
Quoting
turantual
My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Oregon
We are renting a single family home with a very large and beautifully landscaped yard. Our lease states that the Landlord is responsible for Gardening. However, "gardening" is not specifically defined in the lease. Prior to signing the lease, the Property Manager told us the property had a sprinkler system. After signing the lease, moving in and discovering there was indeed no sprinkler system, the Property Manager simply told us he was mistaken. So, we asked if the gardener would then do the watering? The Property Manager told us no, if we wanted to keep the landscaping green, we would need to water it ourselves. Of course, a big reason why we chose this house and why we pay a very sizable rent is because of the landscaping and our enjoyment of the outside areas. Last summer was unusually hot and dry. So, we took it upon ourselves to buy portable sprinklers and water the lawn, flowers and shrubbery almost every day for 4 months. It was very time consuming. Summer is here again, and because of another issue we're having with the landlord, we're not feeling quite so generous this year.
So, should the Landlord's responsibility for "Gardening" include watering and maintaining the aesthetics of the landscaping throughout the summer? If the answer is yes, what recourse do we have if he refuses to do so?