To expect Landlord to reimburse for garden costs

[Natureninja]

Hi!
I started renting a property a few months ago. When I initially viewed it the garden was a mess and fairly unusable. I was told the landlord had received complaints about it from previous tenants as well as people viewing the property, and was assured that the landlord was going to fix this and redo the garden area. However, I haven’t heard anything further about this and when I’ve asked he says it’ll get done soon but hasn’t mentioned a date, so I feel like it’ll never actually get done!

I do like gardening and am happy to make the improvements myself but AIBU to expect the Landlord to reimburse me for the cost of doing this?

Would really appreciate any advice, thank you!

You’d have to get written agreement beforehand if you’re expecting reimbursement. And landlord would be within their rights to say no. If you’re going to save them a job, they might be happy to just pay costs, they might want to check whether you intend to then take anything with you when you move on - pots etc.

Don’t incur any expenses without an agreement in place!

I think it depends what you are having done.
If its news plants then YABU, if its a new patio/decking because the old one dangerous then YANBU

I would say LL has no intention of doing anything to the garden.
I would also say you will never get any money back.
If its something you would enjoy doing/will improve your enjoyment/ can be done at minimal cost( or plant into containers) do it. Otherwise not.

Are you talking weeding & mowing? That is likely to be your responsibility - check your tenancy agreement

If it's broken patio slabs, unsafe decking, fence falling down etc. then landlord should be paying for repairs

dont understand why a landlord wouldnt get it done. Its his porperty hes looking after isnt it? dosent he want to keep on top of it?

You shouldn’t make any changes with written permission.

If you did you would be expected to put it back as it was and you wouldn’t be reimbursed.

You'd be very unreasonable (and foolish) to "expect".

Ask. Get something in writing. Have it formally agreed in advance.

Or just do basic tidying rather than anything major. Like the difference between cleaning your home (your job) and putting in a new kitchen (landlord's).

This time of year he's maybe struggling to get a tradesman in

The landlord is putting it off and probably has a vague plan to do it themselves at some indeterminate future time.

Due to this "plan" to do it at no cost, they probably psychologically consider it "done".

I doubt they'll thank you for offering to do it for money since it is "done" (obviously not ACTUALLY done) so definitely get any agreement in writing if you get one at all.

Any work you do before an agreement will turn out to have been "not needed" or "about to have been done by my mate for free" or some other arseholery.

If it is unsafe in some way eg broken patio stones etc he has a duty to do it. If just untidy and overgrown eg cutting grass or weeding overgrown borders that was the last tenant's responsibility. You could ask for a nominal amount, to tidy up and see what he says. You as a new tenant should be responsible for mowing the lawn and keeping it tidy now, although it should have been better when you took it on. I'm a LL and I'd happily pay you to sort it out by deducting a sum of your first rent.

I would just do it. We have spent the morning mowing strumming cutting back doing the gutters and tomorrow pressure washing the concrete. Patio etc. Bedding plants planted and Dug a veg plot. So long as they are imporovements it should be fine. Don't expect reupimbursement tho just do it for your own pleasure

Well , obviously not .

I think it depends what it is. I spent a few hundred plants for my last garden but I refused to buy stones to refill the whole garden and the decking- it would have been £1000s. I offered several times to the agents that I was happy to share some costs but I wouldn't be doing it alone.
I'm glad I didn't as I was given 2 months notice after 6 years.

Simple plants and maintenance yes.
Big changes inc decking, patio, etc NO

If you didn't get these assurances in writing then you took on the property and garden in the condition it was in.
If it's something that's unsafe then the LL should not have been allowed to let it in the first place and the EA is at fault.
If it's cosmetic just a mess and you took it on then you've got no chance of claiming anything back.

I don't think it's that type of maintenence the op means. More the permanent aspects.
Everyone does the general maintenance.

More details and pics please OP
is it full of junk ?
overgrown?
rotten decking?

they all need different approaches I think

Thank you for the responses!
I’ve added some photos as appreciate it’s hard to assume what it looks like. But I feel like it definitely needs a bit more than basic gardening! I’ll ask and wait for his response before making any changes. Thanks

Check your tenancy agreement but don’t spend money if something needs fixing big time. My tenants are responsible for upkeep of their garden but I left it in an easy to maintain state, they just need to cut the grass/keep the shrubs under control. They certainly don’t have to do any major repairs.

You should have had some agreement in writing about him getting the garden sorted before you signed the lease . If you are dealing with an agent get them out to look at it .

People here saying get things in writing, that doesn't mean a thing, unfortunately. I had it in writing from my LL and estate agent that within a month of me moving in, 8 jobs were to be completed (installing a shower, getting a front door fixed, getting new kitchen cupboards, some windows replaced that needed fixing etc.). Exactly one job got done in the year I lived there - I got told the LL was waiting for more income from my tenancy. When I complained after a year I got served with a S21...

OP, I would tidy the garden as best you can, but the photos seem to show that most jobs that need doing are beyond what you are responsible for as a tenant. I wouldn't rely on your LL to ever get it done, though.

I'm in the 'wait for a response' camp as well.

DD has a ramshackle fence in her garden, their neighbour stained her side which dripped through a bit so DD asked landlord if she could stain hers to try and make it look a bit better. She was paying.
LL said no, on the basis that if she stained it once he'd have to do it in the future. Weird, but there you go.

There is also an extremely dangerous shed in her garden too he wont do anything about and wont let her arrange to be removed either. Just keeping the peace for now as she's buying and about to give notice anyway.

That’s not how it works.

You accept a house as seen and any improvements should be approved and really at YOUR cost not theirs

If it was going to bother you so much then why take the house at all?

When he said the garden would be 'sorted' what's his version of 'sorted'?

I would say the weeding is your responsibility. It's not that overgrown and it would be better to pull out the big ones and spray the rest before they really take off in the next couple of weeks.

The cheapest and easiest solution would be to gravel it with a few of the slabs (which look to be raised?) through it.

It then depends how much you care what it looks like. Your landlord will probably buy the cheapest most depressing grey gravel. Cotswold or pea gravel would look much nicer but is pricier. Is the back accessible for a hiab delivery? It's an easy job if so. Lay down the membrane, cut though the bags and rake it out.

Have a think about what you want and price up however many tons you are likely to need then email him some options. Showing you are proactive and care about it might go in your favour.

I'd be focusing largely on a container garden so you can take it with you if you ever move and perhaps a few easy small flowerbeds using log roll or such like.