Upkeep of trees? who's responsible?

[Judithb25]

I have a tenant whom I recently issued a S21 to. The elderly next door neighbour to my property rang a few days later to complain that the bushes are not being maintained and are not only growing into her garden at the back but are alo growing onto the footpath at the front. She also complanined that a mutual drain is being filled with dirt when she cleans up after her dog and that the tenant refuses to clean it (it is exactly in between my property and next doors). The tenant has said to the neighbour that she doesn't care about her complaints as she will be leaving soon. Is there anything I can do? are the bushes and garden my responsibility or hers?

Thanks!

[Webb]

Yours surely, as the owner! Don't expect the departing tenant to take any responsibility, whatever the agreement might state.

However, if the trees are on a boundary that belongs to the neighbour, they might then be the neighbour's responsibility. In that case you would need to check your deeds for the ownership of the boundary. You should establish exactly what you own.

I would give the neighbour the benefit of any doubt and resolve the problem yourself before you re-let.

[Trenners]

I totally agree with Webb - if you are proposing to re-let your property anytime soon then you are going to have to present it in an acceptable fashion.

This means maintaining the garden and the drain and anything else that needs doing - otherwise you are likely to have the property empty (as tenants do not want to rent poorly maintained property) and this is going to cost you a lot more (in lost rent) than sending a handyman around to sort the place out.