Is there anyway I can make my back yard suck less?

My husband and I are RENTING a small house along the California coast. It has a huge back yard that my husband gave up taking care of when it got to be too much for his asthma. Now its full of weeds and Crane flies! I hate it, I don't allow my dog back there and seriously think the only way to "Fix" it would be to burn it and pave it over. Since I'm renting I cant do that. What can I do to my backyard that would be cost effective and make it nice to go out in?