You may be wondering if including some trees in your Suwanee rental property’s landscaping can help boost your rental rate. And there is, indeed, some good evidence to support that claim. What you should note, though, is that the type of tree you plant has an impact on your cash flows. Not all trees are appropriate for a rental situation.
The real question is actually if planting fruit trees on a rental property is a smart idea. There are no hard and fast rules about which type of tree is best, considering different trees grow better in different climates, but you have to consider all aspects of fruit trees before making your final decision.
The Best Trees for Rental Properties
A profitable rental property has great curb appeal. And a usual part of the curb appeal is a beautiful shady tree in the yard. In a nutshell, the best trees for a rental property would be those that thrive in your climate, over visual appeal and shade, and are also easy to maintain. These trees are actually not hard to find. Trees that fit the bill in many parts of the country include evergreen arborvitae, spruce, flowering dogwoods, and maple trees. You can also go for oak and desert willow for your rental properties. These kinds of trees grow well, offer good shade after a short period of time, and don’t need a lot of pruning from year to year.
The Skinny on Fruit Trees
Some Suwanee property managers may recommend planting a fruit tree to increase the appeal of a rental house. There are also some renters who like the idea of growing and harvesting fruit straight from the yard. But if your tenant is not experienced in caring for and maintaining fruit trees or doesn’t have the time to do the job, fruit trees can end up becoming an unwanted burden. For some renters, the work required by fruit trees can be a big drawback, so they may not even apply for a rental that has them.
Since the trees that go well with rental properties are low-maintenance, that means fruit trees are off the list. A probable big reason for not planting fruit trees at a rental property is the mess and maintenance that comes with them. Most fruit trees take years of care and growth before they start bearing fruit. Some trees also need special conditions when it comes to heat, cold, or watering amounts in order to thrive.
Fruit trees also need to be pruned and fumigated if you want them to bear fruit year after year, and this is something most people don’t know much about. In addition to that, fruit often attracts unwanted insects and rodents which can be a problem your tenant would prefer not to deal with. Unless you or your tenant are willing and able to dedicate time and effort to caring for fruit trees, it is probably best to avoid them.
Fruit Trees in the Lease Documents
If you are willing to take on the responsibility of having fruit trees on your rental property, you need to be very clear in your lease about your tenant’s obligations where those trees are concerned. It is not enough to assign landscaping maintenance to your tenant; they may not realize that this includes regular pruning and clean-up after fruit trees, which is a lot of extra work. If you will not be taking care of the trees yourself, be sure that your lease documents stipulate that the tenants need to care for the trees or hire a professional to do it for them.
At Real Property Management Executives Greater Atlanta, we work with rental property owners like you to help create beautiful, low-maintenance landscaping your tenants won’t mind keeping up. Contact us today to learn more.
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