You be the judge: should my housemate chip in with mowing the lawn?

We should make a house fund for garden stuff. We already have one for a cleaner, so what’s the difference?

Living in a shared house with Raheem and one other flatmate is a bit of a balancing act with splitting bills, dishes, and deciding who gets the good shelf in the fridge. But now we’re in a moral and financial standoff over grass.

Our house has a decent-sized front and back lawn which is the landlord’s responsibility. Except now they’ve decided to let nature reclaim it. The grass is out of control, weeds are creeping up – it looks awful.

I want to cut the lawn myself but that means buying a lawnmower and maybe a strimmer. Raheem is vehemently against paying for any of it. He says it’s not our house or our responsibility. He only moved in last year, so I get it. But I want to have barbecues in the summer, and walk to my front door without it feeling as if I’m entering Narnia.

I think we should make a house fund for garden stuff. We already have one for a cleaner, so what’s the difference? Raheem is dragging his heels and saying “grass-cutting is the landlord’s job”, which I know, but surely we can take some initiative? I’ve been here five years, and I don’t remember the grass ever being this long. It’s spring now, so it’s going to get worse. The landlord has come over to trim it before, but now he is living abroad and won’t answer our emails. I tried mentioning it via text and he just pointed out that he hadn’t raised the rent since I moved in, as if I’m supposed to be grateful.

So now I’m stuck between wanting to prioritise my living space and not wanting to do free work for someone who doesn’t care. My other housemate says she will just go with the majority.

Last week, Raheem said we should keep pressuring the landlord and delay doing it ourselves for as long as possible, and that only if we don’t get an answer by June should go ahead and do it ourselves. But by that point the weeds and grass will be even worse.

It’s really unfair that I have to put this much effort into a house that I don’t own, but it is my home. I don’t think the landlord is going to do much and we might as well enjoy our summer now, which means not wading through weeds when we go outside.

The house is not our responsibility. We have a contract which says the landlord handles the gardens

Even when you’ve found a “good” landlord, issues still crop up. I found this house last year after moving out of an awful, overcrowded place, and things have been smooth until now. I like it here and get on well with Eleanor, but I’m not attached to the place. She’s been here five years and so there’s some sentimentality.

But the house is not our responsibility. We have a contract which says the landlord handles the gardens. He’s in the wrong – I’m not about to reward that by shelling out money for a lawnmower just to make their property look nice. I don’t care much about using the garden in summer. I’d rather go to the park.

And we’re not just talking about doing a quick tidy-up with a pair of shears. She’s asking me to split the cost of a machine, find somewhere to store it, and take on a chore that’s officially not our job. What if it breaks? What if the landlord gets used to us doing it and never lifts a finger again?

I care about living in a decent place too. But I can live with things looking like Jurassic Park for a bit because I can’t afford to spend £100 on garden equipment and hours of my time doing a job I hate. I’ve never had a garden before. I don’t even know how to weed, and I’m just not interested. I care more about not setting a precedent that says: “If you ignore your responsibilities for long enough, we’ll handle it for you.”

I think we should keep emailing the landlord as a house and attach pictures of the growth. Eleanor wants me to put the pressure on because I’m the newest, but surely we’re stronger as a unit? I believe there are proper channels for all this and we don’t need to suddenly become part-time groundskeepers just because the landlord is slacking.

I’m all for enjoying our summer too. But I’d rather do that without dropping cash on a lawnmower for a lawn that isn’t ours. I don’t think anyone can force me into paying for that and our third housemate is kind of on my side. But if Eleanor wants to spend money on the garden herself, then she can go ahead and do that.

Should Raheem cut it out and chip in?

Raheem is not guilty: he’s right to point out that their contracts say the landlord is responsible for the gardens. But this situation does need compromise. Could they push the landlord to buy a mower and strimmer for the house, which Eleanor could then use while he’s away?
Sophy, 44

Raheem is right: it’s not the tenants’ responsibility and they shouldn’t have to pay for it. Pester the landlord! Failing that, ask a neighbour if you can borrow a lawnmower or look on a website for your area like nextdoor.co.uk.
Janina, 57

While I sympathise with Eleanor, I think it’s fair for Raheem to not want to spend money on something he’d be happy to forgo. It’s not the ideal situation, but Eleanor should respect his preference. They should find an effective way to continue pressuring the landlord.
Tiffany, 23

Don’t fork out for this. Is the landlord part of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme? Is there a property manager or agent? Besides, letting the grass grow will be great for local wildlife: you want it at least knee-high to encourage bugs, which will then feed the birds.
Oliver, 41

Eleanor, I understand your yearning for a hot sausage on a barbecue, but Raheem is right – if you go through with your plans it will be you getting burnt. If your contract says the garden is the landlord’s responsibility, you need to stand firm. Perhaps withholding rent will get you faster results?
Shaun, 35

In our online poll, tell us: should Raheem agree to help buy a lawnmower?

The poll closes on Thursday 1 May at 10am BST

Rita missed her dad’s birthday meal – we asked if she should still pay her share.

49% of you said yes – Rita is guilty

51% of you said no – Rita is not guilty