When choosing how to design this outdoor space, keeping the design low maintenance is critical to maximize the draw of your future tenants. Most people want to live in a home that has great curb appeal, but without doing a lot of work. And as much as they want to enjoy a great outdoor space, they also want to save money. Finding the right balance of beauty, function and affordability is key. Here are some low maintenance landscaping ideas for your rental home. 

Lush green grass is a beautiful commodity but it comes with a price. Maintaining a lawn is often a lot of hard work and can also be very time consuming and costly. Tenants who move in do not want to spend a good portion of time mowing and weed eating the lawn. They also do not want to have to pay a landscape company to do it either. Minimizing the amount of grassy area to maintain will not only save time and money from a maintenance perspective, but it will also save water and potential costs of needing to aerate, fertilize and also reseed in the future. 

Here are a few ideas to consider as an alternative to the traditional grass space that will still offer an inviting area for your tenants to enjoy.

What tenant wouldn’t enjoy a great outdoor space to sit and hangout with family and friends on a crisp fall evening? Creating a sitting area out of a portion of the grass lawn is an upgrade that most would be thrilled to have.

If you choose to redesign the layout of your yard, choosing low maintenance resources to complete your redesign project will be essential. Concrete is low maintenance and would create a blank canvas for your new tenants to add their own personal touches to. Pavers are also a great alternative, with the added bonus of being easy to individually replace should one be broken or damaged. 

If you’re looking for something a little more inviting, rubber pavers are also available, although they are more costly than the concrete options. Other resources to consider as a base for your new conversation area are mulch, small stones, or bricks. 

 

High traffic areas around the yard often end up needing to be reseeded, as they wear down quickly and can become an eyesore. Creating a dedicated walkway from pavers, poured concrete, or bricks will quickly assist in preventing these dead spots, while at the same time adding curb appeal and a warm welcome to the exterior of your rental property.

More and more people nowadays are installing raised gardening beds at their homes. Although using these beds would require work and maintenance, often people enjoy this type of “work” as a hobby. Many individuals find gardening to be very relaxing. The beauty of the flowers they plant or the bonus of having homegrown vegetables is worth their efforts. And if your tenants do not want to put the work in, then they can also choose not to plant anything or use the garden beds at all.

Landscape mulch is an inexpensive and extremely effective resource to cover large areas, while also making the lines of the yard look clean and crisp. Mulch is simple enough for anyone to spread, and the only maintenance it requires is to put a fresh layer on top every year or so.

Generously apply mulch around landscape shrubs and trees, in garden beds, and outlining pathways.

Low-growing and hardy plants that spread are another alternative to the traditional lawn. Ground cover is an attractive choice to keep the natural feel of the outdoors, while providing a softer look than some of the other concrete hardscapes that have been previously mentioned. 

Do your research online or ask a professional at the local nursery which ground cover plants would be the best choices for your space and sunlight requirements.

Choosing the right plants for each specific part of the yard is crucial for easy maintenance. As you shop for your plants, keep in mind how much water, sunlight and space each plant will need, and always check what grow zone the plant is recommended for and make sure it matches up with where your property is located.

Having an attractive yard is an asset when it comes to finding a new tenant to lease your property. Follow these low maintenance landscaping ideas for your rental property and enjoy the benefit of saving valuable time and money when you resign your landscape to attract potential renters.