Outdoor cleaning and maintenance: how to do it right

The terrain that surrounds it emphasized the real beauty of an object. Well-kept green areas, trees, flowers, bushes … but also spacious parking lots, clean paths, etc. are part of the overall picture. An important point is the sustainable outdoor cleaning and care of outdoor facilities.

Professional Landscaping Team Working In Garden. Man and woman are walking in garden and carrying gardening equipment. outdoor cleaning stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images

In practice, a number of questions often arise in connection with this topic. Who is responsible for cleaning the outdoor facilities? Does the landlord have a continuous cleaning obligation? Can tenants clean the outdoor facilities?

Together we will go through all the questions in this article and not only support you in finding the right answers but also give you valuable tips for effective outdoor cleaning.

Cleaning of outdoor facilities – what is involved in practice?

Outdoor facilities can only be perfectly cleaned in a wide variety of care and maintenance measures are carried out throughout the year. The larger the facility and associated parking spaces, playgrounds, or the more trees, lawns, or bushes grow on it, the greater the additional work involved.

It is not only about the visually appealing appearance of the system but also about safety according to the regulations of the legislator. Footpaths, sidewalks, and access roads must also be regularly cleared of leaves, snow, and ice during the months in question. This is the only way to ensure that risks of personal injury or damage to property are minimized even in the darker months of the year.

The following checklist is intended to give you an overview of the activities that may become necessary. However, these are always strongly dependent on how the outdoor facilities are designed in your specific case. Depending on your personal requirements on site, the areas of responsibility can be individually expanded.

Cleaning and care of outdoor facilities – checklist

Lawn care mowing, fertilizing, watering, etc.
Green cuttings from hedges, bushes and trees
Removing weeds or dead flowers
Irrigation of green areas and plants
Removal / disposal of green waste
Replacement of plants or new plantings
Seasonal tasks such as leaf care or winter service
Cleaning and clearing of paths and parking areas
Maintenance of playgrounds
Provision of garbage for garbage collection
Cleaning of sidewalks and driveways
Maintenance and technical support for lights, electric gates, fences, and driveways in the outdoor area
Taking on other activities according to individual requirements

Does the landlord have a cleaning obligation?

Who actually takes care of the property and green space maintenance? Are there clear provisions or variable options here? Can landlords and tenants also take on the obligations?

In principle, the cleaning and care of outdoor facilities is initially the responsibility of the landlord or owner. At least as long as there are no other provisions in the rental agreement.

In theory, the owner can carry out all the tasks that arise as part of the landlord’s cleaning obligation himself or commission a service provider to carry out the work. As a rule, this is the case most of the time.

By commissioning a provider, the landlord hands over the proper execution of all necessary activities, for example, to a caretaker service. This ensures that we implement professionally all tasks defined within the scope of the order and on time.

The landlord receives invoices from the service provider in line with the services; I have incurred which transparently breaks down which costs for which services.

How can the landlord deal with the costs incurred? Can he charge the tenant for this?

Can the landlord pass on the costs for cleaning and maintenance of outdoor facilities to the tenant?

If the landlord takes over the cleaning of outdoor facilities, he is entitled to pass on the costs incurred for this to his tenants. The maintenance of the outdoor facilities and garden should be mentioned in writing in the rental agreement, as should all types of additional costs.

Operating Costs Ordinance. What is interesting in this context is the provision as to what exactly counts as operating costs: In the area of outdoor facilities, these include “the costs of street cleaning and waste disposal, or “the costs of garden maintenance.

For example, the landlord may bear the personnel costs for the maintenance of the outdoor facilities, the maintenance of the outdoor areas, replacement of plantings Operating Costs Ordinance – costs for plant replacements can be passed on to the tenant), the trimming of hedges and trees, lawn care, parking lot and playground cleaning, maintenance of items such as benches, etc., electricity and petrol costs, e.g. B. for the lawn mower.

If in doubt, as the owner, please find out individually which costs relating to the outdoor areas you can pass on to your tenants. Apart from the obligations of the landlord – are there also possibilities for the tenant to be obliged to clean?

Under what circumstances does the tenant have a cleaning obligation?

It is also possible to have the cleaning of outdoor facilities carried out by tenants. But only if this regulation was explicitly stated and agreed upon in the rental agreement.

There are also a number of restrictions on the cleaning of outdoor facilities by tenants. As a landlord, you are not allowed to specify which measures must be carried out or when they must be implemented.

The tenant decides completely independently what to do in the area of the outdoor facilities or what work to do at what intervals. Only if the outdoor facilities are neglected may the owner explicitly point out the tenant’s clearing obligation.

In individual cases, however, different views on the subject lead to disputes, which are increasingly even being discussed in court.

Has the tenant not cleaned the outdoor facilities? In this case, the landlord has the right to request the tenant to fulfill his obligations in the event of neglect. If he still does not comply with them, the landlord can commission a service provider to carry it out and pass on the costs for this to the tenant.

Ideally, both parties should not even let it get that far when it comes to cleaning and maintaining outdoor facilities. For example, it is possible to contractually record in advance which tasks the tenant will actually take on and when in the outdoor area.

Legal and planning security around the cleaning of outdoor facilities

Our article shows: As a landlord or owner, you have various options for professional cleaning and maintaining outdoor facilities. As part of the landlord’s cleaning obligation, you can carry it out yourself, hire a professional service provider to do it, or specify the cleaning of outdoor facilities by tenants in the rental agreement.

Unfortunately, in practice, the tenant’s obligation to clean often leads to disputes and a lack of planning security. An experienced service provider ensures that outdoor facilities are maintained regularly and in a sustainable manner. It is possible for landlords to pass on the costs to tenants.