It is always a good practice to safeguard your El Segundo rental property so that it is a safe space for animals and humans. This way, you will have no hesitation in approving your tenant’s request to keep pets. Making a pet-friendly garden is not something that should be extravagant or sophisticated. Nevertheless, it will need you to do a bit of research and planning. Tenants with pets will most likely find single-family rental properties more attractive if they see that it comes with a vibrant garden. It’s really difficult to try and completely pet-proof your garden, especially when you have determined diggers for pets; but there are options you can choose from to come up with safe and durable garden space in your rental property.
When designing your pet-friendly garden, consider one important feature: plants. Some plants work well in gardens that are accessible to pets. Various plants are poisonous for dogs, cats, and other pets, so choosing safe plants is a good idea in case your tenant’s pet decides to take a bite. Does your property already have existing plants? Go through them carefully and list them down to see which ones might be toxic. Make sure to remove the entire plant and root structure if you find any. Do not use chemicals or poisons on the plants, as these can harm pets as well.
After careful planning of which plants to include in your garden, move on towards designing the layout. Pet-friendly gardens often use features like sturdy border plants, planting containers, raised beds, and fences to control which parts of the yard the pet will be able to access. Using large, sturdy plants as a barrier around more delicate plants can help keep pets from trampling and urinating in places you don’t want them to. Container gardening, especially hanging baskets and railing planters can help place garden plants out of reach. And then, there are several inexpensive or decorative fencing that may encourage pets to use certain areas of the yard while keeping them away from others.
Other varieties of deterrents add specific varieties of spices and pungent plants with smells that pets don’t like. Like, rosemary, sage, and bitter orange plants may keep a curious dog away due to their strong odor. Some experts recommend planting Coleus Canina, sometimes called Dogbane, in areas where pets aren’t wanted. This plant has an overpowering smell that most cats and dogs can’t stand. However, the scent is barely noticeable to humans.
Lastly, it is vital to take into account what type of fertilizer you are using on your plants. Many varieties of fertilizer and even mulch can be harmful to household pets. Even though your tenant’s pets have unsupervised access to the garden, it’s best to err on the side of caution. You can help create a pet-safe garden that your tenant will love by going for non-toxic varieties of both fertilizer and mulch.
Careful plotting can lead to a good and beautiful design of your garden — one that can safely withstand the ordinary activities of household pets.
Allow our team of El Segundo property managers at Real Property Management California Coast to assist you in making certain that tenants will be glad and happy with a pet-friendly garden in their homes. If you are interested in learning more or have additional questions, please contact us online or by phone at 310-535-2150 today.
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