Everybody acknowledges the fact that there are many factors to weigh when pruning the trees on your Loveland rental property this fall. Several property owners know that pruning is a necessary element of keeping your rental property’s landscaping and plants healthy. Pruning is also an essential component of preventing damage to the property. By considering as much as you can regarding the who, what, why, and how of fall pruning, you can warrant that this crucial seasonal task is being completed accurately by the right people every year.
Even though the most intensive pruning, including tree and shrub shaping, should be done during the growing season, there are critical responsibilities that need to be fulfilled throughout the fall season. Removing dead or low-hanging branches, the same with any new growth that is obstructing doorways, driveways, or walkways, is a central part of rental property maintenance. This kind of pruning is about aesthetics and maintaining property value via curb appeal. By pruning away problematic parts of the tree or shrub, you encourage healthy new growth while keeping your plants strong for the upcoming winter.
Keeping trees and bushes trimmed is also a key part of keeping your tenants safe. Dead branches pose a serious safety risk to tenants and other visitors. Should a dead tree fall on a tenant, a visitor, or even a neighbor, you might be held liable for any legal or medical costs. Overgrown trees and bushes can likely be more of a risk during severe weather events if they cause damage to vehicles and/or the rental home. If an overgrown tree or bush falls and damages the house or the tenant’s personal property, you may wind up footing the bill.
Even though the tree or bushes do not fall, overgrown foliage can ignite other types of property damage. Bushes and trees growing near foundations, walls, or other structures can weaken the cement or brick. Roots can push up structures from underneath, cracking foundations on top of other elements. Thick foliage also tends to invite insects and other pests, which can cause damage to the property or transmit diseases to your tenants and their pets. All of these are significant reasons to make pruning back overgrown trees and bushes an essential part of your fall property maintenance.
Tenants can often be trusted when it comes to basic yard maintenance; however, pruning is one job that you must not ask them to do. A tenant could kill your trees or bushes by having no concept of how and when to prune properly. Their lack of understanding or a mediocre job of doing it could end in even more expensive landscaping repair in the future. Tenants will also need a ladder and other equipment, but keep in mind that ladders are considered the culprit for more than 164,000 injuries and 36,000 deaths in the United States each year. As the Loveland property owner, you could be held liable should any of your tenants injure themselves.
So, what’s a real estate investor to do? To avoid being set in a sticky situation, hire a Loveland property manager. Real Property Management of the Rockies practices property maintenance, tenant relations, leases, and a whole lot more. Our team of property management experts can handle any necessary fall pruning your property needs, making sure that it is done correctly and as economically as possible. To learn more about us and what we can offer property owners such as yourself, contact us online or call us at 970-658-0410 today.
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