Neighbour 'feud' Dilemma

[Jezston]

I rent a first floor flat which I enter via a front door at ground level, up a narrow staircase and from a door on the first landing. I have neighbours, a youngish couple who own the flat above me.

When I first moved in, the hallway/staircase wasn't in a great state - lots of scratches and marks on the walls I guess from years of people moving in and out or whatever. And so I didn't treat it with a great deal of respect when moving my bike in and out. Marks on the walls quite closely matching those of the tire pattern on my bike gradually started to build up, but my neighbours didn't seem to have a problem with it - I even offered to have a go at cleaning them all off at one point but they said don't worry they were going to get the corridor repainted at some point.

And, a few weeks ago they did. I fully intended to be much more careful, and noticed that the marks would clean off quite easily so thought no problem, I'm getting a smaller bike now so hopefully I shouldn't leave marks any more like the hybrid tank does, and if I do I can (and have) easily wipe them off, especially with the new gloss paint job they had done.

But I arrive home this evening carrying my bike, and my neighbour, her partner, and I assume her father are waiting at the top of the stairs. To cut a long and rather upsetting conversation short, they have informed me that I am totally out of order, especially after they agreed with my landlord that I would not be allowed to keep bikes in the property any longer!!!

I tell them this is news to me, I've heard nothing from anyone, my contract is with a letting agent and I've never had any contact with my landlord, whoever they may be, ever. I'm sorry about the marks, I'm going to be more careful, with my new smaller bike this should be less of a problem and if it does occur I shall take responsibility of cleaning it up. But this isn't good enough. They demand the bikes are gone. I could keep them outside they say. No, I say, I've already had one bike stolen after leaving it outside, and my insurance won't cover it. I should find somewhere else to store them. I say that's not on. They repeat that they have paid £500 to get the hallway repainted and it's not fair on them.

I am furious and really upset. Of course it's understandable if they have paid to repaint the hallway they don't want someone covering it in dirty marks. But to spend almost A YEAR living next to someone and never mention any problem about it, never criticise nor ask me to do anything about it, and conversely assure me it ISN'T a problem when I've brought it up, and then to go behind my back and supposedly agree with my landlord that I should be effectively screwed over to satisfy them, and then wait until I'm on my own, get your dad down and gang up on me and relentlessly harrange me over it, has really really upset me. I now don't feel comfortable in my own flat, and fear I'm going to have to move out as there is absolutely no way I can nor wish to get rid of my bikes!

I'm considering taking this up with my agency tomorrow, thing is they haven't insisted anything of me, so am concerned if I bring it up I'm tempting fate. Can anyone suggest how I might go about dealing with this? I am considering delivering my neighbours a pleasantly worded letter explaining my position, and that I am prepared to take responsibility for keeping the walls clean but I am not prepared to keep my bikes outside the property, but then I tried that verbally and they just didn't want to know.

Can anyone suggest a course of action? Annoyingly it appears my flatmate has moved our contract as it wasn't in the draw it's supposed to live in when I checked, and he's gone off for the weekend, so don't know what that may say about the matter.

 

[Baggy]

Well, they sound like right charmers. Difficult to say without seeing the contract - but would have thought that if it's individual flats with communal access areas, it's the leaseholder's responsibility to maintain the communal areas. From my experience in rented flats this usually means all the tenants club together to pay for the work.

I'd also have thought unless there's a clause in your original contract about keeping bikes in your flat they don't have a leg to stand on.

You could offer to go halves on the cost of painting...

 

[slowmotion]

Good advice from Baggy. My wild guess is that they are expecting a baby and are displaying classic "nesting" behaviour, hence the painting and sudden aggressive stuff. People act very strangely under the circumstances.
Try and stay very calm and do nothing in haste. Be extremely pleasant to them, even if you think they are completely out of order.

My useless two cents. Good luck.

 

[david1701]

so is the landlord pissy or the people in the other flat, if other flat tell em to bugger off.

We have a flat and used to live there and its a place old people go to die and moan afaik someone banged on our door once because I was being a 'menace' riding my bike in the communal car park (with 3/16 cars in it because only 4 flats were occupied) it was christmass day age 8 (all this is second hand from rants about the morons as I have no real memories of it )

flats and the communal areas seem to bring out the worst in some people

 

[Baggy]

Try and stay very calm and do nothing in haste. Be extremely pleasant to them, even if you think they are completely out of order.

Agreed, though it's often difficult! It sounds as if they know they can't enforce anything so they've roped "Dad" in to make it look more adult and official. There's no rush for you to do anything, but make sure you track down contract (which is probably an assured shorthold tenancy and fairly standard). No need to mention it to the letting agency unless your neighbours start being difficult or trying to block access. Does the same landlord own both flats?

 

[brokenbetty]

Good advice from Baggy. My wild guess is that they are expecting a baby and are displaying classic "nesting" behaviour, hence the painting and sudden aggressive stuff.

Or they are trying to sell it and want to keep it neat. Might be worth reminding them that they have to declare any dispute with neighbours to any potential buyer, so it's in their interest to find a solution you are happy with.

 

[slowmotion]

Or they are trying to sell it and want to keep it neat. Might be worth reminding them that they have to declare any dispute with neighbours to any potential buyer, so it's in their interest to find a solution you are happy with.

Good point.

 

[buggi]

They are talking crap. you may find that you can't keep your bike in the communal hallway (it will be in your lease) but it's up to you what you keep in your flat.

If they painted the communal hallway at their own cost without asking you, or asking the landlord for a contribution, that's their problem.

i live in a flat and i have 2 bikes. i now rent that same flat out and there is nothing in her agreement that says what she can and can't keep in the flat. All that it says is that the flat is kept in good repair.

The best thing you can do is look at your lease/contract/agreement. If it says you can't keep bikes then you may have to reconsider your circumstances, but i doubt it says any such thing. if it doesn't say anything, they can't enforce anything.

Besides if they had already consulted the landlord, he would have already been in touch, he wouldn't have left it up to them to say. hence, as suggested, the dad was there, to make it look official.

my advice to you is ignore it, as obviously you don't want to antagonise the situation but if they say again they have spoken to him, call their bluff and say you have consulted your lease and a solicitor/your agent and there is no clause that states you can't have a bike in there.

if you are a good tenant, it's doubtful the landlord would want to cause upset anyway.

and you could try carrying the bike on your other shoulder so the tyres are over the rail as you walk up, not against the wall.

 

[ColinJ]

I think sharing property with strangers is always going to throw up conflicts like that!

When I was a student, the guy in the flat above mine left his bath running until it overflowed throw my bedroom ceiling. I got dressed and ran up the external staircase to his flat but he wouldn't answer the door to me. I could hear him moving about. I was shouting to him to answer the door but he just turned his radio up. I told him that he had 10 seconds to open it or I'd kick the thing open and come in. He opened it an inch and I told him that water was coming through my ceiling. He just said "Oh" and slammed the door in my face!

I went down to the shop below and apologised to the shopkeeper below my flat about any water that had got through into his shop. I explained what had happened and he went scarlet. It was the 3rd time in 3 years that the moron above me had done that and each time he'd refused to talk about it or pay for any of the damage he'd caused!

My wild guess is that they are expecting a baby and are displaying classic "nesting" behaviour, hence the painting and sudden aggressive stuff. People act very strangely under the circumstances.

Too bloody right! We have just discovered that the tenants in our late mother's house have not paid the rent for 2 months, When asked why not, they told us they couldn't afford to because they had spent the money on doing up a house that they are going to buy off the woman's uncle and "Do you really think we are going to starve our baby to pay you rent out of what little money we have left!"

WTF!

 

[Hacienda71]

Hope you sort it. From my own experience I know disputes with a neighbour can be very stressfull. Try if you can to be amicable and look for a mutually convenient solution. They have probably wound themselves up into such a rage it will be difficult and they won't respond rationally, but a full on head to head conflict will be worse.

On a practical note check what your AST says when your flat mate gets back before writing to them. If bikes are not mentioned then you can write in a friendly manner but with authority about your rights.

Best of luck.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Your obligation is to your landlord (presumably represented by an agent) and is spelled out in your contract. He can't evict you without your breaking the contract terms or until the term ends, and even if you did break any contract terms, it is neither a simple, cheap nor quick process (for him).

I would be VERY surprised if the contract says you can't keep a bike. However most rental contracts would say you mustn't be a nuisance to neighbours, which is a very different thing, and hard if not impossible to relate to keeping a bike. However that may become somewhat relevant if the bike destroys the paintwork of the common area on a regular basis. Since you said that is not going to be the case now you have a smaller bike and the paint is gloss and easily cleanable, I don't see how you can be evicted legally.

They may say they have "agreed with your landlord that you can't keep your bike", but I don't see legally how that can be enforced. If they aren't careful they/your landlord can be accused of harassment.

However no landlord likes unreasonable tenants or tenants that cause problems with neighbours, so if I were you I would continue to be reasonable as your post has strongly indicated, and to explain to your landlord the year's history of zero complaint, of the (unreasonable and unenforceable) threats of eviction by people who seemingly have neither means nor power to do so, and your undertaking to make good any damage you may cause to the paintwork in the future if necessary. I don't actually see why you should contribute towards the £500 already spent since the condition was never great to start off with and they never approached you for contribution before they did it.

If I were the landlord, I would be happy when a tenant is reasonable, after all, frankly there really isn't much else I can do during the tenancy. If I really want you out, my best bet is to refuse to renew the current contract when it ends, or to "price in" any trouble you may cost in future rents. So if you intend to stay, it is worthwhile keeping a good relationship with the landlord.

 

[Yellow Fang]

One of my neighbours complained to me about my bike making tyre marks on the wall. I have to say it is a problem. Even when you're careful, it is difficult to avoid scuffing the wall once in a while. It was one of the reasons I bought a fold-up. If I do use one of my other bikes, I try to carry it with my right arm going down and my left arm going up so that the wheels are as far away as possible from the walls.

I think one difficulty in dealing with neighbours in flats is that when you have a problem with something they're doing, it can be difficult to bring it up. Especially if you don't know each other that well. I expect they thought you might get stroppy so brought in the reinforcements. It's an assertiveness problem. They go straight from passive to aggressive.

I don't know what your legal position is. Tenant agreements often say no pets, but I can't remember reading no bikes. Your landlord might agree with your neighbours, but he can't chuck you out without notice if you haven't broken the tenancy agreement. I doubt he could just chuck you out if you had. I doubt he'd want to, because it would cost him lost rent. I suppose he could retain some deposit to repaint the wall.

 

[mangaman]

I rent a first floor flat which I enter via a front door at ground level, up a narrow staircase and from a door on the first landing. I have neighbours, a youngish couple who own the flat above me.

When I first moved in, the hallway/staircase wasn't in a great state - lots of scratches and marks on the walls I guess from years of people moving in and out or whatever. And so I didn't treat it with a great deal of respect when moving my bike in and out. Marks on the walls quite closely matching those of the tire pattern on my bike gradually started to build up, but my neighbours didn't seem to have a problem with it - I even offered to have a go at cleaning them all off at one point but they said don't worry they were going to get the corridor repainted at some point.

And, a few weeks ago they did. I fully intended to be much more careful, and noticed that the marks would clean off quite easily so thought no problem, I'm getting a smaller bike now so hopefully I shouldn't leave marks any more like the hybrid tank does, and if I do I can (and have) easily wipe them off, especially with the new gloss paint job they had done.

But I arrive home this evening carrying my bike, and my neighbour, her partner, and I assume her father are waiting at the top of the stairs. To cut a long and rather upsetting conversation short, they have informed me that I am totally out of order, especially after they agreed with my landlord that I would not be allowed to keep bikes in the property any longer!!!

I tell them this is news to me, I've heard nothing from anyone, my contract is with a letting agent and I've never had any contact with my landlord, whoever they may be, ever. I'm sorry about the marks, I'm going to be more careful, with my new smaller bike this should be less of a problem and if it does occur I shall take responsibility of cleaning it up. But this isn't good enough. They demand the bikes are gone. I could keep them outside they say. No, I say, I've already had one bike stolen after leaving it outside, and my insurance won't cover it. I should find somewhere else to store them. I say that's not on. They repeat that they have paid £500 to get the hallway repainted and it's not fair on them.

I am furious and really upset. Of course it's understandable if they have paid to repaint the hallway they don't want someone covering it in dirty marks. But to spend almost A YEAR living next to someone and never mention any problem about it, never criticise nor ask me to do anything about it, and conversely assure me it ISN'T a problem when I've brought it up, and then to go behind my back and supposedly agree with my landlord that I should be effectively screwed over to satisfy them, and then wait until I'm on my own, get your dad down and gang up on me and relentlessly harrange me over it, has really really upset me. I now don't feel comfortable in my own flat, and fear I'm going to have to move out as there is absolutely no way I can nor wish to get rid of my bikes!

I'm considering taking this up with my agency tomorrow, thing is they haven't insisted anything of me, so am concerned if I bring it up I'm tempting fate. Can anyone suggest how I might go about dealing with this? I am considering delivering my neighbours a pleasantly worded letter explaining my position, and that I am prepared to take responsibility for keeping the walls clean but I am not prepared to keep my bikes outside the property, but then I tried that verbally and they just didn't want to know.

Can anyone suggest a course of action? Annoyingly it appears my flatmate has moved our contract as it wasn't in the draw it's supposed to live in when I checked, and he's gone off for the weekend, so don't know what that may say about the matter.

It seems a tough one, Jezston, but if you are marking a communal wall with your bike and the neighbours have already said they would repaint it - when they do, you should be expected to contribute, surely.

I know nothing of your situation, but I think if you are marking the walls when haulng in your bike, you should clean those marks at least.. I would be irritated by someone sharing a communal space and leaving marks on it.

Sorry to be negative, I just think that's life (I would feel the same if it were a motorbike or whatever.)

Couldn't you have taken a J-cloth and some water and kept the stairwell clean - if you'd left a mark?

 

[ufkacbln]

My Sister in Law profited nicely from such a situation..... new neighbours objected to bikes under the communal stair (they wanted the space for a push chair)

One evening she came home to find bike (ancient Dawes Galaxy) gone and a note saying they had put it in the bin shed. Unfortunately it was no longer there when she went to collect it.

She called the Police and reported it formally as a theft, using their note as evidence. Police interviewed and were willing to proceed - but SiL agreed to drop the charges if they replaced the bike. She now has a brand spanking new Galaxy, it still parks at the bottom of the stairs

 

[mightyquin]

I live in a flat in a block of 4. We have a shared maintenance agreement and funnily enough are just about to have our communal hallway redecorated!

Now, one of the neighbours - the one who has forced the issue of having the work done - is particularly careless and we've already said that we must all look after the communal areas more carefully once the work is done - it's going to cost us £1000 each after all. As you're renting your flat your landlord presumably had to pay for a share of the work, so I can kind of understand your neighbours getting a bit upset if you're marking the new paintwork they've had to fork out for.

That said, it's not their place to tell you anything, so just ignore them. As said, you probably can't leave your bike in the hallway but you can take anything into your own flat. I'm sure you paid a security deposit which would cover any 'damage' you might cause during your tenancy, so be careful that your Landlord doesn't use the complaint (if there has been one) as an excuse to keep your deposit!

Don't stress, ignore the neighbours and tell them to speak to the freeholder if they have a problem. But I'd advise you to just try and avoid scuffing the paintwork in the first place!

As an aside, a previous neighbour in the top flat used to leave her muddy bike in the hallway outside my flat on the ground floor - leaving marks on the carpet and walls. We have garages as well but she'd always leave the bike outside my door. I lived with it (and kept my bike in the garage). One day I had a visitor who mistakenly parked in front of her garage. She never used the thing and didn't drive, but went completely ballistic about it, in front of my very embarrassed visitors! I made sure she didn't leave her bloody bike in front of my flat after that!! Grrrrrr - nutty neighbours, don't stand for them!