Backyard Maintenance

[jl89]

Hello. I’m in WV and have a question regarding backyard maintenance and safety. Several years back our landlords had people come out and tear out a retaining wall on our raised backyard pad which is about 2 1/2 to 3 ft tall. They replaced the old wooden retaining wall with block but never built stairs or any sort of fencing nor did the level out the area where the dirt meets the wall so one area dips down into the cement blocks. I didn’t care much before but now I have a young son and can’t really use the backyard because 1. No stairs so I have to climb up and down into the yard 2. I level and slopes down into the cement block and 3. No sort of fence or barrier for my son to prevent him just running straight off the edge. I’ve asked several times to get some fill dirt to level the ground (it wouldn’t even take much to fix it) and to build some sort of wood fence and stairs to allow access into the yard and create a barrier to prevent my son from just running or falling off the elevated yard. Every time I’ve asked she talks about this elaborate plan to hire people to do decking over the whole backyard area and extend it out to create a level surface from the house but then says it isn’t in their budget to do now. I understand that is a lot of money to do that but what I’m asking for is just bare minimum safety things that shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg to do. She has put me off about it since March and I’m wondering if there is any ground to stand on from a tenant perspective since it really isn’t a safe area. It is our only actual yard space and I would like to be able to use it but I’m on constant edge watching to make sure my son isn’t getting near the ledge and uneven ground. Thank you for any advice.

 

[adjusterjack]

Delay is the deadliest form of denial. Your LL isn't going to do squat about your back yard.

When your lease comes up give your notice and move. If you are on month to month give your notice and move.

If you stay there under those circumstances you become your own worst enemy.

 

[bcr229]

AJ is right. Also building material costs have gone sky-high in the last few months, and if your LL happens to own other properties and those tenants aren't paying and can't be evicted, then she is more concerned with how to pay for the mortgages and do required maintenance on the properties than with landscaping yours.

 

[jl89]

I guess I just don’t consider that “landscaping” to want steps built to access part of my rental. There were steps when I initially rented but they were torn out with the old retaining wall and never rebuilt. I’ve seen insurance companies and code inspectors require railings to be built on porch steps and such before and consider it more in line with that than landscaping.

 

[FarmerJ]

So what did you learn when you called your city inspections as to any local requirements that the LL might have to follow regarding stairs and any possible hazard from the lot s conditions? ( If you had to could you live with buying a few post and orange plastic snow fence to fence in a area you and your child could use or borrowing a pick up truck and going to a local place where you can pay X amount to get dirt dumped into the back of truck , then drive it home and shovel it off into a wheel barrel or drive the truck back there and shovel it off ? ) I suggested the plastic snow fence since you could take it down and with you when you do move.