You may be wondering if including some trees in your St. Mary’s County rental property’s landscaping can help boost your rental rate. And there is, indeed, some good evidence to support that claim. But what you don’t often hear is that the type of tree you plant also influences your cash flows. Not all trees are appropriate for a rental situation.
The big question, though, is whether or not planting fruit trees on a rental property is a good idea. While there are no hard and fast rules about which type of tree is best, it is important to consider all aspects of fruit trees in question before you finalize your decision, especially since different trees grow better in different climates.
The Best Trees for Rental Properties
A profitable rental property has great curb appeal. And having one or more shady trees in the yard adds to that curb appeal. A simple criteria for the ideal trees for a rental property would be those that grow well in your climate, are visually appealing and shady, but are also easy to maintain. If that criterion seems daunting, don’t worry. Trees that fit the bill in many parts of the country include evergreen arborvitae, spruce, flowering dogwoods, and maple trees. Oak and desert willow are also great to plant in rental properties. These kinds of trees grow well, offer good shade after a short period of time, and don’t need a lot of pruning from year to year.
The Skinny on Fruit Trees
Your St. Mary’s County property manager might think that a fruit tree would be a good feature in your rental house. Some renters also like the idea that you can grow and eat fruit straight from the yard. But unless your tenant has some experience in caring for and maintaining fruit trees, and has the time to properly do the job, fruit trees can become a burden instead. For a lot of renters, the required work that comes with having fruit trees is enough reason for them not to apply for a rental that has one.
Since the best trees for rental properties are low-maintenance, that excludes fruit trees altogether. The biggest reason you would want to veer away from planting fruit trees at a rental property is the mess and maintenance that comes with them. Most fruit trees take years of care and growth before they start bearing fruit. Some are also sensitive to heat, cold, watering amounts, and so on.
Fruit trees also need proper pruning and fumigation in order to produce fruit every year. Most people do not know much about this, either. Fruit often attracts unwanted insects and rodents as well, which your tenant may not be happy dealing with. It’s probably best to avoid fruit trees altogether if you or your tenant do not have the time and effort they require.
Fruit Trees in the Lease Documents
If you are willing to take on the responsibility of having fruit trees on your rental property, you need to be very clear in your lease about your tenant’s obligations where those trees are concerned. It is not enough to assign landscaping maintenance to your tenant; they may not realize that this includes regular pruning and clean-up after fruit trees, which is a lot of extra work. So, if you do not intend to take care of the trees yourself, make sure to lay it out in your lease documents that the tenants need to care for the trees or hire a professional to do it for them.
At Real Property Management Gold, we work with rental property owners like you to help create beautiful, low-maintenance landscaping your tenants won’t mind keeping up. Contact us today to learn more.
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