The Backyarder’s Bible

The last few weeks here at the Hometown Rant, we’ve been talking about various obligations of renters and landlords that come with the advent of the Summer season. This week though, we’re shifting gears to talk about the fun stuff that comes with the hot weather. Contained within are the do’s and don’t for Renters and Landlords alike trying to maximize awesomeness in the piece of your rental property that isn’t indoors.

Renters, If you’ve been following our advice from the beginning, your garden should already have some tasty produce that’s ready to eat, so it’s time to get your grillin’ game on! You can skewer your Zucchini and Peppers and throw them right on grill, or top your burgers with hearty home-grown Kale instead of the crunchy water that passes for lettuce at the grocery store.

Landlords of houses with a yard might even consider providing a basic charcoal grill with the rental to sweeten the pot, and to make sure that if renters do want to grill, they’re using something that won’t burn the house down. Renters, this would be a good point to mention that grilling on a wooden deck is illegal in some states, so make sure you’re abiding by all local laws (and laws of common sense) when cooking outdoors. All this information should be in your lease, by the way, so look there first.

Now that you’re grillin’ hard, you’ll probably want to invite the neighbors over for a good time, but what are they going to sit on? You could drag over that couch that somebody down the street is throwing away, but do you really want to have to get rid of it once it rains a few times and the mildew moves in for good? No, you don’t. Invest in some lawn furniture that won’t begin to decay in a matter of weeks.

Landlords, you might consider doing this before you rent the property out, if only to dissuade tenants from using whatever they can find, eyesore or not. Plasti-rondacks are a cheap, relatively classy solution for your seating needs, though depending on how rural your rental property is and how high the expectations of your guests are, you might even get away with some nice stumps arranged in a circle.

Ideally, there’d be a fire in the center of your stump-circle, but once again renters, check your local legislation and your lease to see if that’s something you’re allowed to do. Most cities require a fire to be in a contained, raised pit, which is another good thing to invest in if you don’t have one already. I know it seems cheaper renters, but don’t just dig a hole and line it with rocks. You’ll only have to fill it in later, and getting the grass to grow there again is going to take longer than you want. Also, be careful of low-hanging trees and drunk friends. Both can cause big problems if they catch on fire.

Finally, don’t forget to have a good time out there! For Property Owners and Landlords, enjoy the yards of your own homes, and make sure that the yards of your rental properties are enjoyable too–it’s the part of the house that’ll make the first impression, and it should be a large factor in renters picking your property over all the other ones out there. For renters, sometimes maintaining a property can seem like a lot of work, and we forget to sit back and enjoy the space that we live in, but nothing beats a great backyard for taking a load off.

Do you have rental questions of your own? Comments? Concerns? Love letters? Hate mail? Hit us up: Hometownrant@hometownrent.com

 

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