# Apartments, HOAs & Rental Property

> Curb appeal that helps units lease and residents stay: entrances, common areas and frontage for apartments, HOAs and rentals.

**Summary:** Curb appeal that helps units lease and residents stay: entrances, common areas and frontage for apartments, HOAs and rentals.

![A brick house with blue shutters and foundation plantings of shrubs and perennials](https://healingearthdesignbysarah.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6NDE0LCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--29a95fb0e238e69a61f87368f8d6930fdd82fae3/IMG_0618-2.webp)

## Curb appeal is the first showing.

**Intro:** People decide how they feel about a place before they reach the door. Studies of rentals and homes found that trees and good landscaping go with higher rents and higher perceived value, and Realtors say curb appeal matters to almost every buyer. For a property manager, planting is one of the most visible improvements per dollar.

- Faster leasing — A well-kept entrance and frontage make listings and tours look better, so units fill faster.
- Residents who stay — Common areas people enjoy, from a courtyard bed to a pollinator garden, give residents a reason to renew.
- Predictable care costs — Low-care, plant-forward design and a set care schedule keep grounds looking good without surprises.
- HOA entrances that set the tone — A neighborhood's entrance sign and common beds shape how every home in it is seen.

- $21 — more a month in rent for a single-family rental with a street tree in front; $5.62 more for a tree on the lot. — <https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/39906.pdf>
- 5–11% — higher perceived home value for a well-landscaped house than the same house with no landscape. — <https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-087/426-087.html>
- 104% — of the cost of a landscape maintenance refresh that Realtors estimate is recovered at sale. — <https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/remodeling-impact-report-outdoor-features>
- 97% — of Realtors say curb appeal is important in attracting a buyer. — <https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/remodeling-impact-report-outdoor-features>

**What we'd plant:** - Entrance and sign plantings
- Seasonal containers at leasing offices and clubhouses
- Low-care foundation plantings along buildings
- Pollinator and native beds in common areas
- A care schedule so grounds look the same in August as in May

**Calculator: label for that figure:** Annual rent roll

**Calculator: uplift, low (%):** 0.25

**Calculator: uplift, high (%):** 1

**Calculator: where the uplift comes from:** Uplift of 0.25% to 1% of annual rent. Donovan & Butry (2011) found a tree on the lot adds about $5.62 a month to rent, roughly 0.3–0.5% of a typical rent, and Behe (2005) found 5–11% higher perceived value. Perceived value runs ahead of real prices, so we treat plantings mainly as helping units lease faster and residents renew. For an HOA, use your homes' combined value.

**Planner choice:** Apartments, HOA or rental property

- Can you work with our existing landscape contractor? — Yes. We can design and plant, then hand over a care plan, or take on the planting care ourselves while your contractor keeps mowing.
- Do you work with HOA boards? — Yes. We can walk the entrances and common areas with the board, then present a plan and a phased budget that fits your reserve schedule.
- Do you build patios, walls or walkways? — No. Everything we do is plants: design, soil, planting, mulch and care. If your project needs hardscape, we can plan the planting around it and work alongside your contractor.

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Source: https://healingearthdesignbysarah.com/industries/apartments-hoa-rental-property
Updated: 2026-10-12