to put up a political poster in my window?

[ethelb]

Just had a slightly unpleasant altercation with the neighbour who lives downstairs in our shared garden.

I put up a poster for the End Austerity Now march taking place in London tomorrow, a week ago.

She came out 'to have a word' with me about it and said that I had to take them down as it wasn't fair to have my views on the building.

I said that it was fine for me to have my posters up and they would be coming down tomorrow anyway after the march has taken place.

She said I needed the freeholder's permission (she is an owner/freeholder and I am a private tenant) and I said that I didn't.

She argued that it would have been polite and I said that I did not think that it was necessary and just left it at that.

She muttered something about it being ok if they were coming down tomorrow but it would have been polite. I just smiled and left her in the garden.

This neighbour is a difficult woman and has given us grief before, over once hanging our washing out (once in TWO YEARS) on a day she hadn't assigned us.

But maybe I should get some perspective on this single incident. Is it worth fighting over?

[squoosh]

I'd be looking for another cause to support as soon as the End Austerity Now march is over.

One with posters. Very big posters.

[LashesandLipstick]

YANBU. Ignore her

[Theycallmemellowjello]

I'm no specialist in your area, but I think you're within your rights. Check your tenancy agreement though.

[ethelb]

Tenants rights posters was going through my mind. But honestly, she can't enforce this can she? Our landlords are fairly firm but reasonable people, but they won't want to get on her wrong side will they.

[wigglylines]

Just out of interest, do you think she was objecting to all political posters of all kinds or was the problem really that it was the wrong sort of political poster in her eyes?

I have no idea what your lease says. I had a lease which forbade me having bright curtains, as an owner-occupier of a leasehold property. In practice no one gave a shit.

So legally, I dunno.

But, morally, YANBU! Of course you should be able to put political posters up IMO.

[LaurieFairyCake]

Can you get some Rainbow Alliance ones

Nice and colourful

[TTWK]

I guess the answer is whether you would be worried if she put up a Tory or Ukip poster during the election? Is it obvious it's a shared building? How would you like it if people assumed you were a Tory because they saw you walking into the property with a Tory poster up?

[squoosh]

What would the big deal be? They're the Tories, not the BNP!

[RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime]

I think TTWK's point is that OP presumably would not like a pro-Tory poster given that she is anti-austerity.

I would find a series of posters to display after these ones come down OP! She's got a cheek.

[squoosh]

I would presume/hope that anyone who displayed a poster in their window would be happy for their neighbour to do the same even if they had different political beliefs.

On my street there are still a fair amount of posters in people's windows from the Scottish referendum. And there were tons in the run up to the recent election. It's nice to see people are engaged I think.

[RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime]

Hmm just a wild guess squoosh... Are the posters round you mainly or even exclusively for one 'side' (as they see it)? The very vocal side? There never were many No Thanks ones here and they're all long gone because people are trying to move on.

Of course I don't think OP should mind the neighbour having a Tory poster in her window, I'm just saying TTWK probably used that as an example given that OP has an anti-austerity position.

Though don't you think there is a line? Eg a BNP poster as you mentioned squoosh or a religious anti-abortion one. You shouldn't have to be tolerant of anything a neighbour puts in their window, or should you?

[morage]

It is an ordinary political poster, hardly an extremist one, so your neighbour is BVVU

[squoosh]

Well yes, most of the remaining posters are Yes ones (funnily enough)! The No posters made a brief appearance a week before the vote and then promptly disappeared again.

I live in quite a studenty area though so there are posters for all sorts of things in people's windows. I don't even notice them half the time.

I agree you shouldn't be tolerant of anything, something inciting racist violence for example. But a Tory poster would be fine by me. I'd even have to put up with an anti abortion one. Free speech and all that.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

Similar to pp, I was going to post about if she were to put a (or several) posters in her window(s) supporting UKIP, whether you would object to that.

[squoosh]

I have an inkling that my neighbour is a UKIP voter. If he decided to put up a UKIP poster I wouldn't say anything as they're a (regrettably) legitimate political party.

He wouldn't though, it would block his vantage point of watching all the comings and goings on the street!

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

Oh my bloody God, what awful English, haven't even had a yet.

[limitedperiodonly]

Check your lease.

I think she may be in the right and you might be in breach of it and your tenancy agreement. Do you want to be evicted?

I am a freeholder and also a raging lefty. However, tenants sometimes do things that lower the tone - whether left or right or of no political allegiance.

Posters in the windows, even if I agreed with the sentiment, come under that remit.

Don't talk to me about people flying flags from balconies.

Or do

[ethelb]

Limited I don't think that raging lefties say that tenants lower the tone.

Our tenency agreement is fairly standard, don't trash the place, leave it as you found it etc.

I would be a bit annoyed by UKIP posters near me but would never dream of suggesting someone take them down to make me feel more comfortable. Not exactly democratic is it?

[ethelb]

It seems that threats of eviction have been made to housing association tenants before, but Eric Pickles was cross about it:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19642970

[limitedperiodonly]

I am a raging lefty and I say that some people do lower the tone. I don't think there is anything incompatible with being a raging lefty and wanting to live in peace, love and understanding.

It is about communities and the need to get on. If you can't understand that then you can't live in my community.

I would take a very dim view of you displaying political messages outside a short election period. That doesn't matter whether I agree with your political views or not.

[ethelb]

No, you said tenants lower the tone. It is right there in black and white.

I'm so sorry those who don't own property offend you so much.

[TTWK]

My point is this is a shared house, with OP upstairs and complaining neighbour downstairs. A bit different to a next door neighbour. Assume OP has left wing leanings, which is perfectly valid. Let's assume neighbour is a Tory, also valid.

Perhaps neighbour is concerned that passers by will see her in the garden or going in thru door and due to lefty poster upstairs, assume it's her views.

Would OP be happy with a tory poster downstairs. How would she feel if people assumed that was her view because they knew she lived there but didn't realise it was 2 separate residences.

That's all.

Ps. Everyone is anti austerity. No one likes austerity. Some people think it's better to have some austerity now, as it's the only way to avoid economic disaster and greater austerity in the future. Others disagree.

[goodnessgraciousgouda]

Personally I think it's difficult. Posters for legitimate political parties are one thing, but posters on specific political issues are another.

I would be angry if someone put up a pro life poster. Out of respect, I would not put up a pro choice poster.

It was incredibly irritating last year walking around town with all the apartments hanging out anti gay adoption flags (this is in France). It's an emotional subject and causes anger.

[ethelb]

Read tff. I have said that of course i would tolerate political posters i didnt agree with.

[limitedperiodonly]

My political sentiments are probably with you OP. But you're a tenant. That isn't my judgement on you as a person, just on your situation.

Therefore I'd advise you to take it down or make a stand and be evicted.

Personally, I hate political statements in windows or flags draped on balconies.

Whether it's Tory, Labour, LibDem, UKIP or whatever nationality, it's divisive and makes the place look like shit.