You have probably been told that having a tree on your Hampton 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 kinds of trees will be 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. When choosing trees for a rental property, choose those that grow well in your climate, have visual appeal, provide good shade, and are also easy to maintain. These trees are actually not hard to find. Trees that fit the bill in many parts of the country include evergreen arborvitae, spruce, flowering dogwoods, and maple trees. Other good options for rental properties are oak and desert willow. 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
Some Hampton property managers may recommend planting a fruit tree to increase the appeal of a rental house. Some renters like the idea of having access to fruit straight from the yard. But unless your tenant has experience in the care and maintenance of fruit trees and has time to do the job well, fruit trees can be an unwanted burden. 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.
Seeing that the best trees for rental properties are low-maintenance, that would exclude fruit trees altogether. A big reason for foregoing fruit trees at a rental property is the mess and maintenance that comes with them. Most fruit trees only produce fruit after years of care and growth. Some are also sensitive to heat, cold, watering amounts, and so on.
Fruit trees also need to be pruned and fumigated if you want them to bear fruit year after year, and this is something most people don’t know much about. In addition, fruit often attracts unwanted insects and rodents, which can be a problem your tenant won’t enjoy 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 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 will not be taking care of the trees yourself, be sure that your lease documents stipulate that the tenants need to care for the trees or you can hire a professional to do it for them.
At Real Property Management Seacoast New Hampshire, 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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