Can landlord forcibly increase rent to cover lawn services?

Question

lived in a rental home for 7 years. Been a good tenant, paid on time, no disturbances, etc. We really keep to ourselves. I'm a single mom and I have a severely disabled kiddo. We have a mammoth yard that he can't even play in bcuz of disability. I used to pay someone to cut the grass but came into some financial problems and couldn't afford to do it anymore. Physically it is difficult to cut the grass myself--I do my best to take care of it--but it takes 2-3 hours just to do the backyard. I can't leave my son alone that long. Today landlord advised me of monthly rental increase of $50 for mandatory lawn service. The yard only requires maintenance 5 months out of the year--So they're totally making money off this. But I was told either pay the $50 or leave. Can they do this? This whole yard thing has been a point of contention because her father enters the yard anytime he wants and was storing a trailer and toilets until I said something. That's when all problems started.

Answer 1

If your lease specified that you were responsible for the lawn maintenance and you fail to maintain the yard, the landlord can hire it out and charge you, the tenant.

Even if your lease expired, the terms are still in effect.

Since you are month to month, the landlord only needs to give you 30 days notice to change any terms of the lease, such as a rent increase for any reason or none at all.

If you do not agree with the increase you can always give proper written notice and move out.

You could have hired it out and paid for the service yourself.

Answer 2

Check your lease. If there is no clause in there providing for rent increases, he has no legal basis for doing so. Otherwise, I'm afraid he can pretty much do as he pleases.

I would try reasoning with him before threatening any kind of legal action. May agree to pay a -reasonable- increase in rent for the months that lawn care is required, with rent dropping back to the normal rate during the fall and winter? If you're civil about it, you'll be much more likely to reach a resolution with him.

Answer 3

Obviously you haven't been around to price the cutting of a lawn lately.

You know how much I pay someone to cut my grass PER WEEK?  

I pay $50....that is $200 per month.  That's up $15 from last year...gas costs money.

You rented the home promising that you would take care of the yard.  Instead of forcing you to do that and fining you for a lease violation, the landlord has come up with an alternative.

Folks, it doesn't matter what her lease says....the landlord has  a right to have the lawn maintained, he can either give her the $50 as a fine or raise the rent each month...take your pick, but she can't ignore the lawn, and put that cost onto the landlord when he didn't agree to that.

You can't have it both ways.  He's not going to let you ignore the lawn AND pay someone else to cut it without charging you.

All he has to give you is  a 30-day notice.  You can also move if you want.  

Yes, they can do that.

Answer 4

your lease will tell you--have you read it??  Any renewal is an opportunity for renegotiation, so make it a point to clarify the yard maintenance in your lease.  No rental increase is legal outside of the lease contract period, but the increase can be made a part of a renewal of the lease.  READ CAREFULLY

Answer 5

Yes your landlord can raise the rent any time they want.  Whether its to pay for the law service or not.