How will you maintain the yard when you’re renting out a property in Irvine, Long Beach, or one of the surrounding communities? What about the pool? A lot of single-family homes in southern California are rented with a pool. You’ll need to maintain it, keep it clean, and make sure it’s not a liability or a risk to your tenants. 

Will this be a responsibility for your renters or will you take care of pool and yard maintenance? 

Whatever you decide, make sure it’s clearly stated in the lease agreement. Talk to your tenants about what you expect before they move in. 

If you’re unsure about who should hold these responsibilities, here are a few ways to handle it at your rental property. 

Pools and Rental Property in Southern California 

Offering a pool with your property is a great way to attract tenants and increase your rental value. Who will take care of it while tenants are in your house? 

• Safety Concerns

In California, any pool built or remodeled after 2007 requires a pool fence. In addition to the fence, safety features are required such as pool covers and alarms on doors that lead directly to the pool area. Make sure you are meeting all the requirements before renting out a home with a pool. 

• Hire Professional Pool Cleaners

Your tenants may be willing to care for the pool on their own, but we believe it’s your job as the owner of the property to ensure the pool is clean and maintained. There’s a risk involved in leaving your tenants to clean and maintain the pool. They may not do a good job, and then you end up with a pool that’s neglected and equipment that’s broken. This will cost you a lot more than professional pool cleaners. You also don’t want them mixing pool chemicals. 

Use a professional pool vendor with the appropriate licensures and insurance. If you get on a recurring service plan where they routinely clean the pool, inspect the structure, and test the water composition, you can save some money. It’s not improper to roll the cost of pool care into the monthly rent. 

Lawn Care and Landscaping Responsibilities 

If the yard provided with your property is small, it’s reasonable to ask your tenants to take care of any mowing, weeding, and watering that’s necessary. If you’re renting a property with a large yard or complicated landscaping, it might be better to hire professionals. 

When you decide that tenants will be responsible for taking care of the yard, make sure it’s in your lease agreement. In fact, you should include it in your marketing and your listing as well. You don’t want to attract tenants who have no interest in lawn maintenance. Of course, your tenants will always have the option to hire their own lawn professionals to mow and care for the grounds. 

If you’re going to keep the lawn care and landscaping responsibilities yourself, hire your own team to go to the property weekly or monthly, depending on your rental home’s unique needs, to mow and take care of the garden and lawn. 

This will ensure that your standards are met. Tenants who don’t want any lawn responsibilities will be attracted to this set-up as well. You can always build the monthly landscaping charges into the rental amount to keep your own costs down.

Make sure you’re up to date on pool safety laws and include all these responsibilities in your lease agreement. For help navigating these questions as they pertain to your rental property, please don’t hesitate to contact us at HCM Property Management.