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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

...to store our pram in the communal hallway?

145 replies

elgachbo · 03/01/2012 15:51

This is the situation: We live in a rented 3rd floor flat. Our 2nd child is due in March.
With our 1st child, we used to store our pram in the communal hallway. That was no problem for about a year or so. Then our freeholder (she lives on the ground floor) got a bit "fuzzy" about it. Basically she didn't like to look at our (brand new, plain-coloured) Mamas&Papas-pram. She came up with all sorts of reasons for us to remove it: fire risk, health & safety. All of them nonsense because she herself has put some furniture in the hallway. Those tables and heaters make the pram look rather little. There is no way it'd be an onbstruction for anyone. In the end the management agency for the property warned us on behalf of the freeholder that the pram would be removed and that there'd be a fine. By that time our 1st child was big enough for a foldable push chair. So we removed the pram and everything went back to normal.
But now I really wonder what's going to happen next. Obviously we'll need the pram for our 2nd child. There is no way we can move a 10-kilo-pram and two children savely to a 3rd-floor-flat up and down on a daily basis.
Is there really no way to be able to store a pram in a communal hallway if you live on the 3rd floor? Wouldn't that be common sense?!
Our hallway is huge. One could easily park one of those tiny electric cars in there, let alone a pram.
I fear we'll have our freeholder and the property management at our throats again soon.
Any suggestions?
Many thanks!!
C&E

OP posts:

SantasENormaSnob · 03/01/2012 16:15

Panda, there is a full pram section. Am sure someone could help you over there.

TeaOneSugar · 03/01/2012 16:18

We live in a house but have a small hallway, the pram base was kept in the car boot and we just brought the carry cot part into the house.

Would that work?

ChippingInLovesChristmasLights · 03/01/2012 16:18

AFuckingKnackeredWoman - your name makes even more sense now!! Bloody hell! Isn't there a lift at all or is it just 'out of order' a lot?? There's no way on this earth I'd move into a flat on the 9th floor without a lift - not even without a baby. Hat's off to you!!

All you can do is ask - even if it's for a limited period. However, she's the freeholder and is entitled to say no - barking or not. If she says no then I'd go for a sling and a lightweight (from birth) buggy.

fuckityfuckfuckfuck · 03/01/2012 16:18

I live in an upstairs flat and the solution here if you really can;t elave it elsewhere (I don;t have a car for eg) is either a sling (a wrap sling will be comfortable and keep your hands free) or a pram with huge air tyres so you can bump it up and down easily. We got a ridiculously cheap Bugaboo for less than 100 quid locally that will do the job nicely, and has a carrycot for the first few months, but a 3 wheeler would also do the job.

Victorialucas · 03/01/2012 16:20

She is being totally unreasonable!

RubyWho · 03/01/2012 16:21

We have this problem! We own the flat but the council are freeholders; prams, bikes etc are all fire hazards. I do just have to lug the bloody thing up and down the stairs whenever I want to use it. I have an 18mo age gap so have a massive phil&teds and it's not easy...but needs must!
I would speak to your landlady, personally- but be prepared that you may have to do a fair bit of schlepping if she isnt happy for you to store it in the hallway/put up a bike type hook for it.

Lueji · 03/01/2012 16:24

Plus it could easily be stolen.

ChristinedePizaTinsel · 03/01/2012 16:28

I don't understand why anyone needs a pram. Isn't a pushchair that's suitable from birth okay if you have issues with where to store it? I used to live in a basement flat with a separate entrance and there was no way I could have a pram (there was not enough room in my hall) so I had a lie-flat pushchair that folded up.

GlueSticksEverywhere · 03/01/2012 16:29

We used to have this problem except our neighbour was lovely and never complained. I often asked them if they minded and they always said no as they could see I had no other option. There was literally no space large enough in our flat to put a pram, in fact it didn't even fit through the very narrow doorway to get up our stairs! These neighbours also for a while stored bikes in the hallway and we never minded either.

I think it is very hypercritical of them to complain when they have put tables and heaters in the hallway. Cheeky gits! Have you thought about asking for the tables to be removed as they are a firehazard? Don't think I'd be able to resist!

heliumballoon · 03/01/2012 16:31

Would she still complain if you bought a foldable lightweight buggy and left it folded in the hall? For example my McClaran is small when folded and suitable from birth. In the event of a smoky evacuation people would be less likely to trip over it.

trixymalixy · 03/01/2012 16:36

YABU, our neighbour used to leave her pram in the communal hallway and it really irritated me, it irritates the freeholder so you'll have to buy a smaller pram or carry it up.

Flisspaps · 03/01/2012 16:39

The pram shouldn't be left there.

But by the same token, the tables and heater shouldn't be there either.

There will probably be something in the lease that says that the hall should be kept clear of anything because the insurance will be invalidated in the case of a fire (or something), even if the freeholder has put them there. It might be worth checking that out with the management company.

4madboys · 03/01/2012 16:39

well if you cant leave your pram, maybe folded up? then i would be putting in a complaint about her tables?!! surely they are just as much of a firehazard

Original poster

elgachbo · 03/01/2012 16:47

Wow. Thanks so much for the instant feedback! Big help!!
The plain and simple reason for me being so surprised about this situation is: I'm German ;o) In Germany you can be sure to have every possible right to store your pram at your most convenient location. (Just recently a judge decided it would be too harsh for a tenant to carry a pram a few stairs down to the basement to store it there. The child wouldn't be safe waiting in the meantime.)
Now I know what you're thinking: Move back to Germany then!
I reckon we'll probably use the sling a lot more than we did with your 1st child. And I'll probably suggest the "bring it down in the morning and carry it back up in the evening"-solution to our freeholder. Let's hope she can live with that.

OP posts:

lisaro · 03/01/2012 16:47

YABVU. You've already been informed it's not acceptable. If you don't like it - move.

MrsHuxtable · 03/01/2012 17:17

elgachbo I'm German too. It does take a lot of getting used too how little rights tenants have here and how rented accomodation isn't really really your home as you can be kicked out with so little notice etc . It can be so frustrating if your used to the German system but that's life....

PoultryInMotion · 03/01/2012 17:33

Panda1234 Have you thought about a baby jogger city mini? My friend lived in a flat and found it a good one as it can be folded and carried with one hand.

maypole1 · 03/01/2012 17:36

If its any way decent it will be nicked make sure you get a motor bike lock

CharlotteBronteSaurus · 03/01/2012 17:43

get a lightweight buggy (i have had both the Bee and the XT)
we used to carry the whole thing with dd1 in it up the stairs - once you get the knack it's much easier than bumping it, definitely easier than faffing around folding and unfolding, and really no bother at all. in fact i often still do this with dd2 when we're out and about and I can't be arsed to go and find the lift.

Adversecamber · 03/01/2012 17:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

deltashad2 · 03/01/2012 18:00

Sorry to say but you are not renting the hallway.

whomovedmychocolate · 03/01/2012 18:08

Do you have a garden? Could you buy one of those plastic stores and just wheel it in there and then walk up the stairs. Surely that would be a good compromise. And I would complain about the freeholders use of floor space if she's not willing to let you use it either.

FootprintsInTheSnow · 03/01/2012 18:19

I has this with DC2.

My solution was a Maclaren Techno (top spec, with extra padding etc - I think it's even possible to get a soft carrycot for them now) + buggy board + sling stashed in the basket.

It was stored in the boot of our car - but sometimes I'd leave it folded at the bottom of the stairs for DH to deal with (basement car park, so a bit out of my way).

It actually worked very well. I didn't have a huge age gap, and while Dd generally walked, it was useful to be able to pop her in the buggy if she was getting tired at the end of the day (&DS in a sling). It's not quite as plush as a real pram - but newborns are happier in slings anyway - and in no time at all I was glad not to be weighed down with an overlarge buggy. I coveted a bugaboo - but in homesty it would have been a bit of a white elephant.

wellwisher · 03/01/2012 18:41

If the hall's really spacious, could you offer to buy/build a cupboard for it that's big enough to store your pram? Either a cheapie from Ikea or you could pay someone to make one out of MDF and paint it the colour of the hall walls...

HapHappyOpotomus · 03/01/2012 18:43

I keep my buggy in our portable shed - I.e. The car boot :)

Carry baby in sling, hold dd1's hand/scooter/bags etc go to car, get buggy out of boot etc etc. with newborn I used carrycot on buggy or carseat for short periods.

But ideally you'll be able to have buggy in hallway. Try and sort it now - if neighbour objects I'd be insisting she removes her items.

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