Many tenants choose to upgrade their living conditions by moving to an apartment that has a garden. But if you’ve never lived in a garden apartment, you may be signing on for more than you think. While having a garden is known to decrease anxiety and offer a sense of well-being, what responsibilities will fall to you as the tenant if you decide to choose an apartment with one? This question and more will be covered right here.
Your Garden May Not Be YOUR Garden
Many gated communities consider exposed areas of the home to be common property. This has a whole lot of legal jargon attached to it, but basically, it means that the garden belongs to the community and is, therefore, managed by the homeowners association of the complex. Even if your landlord is okay with you making drastic changes, the HOA may not be. Check with the powers that be before you make any permanent adjustments.
When Someone Else Tends Your Garden: Pitfalls
When you rent any property, you are responsible for what happens on that property. If someone else is tending your garden, you are partly responsible for their well-being while they are working in your garden. In these instances it’s always wise to have renters insurance. First, you need to understand what renters insurance covers and how it can assist you if you are held liable for an injury happening to a third party while working (or simply walking around) in your garden.
Take Photos of the Garden When You Move In
How your garden looks when you move out is the concern of your landlord, but it ends up being your responsibility (and may even affect your security deposit); how the garden looks when you first move in matters because your landlord may not compare it accurately without decent evidence. Take pictures of the garden when you move in and keep these safely in a folder to protect yourself when moving day arrives.
Water Costs
Depending on where you live, there may be dry periods. When it hasn’t rained for several weeks, your plants may begin to wilt and could end up dying if they don’t get irrigated. Remember that this expense falls on you. If you do end up watering your garden a lot (depending on the season and the size of the garden), it will affect your water bill.
Obligatory Tools
As we’ll note further down, your lease may state that you, as the tenant, are responsible for maintaining the garden to the best of your ability. If this is the case, chances are you’ll have to spend money on certain tools to mow the lawn, prune the trees, etc. Make sure you’re willing to do this if a garden is something you want to enjoy at your new home.
Check Your Lease and Know Your Obligations
Not all leases will demand that you maintain your garden, but most will. Check your lease thoroughly to see limitations on this responsibility to make sure you’re happy with them. Many gated communities offer obligatory garden services, but these are often limited to leaf blowing, lawn mowing, and shrub shearing.
Fences, Pillars, Fixtures, and Walls
Many gardens feature other fixtures that aren’t living and growing. These include fences, walls, permanent fixtures, benches, statues, and pillars. These still form part of the garden and may be more expensive to maintain than what you had initially anticipated.
Here are some possible maintenance costs you might be forced to incur:
- Crack filler
- Screws and nails to repair wooden fences
- Moss remover
- Paint
- …along with all the tools needed to apply these repairs
In fact, you may end up becoming somewhat of a DIY garden expert by the time you move out.
Know Your Plants
It’s a good idea to educate yourself on the plants in your garden. Some plants may be highly toxic, and knowing which ones these are will help you mitigate a myriad of problems with children and animals. It’s also good to know which plants are perennials and which aren’t, as well as which plants need lots of water and which you can leave for weeks on end. Get yourself a good plant identifier app so that you have a general idea of what you’re dealing with.
Pet Considerations
If you’re bringing pets into a garden environment, there are a number of things to consider. Cats tend to go in soft plant beds unless they are trained to use an indoor sandbox. Dogs may expose themselves to toxic plants or dig up beds and even the lawn. Make sure you keep an eye on your animals and keep your garden looking neat.
Final Thoughts
For most, the benefits of having a garden outweigh the responsibilities that come with it, but it’s always good to be prepared if this is something you’re considering. If you’ve never lived in a garden apartment before, get ready! You’re in for a treat.
