Hedge Maintenance for Rentals | Tree Masters Herts

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Hedges are the single most common garden item to go wrong on a rented property, for a straightforward reason: they need equipment and effort that most tenants do not have, and the consequence of ignoring one is invisible for about two years and then expensive.

The Realistic Assumption

A tenancy agreement may say the tenant keeps the garden in good order. In practice, mowing a lawn happens and cutting a three-metre hedge generally does not. That is not a criticism of tenants — it needs a long-reach trimmer, a way to dispose of the clippings and a reason to care about a hedge you will not be living behind in three years.

So the sensible position for a landlord is to plan for the hedge being cut by arrangement rather than by the tenant, and to price that into the running cost of the property.

Hedge clippings being raked up and loaded for removal.

What to Do Between Tenancies

Cut it back properly, not lightly. A void period is the one time the garden is empty and access is easy. A hard cut now buys a couple of years of tolerable appearance
Reduce the height if it has got away. A hedge kept at a height that can be trimmed from the ground is one a tenant or a general gardener can actually maintain. Above that it needs a specialist every time
Photograph it. The condition at the start of the tenancy is what any argument at the end will be measured against
Deal with anything overhanging a neighbour before somebody else does it unilaterally

Getting the Agreement Right

Most disputes about rental gardens are really disputes about what was agreed. Whatever is decided, being specific helps everyone:

If the tenant is responsible, say what for — mowing and general tidiness is reasonable; cutting a large hedge is not, and a clause requiring it is unlikely to be enforced
If the landlord is responsible, say how often it will be done, so the tenant is not chasing and the visit is expected
Either way, note who arranges access, because a hedge cut needs somebody to be in or a gate to be unlocked

The Safety Element, Which Is Not Transferable

Anything in the garden that could cause injury remains the landlord's responsibility. That includes trees grown up within a hedge line, dead or unstable growth, and anything overhanging a neighbouring property or a footway. A tenancy agreement does not move that obligation onto the tenant.

Hedge lines are worth a specific look for this, because mature trees establish in old hedges constantly — ash, sycamore and elder in particular — and a tree inside a hedge is easy to overlook until it is the size of the house.

Scheduling That Works for Portfolios

Where several properties are involved, doing them together in one visit is considerably cheaper than one at a time, and it makes the cycle easier to keep to. Late summer is the usual slot: it is after nesting, and the cut holds its appearance through the winter viewing season.

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