There are a lot of aspects to understand about pruning the trees at your Allentown rental property this fall. Nearly all property owners grasp that pruning is a required chore in order to keep your rental property’s landscaping and plants healthy. Pruning is also a necessary part of preventing damage to the property. By noting as much as you can about the who, what, why, and how of fall pruning, you can certify that this principal seasonal task is being accomplished accordingly 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 is a need for it to also be executed during the fall season. Removing dead or low-hanging branches, as well as any new growth that is obstructing doorways, driveways, or walkways, is a smart means of action for 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 nurturing your plants for the upcoming winter.
Keeping trees and bushes trimmed is also an important 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 could be held liable for any legal or medical costs. Overgrown trees and bushes can also 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.
Despite the possibility that the trees or bushes do not become an obstacle, overgrown foliage can create other kinds 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 as well as other things. Thick foliage also typically invites insects and other pests, which can foster damage to the property or transmit diseases to your tenants and their pets. All of these are major elements to make pruning back overgrown trees and bushes a mandatory stage of your fall property maintenance.
Although tenants can often be asked to implement basic yard maintenance, pruning is a particular job that you should not require them to do. A dweller could kill your trees or bushes by not knowing how and when to prune properly. Their lack of knowledge or execution could create an even more expensive landscaping repair in the future. Tenants will also need a ladder and other equipment, but be aware that ladders are the cause of more than 164,000 injuries and 36,000 deaths in the United States per year. As the Allentown 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 a being in a sticky situation, hire an Allentown property manager. Real Property Management Lehigh Valley deals with property retainment, tenant interactions, rents, and more. Our team of property management experts can negotiate any necessary fall pruning your property requires, making certain that it is perfected satisfactorily and as efficiently as possible. To get to know more about us and how we can help property owners such as you, contact us online or call us at 484-544-3351 today.
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