You may have heard that you can boost your rental rate for your Palm Harbor rental property if the landscaping includes a tree or two. And, indeed, there is evidence that supports this. But what is not often mentioned is that the type of tree you plant has as much to do with increasing your cash flows. Not all kinds of trees are suited for a rental situation.
The big question, though, is whether or not planting fruit trees on a rental property is a good idea. Since different trees grow better in different climates, it is important to consider all aspects of fruit trees in question before you decide on which type of tree is best.
The Best Trees for Rental Properties
A profitable rental property has great curb appeal. And having one or more shady trees in the yard adds to that curb appeal. When choosing trees for a rental property, choose those that grow well in your climate, have visual appeal, provide good shade, and are also easy to maintain. It may seem like a lot, but you don’t have to worry. Trees that fit the bill in many parts of the country include evergreen arborvitae, spruce, flowering dogwoods, and maple trees. Other good options for rental properties are oak and desert willow. 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 Palm Harbor property managers may talk you into planting a fruit tree as an appealing feature in your rental house. There are also renters who like the idea of having access to fruit straight from the yard. But if your tenant has no experience in taking care of fruit trees, or has the time to maintain them properly, fruit trees can become an unwanted burden. For a lot of renters, the required work that comes with having fruit trees is enough reason for them not to apply for a rental that has one.
Seeing that the best trees for rental properties are low-maintenance, that would exclude fruit trees altogether. The biggest reason you would want to veer away from planting fruit trees at a rental property is the mess and maintenance that comes with them. Fruit trees usually take years of care before they produce fruit. Some are also very picky about heat, cold, watering amounts, and the like.
Fruit trees have to be pruned and fumigated regularly if you want them to bear good fruit every year, and most people don’t know much about this. Fruit often attracts unwanted insects and rodents as well, which your tenant may not be happy dealing with. If you or your tenant will not be able to put in the time and effort required to care for fruit trees, it is probably better to avoid them altogether.
Fruit Trees in the Lease Documents
If you are willing to take the responsibility of having fruit trees on your rental property, your lease should clearly stipulate 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 you can hire a professional to do it for them.
At Real Property Management TradeWinds, 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.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
