Owning a rental property can be a great long-term investment, but it usually means more work and energy put into it now. Knowing how to minimize your workload as a landlord while maintaining a good rental unit is key to avoiding eventual burnout in this business. One area that you can put this into practice is the landscaping. Here are 4 tips for any rental unit and any landlord.

Hire Help. While many landlords debate over who should be responsible for the yard maintenance in their units, often the best solution is to simply hire a lawn care service and ensure that it's done regularly. Hiring a quality lawn care company means you don't have to keep tabs on renters and stress over their lack of concern about your lawn. But it also saves you the time and trouble of regular lawn maintenance. Be sure you hire a company that will do seasonal maintenance like aeration, fertilizing, pruning, and sprinkler blowouts.

Use Perennials. When adding flowers to your rental's yard, try to use perennial plants and flowers that will bloom each spring without being replanted. Perennial flowers come in all shapes and colors, so you can have a great garden bed that needs less work. Try boldly colored flowers like aster, coneflower, forget-me-not, or lavender.

Hardscape the Tough Spots. If the yard has any trouble spots -- too much sun, too much shade, bad drainage, or questionable soil, for example -- don't fight nature. Instead, use this as an opportunity to add some hardscaping that will bring new things to the yard. Whether it's a full patio, a small gravel area with table and chairs, or a meandering walkway, you can camouflage problem areas in a way that your tenants will thank you later.

Add Special Use Zones. If you want to prevent renters from destroying parts of your lawn or flower beds, recognize what they will need in order to enjoy the yard usefully. If you allow pets, for example, consider designing a doggy pathway around the perimeter of the yard. Make it easy for pets to run around the yard without trampling through any landscaping. Many renters want to plant a small garden, as well, so talk with them and be open to new yard features. Do you often rent to families? Plant a durable groundcover in well-used areas instead of more sensitive grasses. 

By reducing the amount of maintenance needed by your rental property and embracing the needs of your renters, you can design a yard that will please both your tenants and your own wallet. Work with a company like Heritage Lawn and Landscape to design the perfect yard.