Although the most intensive pruning, including tree and shrub shaping, should be done during the growing season, there are necessary tasks that demand to be done 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 necessary part of rental property maintenance. This kind of pruning is about aesthetics and maintaining property value via curb appeal. By pruning away the problematic parts of the tree or shrub, you encourage healthy new growth while ensuring your plants are strong for the upcoming winter.
Keeping trees and bushes trimmed is also a big step in 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.
While the tree or bushes do not fall, overgrown foliage can cause 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 alongside other things. Thick foliage also attracts insects and other pests, which can damage the property or transmit diseases to your tenants and their pets. All of these are important reasons to make pruning back overgrown trees and bushes an indispensable part of your fall property maintenance.
Even though residents can repetitively be counted upon to accomplish basic yard maintenance, pruning is a distinct obligation that you should not require them to do. A resident could kill your trees or bushes by not knowing how and when to prune properly. Their lack of ability or the lackluster result could develop into even more expensive landscaping repairs afterward. Residents will also require a ladder and other equipment, but be mindful that ladders are liable for more than 164,000 injuries and 36,000 deaths in the United States every year. As the Dallas 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 in a sticky situation, hire a Dallas property manager. Real Property Management Legend supervises property maintenance, tenant dealings, rents, and more. Our group of property management experts can operate any necessary fall pruning that your property desires, making certain that it is done perfectly and as competitively as achievable. To learn more about us and what we can offer property owners such as you, contact us online or call us at 214-235-2427 today.