Eliminating the common areas

Has anyone divided up their common areas and rented them as part of the spaces? Less mowing, more rent?

Hi everyone, I’d like to bump this post.

I have a small family mhp on the river (not too rough but low income), just far enough where I don’t want to drive there and mow. Decent tenants. My spaces are 30 by 80 all singlewides. There’s a half acre field common area that kids play in and that’s what I’ve been having to keep up.

So in all your pro experiences what is the maximum area that you would trust a tenant to actually keep up? Because I’m thinking about dividing up this field and either renting the spaces additionally, or just giving that extra land to interested tenants in their existing leases.
Good sides:
-I don’t mow, I don’t pay someone to mow, another step in the passive direction, people may compete for a chunk.
Bad sides:
-Tenants don’t keep it up at all and it looks like a four letter word, then we issue notices kick them off the new lots, maybe cause a couple rifts, and we’re worse off than before. Or those who can’t afford it and have kids would possibly be excluded from the (old) play area.

So all advice is very much appreciated! I’ve also got 2 multifam properties in the same boat. Thank you!

I think this just depends on your quality of tenants and the layout of the park. I do lower end parks and the odds my tenants would keep up a big field behind their house is practically 0

If you’re really on the fence, you could always try it, and if it doesn’t work go back to having the park mow it.

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Having open space for the kids to play keeps them from breaking into peoples houses. What about re-purposing it with solid bouncy surface and putting in a good solid playground? Take it out totally? Put in some fire pits and picnic benches… bocce ball, or … something, not sure

What did you end up doing with it?

Yes good ideas, I ended up paying a guy with a field mower down the road to cut it twice a year for 100 bucks. Noel_S was right, people aren’t into the maintenance, but it is a great spot for soccer & football. When it gets 4 ft long I tell people it’s a nature conservation easement for grasshopper habitat.

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Nice :slight_smile: Whatever works to get the job done. Grasshopper habitat LOL!

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