There are still plenty of considerations and information that one must consider regarding pruning the trees at your Omaha rental property this fall. Most property owners understand that pruning is an essential part of keeping your rental property’s landscaping and plants healthy. Pruning is also a necessary part of preventing damage to the property. By understanding as much as you can about the who, what, why, and how of fall pruning, you can guarantee that this crucial seasonal task is being accomplished properly 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 are still major responsibilities that require completion during the fall season. Removing dead or low-hanging branches, as well as any new growth that is obstructing doorways, driveways, or walkways, is an important part of 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 making ensuring your plants strong for the upcoming winter.
Keeping trees and bushes trimmed is also an essential component 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.
Even when the tree or bushes do not fall, overgrown foliage can produce other types 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 amongst other things. Thick foliage also tends to attract insects and other pests, which can cause damage to 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 a vital element of your fall property maintenance.
Though tenants can every now and then be trusted to conduct basic yard maintenance, pruning is one assignment that you should not ask them to do. A tenant could kill your trees or bushes by having no idea nor experience even with how and when to prune properly. Their lack of knowledge or poor execution could result in even more expensive landscaping repair in the future. Tenants will also need a ladder and other equipment, but remember that ladders are the culprits for more than 164,000 injuries and 36,000 deaths in the United States each year. As the Omaha property owner, you could be deemed liable should any of your tenants injure themselves.
So, what’s a real estate investor to do? To save yourself from being put in a sticky situation, hire an Omaha property manager. Real Property Management Legacy handles property maintenance, tenant relations, leases, and more. Our team of property management experts can take on any necessary fall pruning your property needs, making sure that it is done correctly and as economically as possible. To learn more about us and what we can offer property owners such as yourself, contact us online or call us at 402-905-0459 today.
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