You may have heard that you can boost your rental rate for your Gonzales rental property if the landscaping includes a tree or two. There is actually some good evidence that supports that. But you must also know that the type of tree you plant will also influence how much your cash flows increase. Not all kinds of trees will be appropriate for a rental situation.
The real question is actually if it is a good idea to plant fruit trees on a rental property. 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 a huge part of that curb appeal is having a beautiful, shady tree in the yard. 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. It may seem like a tall order but it is actually not that hard to find. Trees that fit the bill in many parts of the country include evergreen arborvitae, spruce, flowering dogwoods, and maple trees. Other great options for rental properties are oak and desert willow. These trees grow well, offer shade, and don’t have to be pruned annually.
The Skinny on Fruit Trees
Some Gonzales property managers might suggest planting a fruit tree as a feature in your rental house. Some renters do like the idea of being able to 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 many renters, the time and effort required to take care of fruit trees are big enough of a drawback that they may not even apply for a rental that has them.
If the ideal trees for rental properties are low-maintenance, that leaves fruit trees out of the list. The biggest possible reason to avoid fruit trees at a rental property is the mess and maintenance that comes with them. Typically, fruit trees require years of care and growth before they bear fruit. Some are also very sensitive to heat, cold, watering amounts, and other conditions.
Fruit trees also need proper pruning and fumigation in order to produce fruit every year. Most people do not know much about this, either. In addition, fruit often attracts unwanted insects and rodents, which can be a problem your tenant won’t enjoy dealing with. If you or your tenant are not willing to put in the time and effort to care for the fruit trees, it is probably best to avoid them.
Fruit Trees in the Lease Documents
If you are willing to accept the responsibility of caring for fruit trees on your rental property, you have to include clauses in your lease that clearly state what your tenant’s obligations are 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. If you don’t plan to take care of the trees yourself, make sure you explain 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 Baton Rouge, we work with rental property owners like you to help create beautifully, low-maintenance landscaping your tenants won’t mind keeping up. Contact us today to learn more.
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