If you own a rental property, you know how much work can be involved in the maintenance.  Other than cleaning the house from top to bottom in between renters, there are a lot of other things to consider.  Landscaping is a big one.  You want your rental home to be welcoming, look appropriate for your location, and be easy to maintain.  There are a few key items that can help keep your rental property’s curb appeal looking it’s best with minimal effort from you!

Hardscaping

This is a big one for the shore region.  Replacing grass with hardscaping features like stone or pavers is almost totally worry-free.  Having a lawn of grass not only requires more work but also more money.  Especially in rental properties along the coastline, maintaining a nice-looking, green lawn can require a lot of work. Between the fertilizing, weed control, and cutting, you could save a lot of time and money by replacing the lawn with stone.  A once or twice a year treatment for weed control and you’re done!  You may even have to do it less if it is used with a good quality weed barrier cloth underneath the stone cover. If there is an opportunity to add a walkway, patio, or other hardscape feature, it can be one more opportunity to keep your curb appeal looking it’s best with minimal effort.

Landscape Alternatives

If you are not a fan of stone, there are other options for replacing grass in a landscape.  Mulch is one possible choice.  Mulch doesn’t only look good visually, it helps in a variety of ways.  One, it helps with weed control.  With a solid barrier of mulch, there won’t be much you have to do to that area. Two, it helps with soil erosion.  So not only does it look nice, it is good for your plants and yard.  Lastly, it helps with water retention.  This is another time and money saver.  Because it helps keep moisture around your plants, you will need to water and fertilize less.

Another landscape alternative is a ground cover option like moss.  If you have the right conditions, moss can give you that beautiful green look without any work at all once it’s established.  Clover and ivy are other options to plant that require little upkeep and also gives a home the look of a green lawn without all the hassle.  There are a few colorful ground cover options also, but they may not provide the year-round ease of other options.

One last choice is turf or fake grass.  This is an increasingly popular option.  It comes in a range of colors and quality.  It is a great alternative for rental homes, especially those that allow pets due to the durability of it.  It looks great all year and requires zero maintenance!

Perennials and Evergreens

If you do have garden beds in your landscape, consider filling a majority of them with perennials.  When you fill a bed with mostly flowers that come back each year, you’ll again save yourself time and money each year.  Instead of having to spend hundreds on annuals each year, perennials last for years. Another great thing about perennials is that they require little daily or weekly maintenance.  Where many annuals will need constant watering and care, a lot of perennials pretty much take care of themselves.

Using ornamental shrubs and evergreens is a great way to fill space in a landscape.  Other than some pruning here and there, many evergreens don’t need you to watch over them.  Most are drought tolerant and are very hardy.

We hope we’ve given you some ideas on how to keep your rental property looking its best without a ton of work.  If you’re looking for more options, be sure to speak with a local landscaper.