Short version: can my landlord unilaterally remove all the trees in the garden of my rental house without my agreement?
Long version: Ive been living in a rental house with a garden for many years. Contract specifies that maintainence of the outdoor and garden area is my responsibility, but when moving in the landlord asked me to not trim the trees as he has a sentimental attachment to them and will therefore pay to have them done professionally. That was fine for over a decade. Suddenly (maybe he realizes that he will never move back into this house), he decides he doesn’t want to pay anymore. He first decided to trim them himself, and showed up with little clippers and no ladder (the trees are well over 5 m tall). He cut only the bottom parts, leading to one top heavy tree to later fall over in strong wind. So he then decided to pay a professional to cut them to around 3 m and then give me the responsibility to maintain them at that level. I agreed. Didn’t hear from him for months, the trees kept growing. Now suddenly he’s insisting that he’d rather just have them all removed completely.
Do I have the right to say no? I like the trees, they keep the house cool, they look nice, and provide privacy. Based on past experience, he would also likely destroy my flower and veggie garden and patio/deck in the removal process. I also choose this house based on the garden and trees, so removing them feels like removing an essential part of the rental property, but I have no idea if I have any legal rights.
by windyika