Whose responsibility is that and who is being unreasonable?

[Viviot]

Our landlord wants us to cut the high trees.
We don't have any special equipment to cut it from the tops, only a step ladder.

To be honest I don't want to get that high as I don't have any training and I'm scared to fall down even if we would buy higher ladder.

We have been trimming the trees from the sides, and tidying them, but they expect us to be garden service.
Their reasoning is that the the trees are growing.

I think if you don't want trees to grow cut them.. (it's quite old big trees in a little garden).

I want my deposit back, but want also be alive))

How to handle this situation? Professional service would cost a lot so there's no really that option..
Our contract says we have to keep garden tidy and we did. But what they are asking for are matter of special equipment and the ladder higher than 2-3m.

I'm also not sure if that's just not the attempt to hold our deposit to themselves

His responsibility if tall trees. If they were person height or bushes it may be different but tidy does not encompass this. Especially as you will need a chainsaw and probably a tree doctor.

I would contact the CAB but he is being a cf.

Duty of landlord

Just say you refuse to pay under the grounds that the trees arent untidy but are potentially unsafe. That is his responsibility

Thank you.

She just told us they would have to pay someone to do it if we don't

Called the agents they told us not too.

Why to keep trees you don't need and expect tenants to do a professional service..

I hope agent will give them a call.

She just told us they would have to pay someone to do it if we don't

It's her responsibility. She's being a tightwad

So what if she has to pay? It's her duty as the landlord. Expenses are part and parcel of being a landlord, it's not feasible to expect to pocket all rent monies and never have to pay out for repair expenses. All properties need maintenance and repair from time to time, and your landlord needs to accept and budget for that.

Tell them that you are not a tree surgeon.

Thank you for replies, guys. I definitely will contact CAB for this, if they will insist.

ShovingLeopard, she meant she would take money from the deposit

Our agent told us not to do it too and told he would give them a call. really hope it would help.

The other landlord (husband of named woman) will come later on today. He is a bit rude person usually, so we are expecting "nice" chat later on...

She cannot take money out of your deposit for cutting trees...so please dont worry about that

Your deposit should be held by a third party (the name escapes me right now) so she shouldn't be deducting anything from that for the trees

She's a chancer and a cheeky mare - get some advice from CAB but ultimately, don't do it yourself, nor employ someone to do it - it's her problem, not yours

thank you very much for the replies!

That would come under repair and maintenance, in other words the ll's responsibility.

I agree she would be out of line to try and take the money from the deposit. She won't be able to do it, assuming it's in the protected scheme (which it should be). She'S a shit landlord. Any chance you can move?!

That is definitely repairs and maintenance for the landlord. There are all sorts of safety implications. Even if your AST says you are responsible for garden maintenance this is commonly held as being restricted to grass, invasive weeds, hedges etc. Trees remain the responsibility of the landlord - for their financial protection as much as anything else.

Don't let either of them wind you up, nod and smile and say that you won't be doing it, put that in writing /email to LL and LA. Then at the end of your tenancy if they try to deduct the cost from your deposit you can take it to arbitration where, you will almost certainly win.

DON'T tell them that now! They may well serve you a S21 notice at their first opportunity. Though the LA may try to dissuade them of any such silliness.

Yes, actually we have bought a house and moving out in a couple of weeks. That's why she came, to check everything.

The deposit is hold under the deposit protection scheme, I checked it last month, they (the scheme) have all the information.

I will clean everything to my best standard, and will hope for better. We haven't destroyed anything, tried to keep everything tidy.

We trim the hedges but the landlord payed for the very tall trees to be cut, I wouldn't be risking my life, it's not your responsibility

Yes, we trim the hedge as well. the question is about trees that are for example 4 m in height and above. I’m 1,6 m in height and I have platform ladder that i can use to get to other 1,5 m of branches to tidy them up.

But for higher than this I need to buy another ladder that I dont want to and also I dont want to go 4 m and beyond

We have one acai that is 9 -10 m probably, very old tall tree. But thankfully they don't want that one to be cut)) only 4-6 m trees.

I dont like it and dont want to do this at all. They also have been asking to trim the hedge that sepparates the driveways from our neighbour’s side. It could have been done by neighbour easily, as far as I understand , but I didnt want bad relationship with them, so I did it.

This time it feels like really unreasonable request.

CAB advisor told that it is very unusual thing to ask to tidy up that high, and provided information how to claim our deposit.

I sincerely hope that the agent will call them.
Thank you so much for your replies!

Ok an update..

He yelled at me over the phone and dropped a call when I asked him to call the agent (as they previously told us we are not liable for any tree growth).

He said (yelled) we have to hire someone to do it, if we don't want to do it ourselves.
And that the agent is not managing the property so he won't talk to them.

And I wasn't rude at all, mentioned that we will do all the grass, hedge and so on, how they want it.. but won't cut higher branches.

I called the agent and he told me he will give them a call regarding this issue and from now on all the contacts should be through agency.

Sitting at our new home now, even don't want to go back there...

I would put in writing about this that you both landlord and agents, stating that you dont expect to be shouted at or intimidated.

Make sure you take photos of the reasonably tidy garden, for the deposit protection scheme. If they try to withhold money from your deposit for this, it won’t be upheld, but photos will help you. Best to get them ASAP before anything grows again!