" works in many situations. Say it, then just stop talking.

"The lawn is getting high." "Thank you for letting us know."

"The sink is stopped up." "Thank you for letting us know."

>>>As reading, I too thought the PITA attitude might have been caught during the screening process. >>>

Nope, it was a complete surprise!

And I've definitely snuffed out PITA renters in the interview process. This woman was courteous, really wanted the apartment, had the money upfront... and has been quite reasonable up until now.

Then suddenly one afternoon, Jeckll and Hyde, she turns into a raging imperious witch for a lack of a better word.

The only clue I had was she made a big deal about some small cigarette burns on the carpet, that the previous terrible renter had left. We took photos already, and knew they were there, and assured her it would not come out of her deposit.

I fully understand the 'dont allow it to continue', but as you have I'm sure already seen we landlords often have very logical reasons based on previous experiences with tenants, and financial realities why we do things, that especially young tenants simply don't know.

For example, choosing not to raise rents means there's less money to hire out mowing help. Sometimes you just can't help but say hey, this is MY lawn, you're free to use it but mowing it is my issue not yours to lord over.

I'm going back to a set day of the week for mowing. This spring, I'm running behind, as DH was finally ready to help with a big project. And when he is ready and willing, I gotta do that other project! In going over this year's mowing schedule, one tenant did let me know she started on her part ( we agreed I'd do most, she does where doggy goes. There is a natural separation to the areas. She moved in last year, and does own a mower. Like AllyM mentioned, tenant likes the area where doggy goes cut shorter.

Now, if this tenant had just moved in, I could see her getting a bit .... testy about the long grass. Yeah, that hot weather snuck up on us, and Boom! We're gonna be baling that hay, cuz it is long! But, tenant was pleasant. Why the difference? She's been with me enough time to know that though I am not always fast on things, I keep at them until they get done right. And, I am gentle, friendly, firm where needed. ( ok, not always so serene.... I am a natural reddish hothead, after all!) But, she's gotten to see enough times where I made things right, even if things sometimes got put off because another more pressing need was being addressed elsewhere. Were I prone to just not getting things done, tenant would probably be a little testy. After seeing some of the homes during in-home visits ( part of my application process) yes, there are landlords that don't get things done. Things that need getting done. Things like a sunken front step or windows that won't open.

So, perhaps tenant just needs some time seeing you DO get to things, you prioritize according to need ( unkempt lawn is unsightly, but not urgent as compared to , oh, say, sorting out an electrical issue, or a door lock that has been jamming. ) Getting to know neighbors has also helped with new tenant prickliness. The neighbors know me, know the improvements I've made. Tenants see me having a conversation, or just the friendly greetings with neighbors. Not that I have to be loved by everyone. Not at all. But, neighbors aren't going to be very friendly with the landlord who doesn't keep his( her) places up. Tenants catch on. Eventually.

Excellent advice to take tenants remarks as news bulletins. ' Yup, I 'm getting to that soon. Had a few other things come up.' Might be a way to not quite apologize, but also communicate that you had a priority. Or, the simple, thanks for letting us know. And, I DO catch myself when I occassionally start to say, 'Sor....'. ( Bite tongue, think of WMH. ) I will take a breath, shorten my explanation ( always tough for me! Lol!) and Not apologize.

You state in your lease that you do all the gardening. So according to your own lease, you promised (a rose garden?).

>>Well I am going to cut on ....day weather permitting. If you need it cut sooner I can drop off a push mower for you.>>

>>You state in your lease that you do all the gardening.>>

I'm absolutely changing the wording there on new lease agreements for my own sanity.

And its going to say something like this: "The yard and all common areas are the property of [Company Name] and will be maintained at their discretion and schedule."

Sign it, or leave it.

Sometimes you have to be literal!

When I was a scrub tech, we had an emergency surgery where a 14 year old lost control of a mower on a slope. Severed his Achilles' tendon. Dad said to surgeon to take good care so son could play sports in high school. Surgeon replied he hoped the boy would be able to walk in high school.

I would NEVER drop off a lawn mower for a tenant to use. But, that's just me. YMMV.

"Thank you for letting me know. If you would like on demand lawn service, the charge will be be $100 per call and we will have someone there in 24 hours or less. If not, we will stick with our current schedule. Thank you."

Never say no. Get paid.

Sid, would that lead tenants to NOT tell you about things that need attention? It took awhile for me to get each tenant to quickly report leaks and such, but when they found I didn't blame them, or scold, or charge them, they are now prompt in telling me. Occasionally , well, maybe, rarely, there is a charge for them, but most stuff is just normal wear and tear. My tenants aren't housebeaters.

What is really the basic point here, is that promises need to be kept, and (contrary to the prevailing opinion here) the landlord is not necessarily the boss.

A homemade lease if supposed to be interpreted liberally and many judges (especially small claims judges) will usually side with the idea that promises must be kept. You say that YOU do all the yardwork, the tenant's standard for needed yardwork requires work, you promised to do it.

The lease is supposed to lay out the basic relationship between landlord and tenant, including allocating respective responsibilities.

Such arrogance is what has caused the present situation where legislatures are passing more and more laws requiring landlord to strictly keep their promises. If you promise to maintain the yard, and the tenant complains, then if you retaliate against him (termination) you will be rightly accused of retaliation. Thats why the laws are now needed to moderate landlord conduct. Surely you are able to resolve such matters in a way that protects both of your interests.

I think the root cause of the conflict is using text.

Texting seems to give texters a feeling of anonymity, ie they are a little more confrontational.

My solution would be to "get in their face". That is, tell them you want to meet them to discuss. Then you can give them your version of "my way or the highway" while looking them in the eye.

I find that this face to face has a much stronger impact. But you have to be willing to strongly stand your ground during that f2f.

tenantwhisperer,that face to face technique works with everyone,tenants,code officer,employees etc, in my case i am 6 ft 290 pounds,when i am in there face in a nice manner most people become cooperative with me.

" Moshe, I disagree with you,when landlords ruled with an iron fist we had less problems,then liberal city councils got involved and decided we couldnt do this or that then the tenants thought they could get away with more and more and it has lead to this.When my dad could physically remove tenants landlords had way less trouble then than they do now. "

Ken, you say that you disagree with me, but I never asserted what you go on to say.

YES, landlord DID rule with an iron fist, and we had less problems, but not because of the iron fist, but because laws were simpler. Now, as a result of, not liberal city councils, but such arrogant behavior by landlords, these city councils needed to pass new laws restricting such behavior. You may think that they have gone too far and you might be right, but you are dead wrong about the cause.

Iron fist got us rent control, for-cause eviction and relocation expenses, all were necessary because of landlord behavior, not "liberals".

How tall was the grass.....

I know around here that you can mow today and the dandelions will be three inches tall the next day. So maybe there is a perception that the grass wasn't cut when it was.

That or your tenants standards are higher than yours - that can be a red flag for you that you need to tighten them up

or a training opportunity for them on what they can expect.

But someone's expectations are not being met. Training or moving are the answers

"rent control, for-cause eviction and relocation expenses all are in CA, not the rest of the country."

Count up how many jurisdictions have these blessings already. Its all over and growing. Most city environments have it now or are in the process. NYS ia the latest.

I didn't read through all the responses but I assume I am odd man out here. Rude went both ways.

..."The grass is getting high here, when are you coming to mow?"

I informed the young woman that this is our property not hers, and we mow on our own schedule)....

Actually, its "her" property for most intents and purposes, if the yard is included in the rental premises.

Although I have no problem with emphasizing to the tenant the absolute fact that they are a temporary resident in my property, I probably would choose to tie up loose ends in the following way:

I would send a notice that since they are concerned about when the grass will be cut, you are providing them with your usual schedule. If appropriate, you might even choose to remind them that you discussed the schedule with them and made it quite clear before they signed the lease.:

A simple example:

Once per month (or whatever allowing for your climate and seasonal changes) assuming weather cooperates.

That way if she attempts to complain, you simply refer her to the schedule, and say "Gotta go, Bye."

As long as the schedule is reasonable, it is unlikely she would prevail in court and a good lawyer would tell her so.

Contrary to some opinions above, you never promised her it would be done to her standards. Therefore, a reasonable standard is all she has any legitimate expectation of. Anyone that disagrees, ask a real lawyer from a good law school.

No need to make it tough on yourself, if you think once per month is too much, make it a little less often but reasonable and give her a guideline so she will realize it isn't her decision when it gets done. You just end the conversation or text with a reminder of your schedule.

If she doesn't like it, she is the one being unreasonable, and nobody can rationally accuse you of not living up to your reasonable obligations.

More importantly though, don't believe as posted above that landlords have caused this change in tenant attitudes or landlord tenant law. It's from groups of some very politically expedient people that realized they could lock up several voting blocks with a lot of sweet promises and vindictive legislation against landlords.

Portraying landlords as evil makes our massively guilt ridden legislators feel good and promotes their political careers. Unfortunately, that same guilt afflicts their supporters and prevents rational judgement.

I've been in this biz for approx 35 years and met many income property owners. To this day, I have seen only one landlord out of more than a hundred that was less than ethical and fair in their dealings with tenants.

In last sentence above, correct "I have seen only one landlord..." to "I have known only one landlord...".