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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
ThoseArentSpiritFingers · 06/01/2012 10:42

Wellwisher, it's because the OP doesn't want a solution, she wants to store the pram in the hall. Don't know why she bothered coming on here, after being told due is U, still hasn't changed stance

Rhubarbgarden · 06/01/2012 10:51

Having fallen over a folded Maclaren last night that had been left in the downstairs hallway outside my friend's flat, I'm afraid I have little sympathy, OP. I'm pregnant, I was carrying a wriggling toddler, and as the pushchair wasn't there when I arrived I wasn't expecting it to be there when I left, so I simply didn't see it. I've already got a bad back from carrying a toddler when I've got soft ligaments and now it's worse Angry. It's not just in a fire situation; obstacles left in hallways are downright dangerous.

ninedragons · 06/01/2012 11:15

Yep, sorry, I'm with the majority. I live in a flat and got rid of my lovely Stokke Xplory precisely because I couldn't get it up the stairs. DC2 was in a sling from birth - 6m and then an umbrella stroller.

Deal with it or move.

valiumredhead · 06/01/2012 11:26

Under the table or building a store cupboard sounds like a good idea.

MabelLucyAttwell · 06/01/2012 11:34

Is there a space under the stairs where it would not be seen and wouldn't be in anyone's way if they were trying to escape from a fire?

Why choose to have babies when you are on the third floor, presumably without a lift?

ditziness · 06/01/2012 15:14

I live in a Scottish tenanment too, just moved in a month ago. Everyone I know in scotland who lives in a tenanment stores their pram in the common stair. So I've just done the same without checking with my new neighbours, and this thread is making me feel very paranoid. Never ever thought anyone had a problem with it before!

In my defence I'd have thought twice and not moved into the flat if I'd not thought there was an issue. The hall way is huge, already has a bike and a couple of ladders in it without any impact atall on space. I've got a phil and teds sport, and it fits into a space between the banister and the wall perfectly without sticking out, so doesn't cause any obstruction. I'm 20 weeks pregnant with SPD and have a toddler with very delayed walking who can't climb stairs on his own, or walk very far. So if i'd thought it was a problem I'd have not of moved in as it'd be impossible for me to keep it in the flat.

Aibu? Worried now! Noone's said anything..... Should I ask? Scared to tho as I'd need to move out if someone said to move it!

porcamiseria · 06/01/2012 15:23

have not even read this but YABU

why the fuck should people have the live with your pram? get a lightweight one you can store/carry up

ReduceRecycleRegift · 06/01/2012 16:29

ditziness what you should be worried about is that your family's fire route being used to store ladders and bikes and prams! Get the fire brigade round for a safety check (they're very good, my local one switched are smoke alarms to long life battery ones for free when they did our check)

ditziness · 06/01/2012 17:18

They are genuinely not in the way atall. I have no worries at all about fire safety, every thing is out of way, tucked against walls and three people could still walk in line down the hall. And that's from someone who has survived her house burning down

ZXEightyMum · 06/01/2012 17:44

To the poster who gave the link to Pramgate thank you SO much.

I have it on my watch list to read again tonight. Scottishmummy as the heroine who saves the day when people realise that the hallway really IS that small and that the OP has been perfectly reasonable given that she has been lied to. Marvellous!

ReduceRecycleRegift · 06/01/2012 17:54

people need to feel their way out along the wall sometimes so stuff up against the wall "out of the way" is still a hazard if its stuff that comes and goes so they don't know what to expect when they feel it

ditziness · 06/01/2012 21:28

I think you're disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing, every single situation is going to be different. Come to Scotland, you'll see many of the tenanment stairs with prams and bikes stored safely, without inconveniencing others and without causing obstruction. In my 20 or so years living in flats with shared stairs, I've yet to experience bother or to bother someone else.

ReduceRecycleRegift · 06/01/2012 21:35

I think you are safe more by luck than judgement. If you disagree with me fine I suggested you get an expert opinion in by having a fire safety check fireman come round. Its fun for the kids and you will either learn something that might save the life of someone you live with or else you can come back here and say "I told you so reduce" - win win!

ditziness · 06/01/2012 21:45

Fair enough reduce, ok I will! :-) yes ds would love it! You're on!

scottishmummy · 06/01/2012 21:54

ditziness,it must vary between tenements,have never known it tolerated to have bikes,prams tolerated in communal space. a swift wee note must be dispatched to shift those items

I would would complain about a pram in tenement, and admit to be movef

ditziness · 06/01/2012 22:10

Maybe it does, I must have been lucky to have always shared a stair with tolerant people and been tolerant myself. It would never occur to me to be bothered by something safely and tidily stored that didn't cause an obstruction. Pre kids I've always seen prams in stairs and just accepted them there. MAYO agree with the Germans!

I really would hate the idea of pissing people off though. But I have no other choice. I can't carry ds, I can't carry the pram without injuring myself. Ds can't walk further than a couple of bocks without needing the pram. I need the pram or else we're housebound.

ditziness · 06/01/2012 22:11

Mayo? MAYO? How did mayo get there?

ditziness · 06/01/2012 22:11

Mayo? MAYO? How did mayo get there?

ditziness · 06/01/2012 22:14

Twice too! Aaargh auto correct and Internet posting arsery!

Btw OP, if your pram is tidy, safely stored and not causing an obstruction then you're not being unreasonable. People should be kinder and more tolerant of each other!

goingmadinthecountry · 06/01/2012 22:34

It's not reasonable to clutter up communal space with your stuff whatever it is. If a 3rd floor flat isn't practical, move or don't have more kids. Such is life. It's about acting responsibly = it's what most of us do on a day to day basis.

scottishmummy · 06/01/2012 22:57

I'm not intolerant,but don't like prams,bikes,detritus in shared areas
you live upstairs you buy an appropriate pram to your circumstances

ditziness · 06/01/2012 23:22

My pram is lightweight and does fold (and is folded when stored in the stair), but even if it was lighter and smaller I still couldn't lift it up and down stairs. I'm 6 months pregnant and have spd and have been told by the physio not to lift anything heavier than a newborn baby. My son has a disability and cannot walk further than a couple of blocks without needing a pram. It really has no impact when stored on space in the hall. Would you still insist I moved it?

ditziness · 07/01/2012 14:37

I've spoken to the other 5 flats in my stair and none of them mind at all about pram. I'm glad i have nice tolerant neighbours rather than the majority of you lot. Every situation is different, in some halls a pram would be inappropriate , in others no problem. You can't just blanket decide that nothing should ever be stored in communal space. Unless you're an intolerant neat freak with a chip on your shoulder ;-)

scottishmummy · 07/01/2012 18:59

oh you ole smooth talker you ditziness

1st month in the tenement and you know everything about it.well done

aye,wait til communal repairs or some such to see how it all hangs...

ditziness · 07/01/2012 19:37

Yeah Well the stair door doesn't lock and no one but us and 3f1 want to fix it, but I think I might just suggest we half it rather than stress. I've been living in tenaments for 20 years, I'm well aware it's not always easy. Certainly sounds like it would be if you were in my stair ;-)