Shared garden etiquette

He would have paid for the space in his flat

this sounds like a communication issue where a lot has been assumed

Don't keep furniture or random stuff out, lock it away.

And don't be like my old neighbour and leave your washing out for 4 day at a time when it rains....

Or let your dog crap all over the place.... (sorry am sure you are lovely but recovering from previous shared garden trauma)

That’s grand if it’s big enough and you both know. This bloke moved in to a house with a shared garden and there was a seat so he sat in it.

I think though it is a bit cheeky to put your own belongings out in a shared garden - it means you are permanently taking up that space, when it doesn’t belong to you. It sounds like OP put them in the garden when the upstairs flat was vacant (fair enough) but then the neighbour has assumed that they are for shared use, he doesn’t have any way to know that they are her personal things.

I don't understand why people are saying you "cheekily" put the furniture in the shared garden without discussing it with others? Just cos it's a shared garden doesn't mean you have to share the furniture you've put in it! I have a shared garden with my upstairs neighbours and we each have our own stuff in it, I would never dream of using his stuff and he would never use mine either.

Did you say it was a housing association OP? If so could you ask the HA to divide the garden up by putting some fencing or bushes to divide it ? I love my little garden and wouldn’t find it so relaxing to have other people in it , as it’s my retreat. If not maybe suggest he buys a hot tub or something’ we can all use as you are using my xyz.
Also how about bin night you ring his bell and shout can you give me a hand with our bins please ! Hopefully he will get in the habit . I feel your pain as I struggle to be assertive in situations like this.

Wheelie bin magnetic lock.
Lock the cupboard. They will only read the meters once in a while and will come back if they can't access

I think I would assume any furniture in a shared garden was communal. I'd see it as rude if someone took up permanent space with furniture that was solely for their use to be honest. A folding chair is more appropriate for a shared space if you want to keep it for your own use.

They shouldn't be leaving cigarette butts around or doing anything to make you feel uncomfortable though.

This!

you can’t just put sand thing there because it’s what you would do and expect him to telepathically comply

and anyone put your furniture in a communal garden so 🤷‍♀️

tell him to put his own bins out..

Tell him since you have provided the furniture can he buy a bbq??

Get a bin lock and stop sorting his bins out for him, the lazy fecker

I take care of our communal garden, because no one else can be bothered... I have just bought, table, chairs and two troughs. We already have a bench, deck chair and a barbecue set... a couple of times a year, I post an update on the inside of our front door about what is happening in the garden, which kind of leaves me in charge. People do use them but are very mindful about it and ask.

I would laugh, shake my head and say good one. Then
walk away while laughing loudly.

There is defiantly a gender issue here. I have lived alone for twenty years. There is a certain type of person (it’s usually a man but sometimes a woman) who thinks they can walk all over you safe in the knowledge that you won’t get aggressive and won’t push back.

never over explain, channel your inner man! Would a man explain the cushions were expensive - would he fuck! He would laugh and tell the neighbours to piss off.

when I moved in to my correct house I had jumped up little man nearly bang my door down at 10pm to tell me I had to cut down the beautiful, mature tree in my garden because it cast a shadow in part his garden in the early evening! He was so rude and entitled that I closed the door on his face. Had I been a 6th 4 male there is no way he would have approached it they way he did. I now get abuse from his awful teenaged sons.

some people are just selfish

If he asked her to get the cushions I would just stare at him and not say anything. It’s hard but it usually works a treat
eventually if he is weird enough to just stare back. Just walk away with saying anything

Get a lock for your bin and stickers with your flat number. Put the lounger away and remove sofa cushion. Tell him it's your furniture, ask if he wants to split the the garden? Tell him to stop leaving his fag butts everywhere.

Is it possible to split the garden with a fence so you don't have to interact with him and his friends?

Speak to your HA. I have a neighbour who put up a fence to split. Communal garden. It was a few years ago and it's still up. She did pay for it herself

Don’t be bullied by this man. Remember he wouldn’t do anything for you yet you are supposed to lie down and allow him to walk all over you!

The bin. Do NOT start managing his bin for him. Tell him firmly that he is an adult. He he can’t get his act together to take his bin out that is his issue. He is absolutely not to start using your bin just because his is full. Absolutely not.

The furniture. Tell him very clearly it’s yours. He is not to use your property. He knows exactly what he is going and is relying on you being to timid to call him out. If you find him intimidating leave a clear note - private property - NOT FOR COMMUNAL USE. But you will have to walk up and say

‘excuse me, I am going to sit on my furniture. you and your friends will need to find another spot on the garden’

keep it firm - keep it clear. He is a man child and will just expect you to facilitate his life.

You need to tell him it's your furniture as he may not know. You should also tell him he needs to put his own bins on Fridays (or whatever day it was)

If I were you, I would keep the cushions indoors and just put them out when you want to use them. If he asks you where the cushions are, you can explain that they cost you a lot of money and want to keep them nice so you are keeping them indoors. If he asks to borrow them, your response is up to you, but you could add that you do not want smoking anywhere near your cushions. Hopefully, he will get the hint or find sitting on the furniture without the cushions uncomfortable.

If your furniture was there when he moved in then it’s not unreasonable of him to assume it came with the shared garden.
you’re just going to have to go round and a) tell him and b) ask him not to use it.

You can’t be wishy washy about it and say you don’t mind if you’re not in etc as you do and you’d have to ask him to move when you came home. Point out it’s right under your bedroom window and you have no problem if he wants to get his own for another spot.

and then finally ask him to please pick up his cigarette butts.

If it fits in the cupboard, I would put the furniture in it - even if it doesn't lock.
It's not less safe than if they are left in the garden. He should get the message, and there's nothing spiteful in wanting to keep the furniture in good condition and not outside all the time.

I don't leave the furniture out in my own garden.

Go for it, he clearly doesn’t understand rudeness himself so I doubt you’ll offend. 😀