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Almost 2-years ago I posted this about failing our first rental inspection, then passing.
Well this fall will be the next 2-year inspection. We've done A LOT of work on the gardens; front yard is finished with no changes being made. Side gardens are finished; all I have to do with those 3 is to weed. The back yard we are leveling and stepping into shape for eventual retaining walls by hand, since there's no way to get heavy equipment back there, though we have added drainage due to flooding. We're adding a patio that's also half-done, by hand. I noticed the eves on the back and side of the house are flaking and could use a scraping and new paint. But there is SO MUCH to do to get the yard done that I was stressing this next inspection. Last time the rental inspector had nothing good to say about the landscaping, talking about run-down, eye-sore rental properties and renters who don't care about home values in the neighborhood. There is only 1-neighbor that can see into our back yard and their yard is a wreck too. My front yard and front of house is better than more than half the neighborhood, but not everyone likes mulching, rock gardens and lots of greenery.
The inspector seemed to hint that our passing the inspection hinged on the outside look of the home, even though there's nothing about that on any paperwork we got; only safety features like handrails and smoke detectors. When I told the housemates that we had to get the backyard finished for this next inspection, the housemate who's mom owns the property told me that he and she spoke with the township regarding the unwritten demands of the inspector. Apparently, everybody in the township hates this guy, and the township office gets loads of complaints about him, but nobody else ever applies for the job. Apparently, he's always pushing his opinion of what a 'nice' home should look like and making those 'veiled threats that without taking his advice, you wont pass.
So here I was worried for nothing, but I'd still like to get it looking decent so he has less to complain about! His big gripe last year was the digging in the back yard and my 'weedy overgrown garden' I had to explain that it was an enclosed, mulched, WILDFLOWER garden and that's just what the plants look like! Mainly, I want to give him the LEAST amount of things to complain about; I don't care if they're required or not.
Well this fall will be the next 2-year inspection. We've done A LOT of work on the gardens; front yard is finished with no changes being made. Side gardens are finished; all I have to do with those 3 is to weed. The back yard we are leveling and stepping into shape for eventual retaining walls by hand, since there's no way to get heavy equipment back there, though we have added drainage due to flooding. We're adding a patio that's also half-done, by hand. I noticed the eves on the back and side of the house are flaking and could use a scraping and new paint. But there is SO MUCH to do to get the yard done that I was stressing this next inspection. Last time the rental inspector had nothing good to say about the landscaping, talking about run-down, eye-sore rental properties and renters who don't care about home values in the neighborhood. There is only 1-neighbor that can see into our back yard and their yard is a wreck too. My front yard and front of house is better than more than half the neighborhood, but not everyone likes mulching, rock gardens and lots of greenery.
The inspector seemed to hint that our passing the inspection hinged on the outside look of the home, even though there's nothing about that on any paperwork we got; only safety features like handrails and smoke detectors. When I told the housemates that we had to get the backyard finished for this next inspection, the housemate who's mom owns the property told me that he and she spoke with the township regarding the unwritten demands of the inspector. Apparently, everybody in the township hates this guy, and the township office gets loads of complaints about him, but nobody else ever applies for the job. Apparently, he's always pushing his opinion of what a 'nice' home should look like and making those 'veiled threats that without taking his advice, you wont pass.
So here I was worried for nothing, but I'd still like to get it looking decent so he has less to complain about! His big gripe last year was the digging in the back yard and my 'weedy overgrown garden' I had to explain that it was an enclosed, mulched, WILDFLOWER garden and that's just what the plants look like! Mainly, I want to give him the LEAST amount of things to complain about; I don't care if they're required or not.
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