Neighbours Pushchairs Blocking Access To My Front Door!!

[possum18]

New to Mumsnet - First Post!! :) Please be friendly :)
I have just moved into a groundfloor flat with one Ground Floor neighbour and 2 Upstairs neighbours. They ALL have very young children (One has 3) and all leave their pushchairs in the (TINY) downstairs communal hallway. The flat I have moved into was vacant for 6+months and they all got used to leaving their pushchairs in the hallway and in my flat's Doorway.
The Issue is that I now live there and they are still leaving 4/5 large pushchairs outside my front door (literally in my doorway) and in the hall. On my first day living here one friendly neighbour said she would speak to the others and moved her pushchair. This was great for 3 days until they were all back (including hers!!!!) HELP!!??

[Fairylea]

Start charging them for parking :)

[Pobblewhohasnotoes]

Stack them up, in front of their doorways. Like jenga, but with prams.


When we rented people would put their bikes in the hallway. Eventually someone (the freeholder I think) noticed and soon after an amendment to the contract came round stating that no bikes were to be kept in communal areas.

[Salmotrutta]

I'd probably be very very grumpy about something like this.

My way of dealing with it would be to sling them all on top of each other in a big pile in a corner.

If You've already spoken to them about hell mend them I say.

[CSIJanner]

You could print this out and warn them that a fire inspection will happen very soon?

Pramgate is here - the incredible non-folding but yet it does because the owners couldn't be tasted to find out how pram.

[KeatsiePie]

What happened to that amazing pram/bikes thread that had the photo of the tiny entrance hall? Might be some good advice there, I think it got sorted out okay.

[MidniteScribbler]

Tie them all together with a very complicated system of knots all looped up together. If it takes them an hour to get them free every morning they might get the hint.

[Didactylos]

or you could just ebay the lot....
prams? what prams

[lessonsintightropes]

And if they carry on ninja action like holiday's would be perfect!

[lessonsintightropes]

Before getting too PA/anxious about it, I'd try having a word with them each individually. Give it a week, and if things aren't changing, try a note.

I think something like,

"Hi [neighbour's name], As you know, we've moved into the flat nearest the entrance door and have been here for a few weeks now. It's been great to meet the neighbours and we're really keen to meet people and settle in. Just a small point, but the prams left outside our front door make it hard for me to get in with shopping/get our own pram in/something else, please could you fold up your prams and take them to your own flat? I realise this is a change because our flat had been empty a while, but it's becoming a real problem for me. Hope you understand and can help make it easier for us all using the communal entrance.

Thanks, Possum 18"

If they don't comply within a few days, I'd try knocking on a few times to talk first and then if no luck another note saying something like,

"Hi, I've tried to talk to you a few times about the issues caused by prams in the communal hallway. I'm really sorry we've not been able to resolve it, but I think I don't really have any other option now than to speak to the management agent. I'd be very keen to avoid this, if you could stop doing it then I won't write to the agent until xxxx date. Again, I'm really doing everything I can, but this is making access in and out of our flat really problematic. etc"

If they don't respond to this, then you've every right to call in the agent/fire brigade, but give people a chance first. What an irritating situation.

[holidaysarenice]

This happened in our flat, it went from one buggy, to a bugaboo, a stroller, a buggy board, a scooter and a toddler bike!!!! All belonging to one lazy assed resident on the first floor.

Everyone else carried theirs up the stairs.

Eventually I lost the plot falling over kids crap that I soaked the lot one night... Plain water...no damage.

I thoroughly enjoyed it tho....and she shifted her crap.

[EverythingIsTicketyBoo]

Crikey, how rude of them, I would be tempted to put them in front of the other door and possibly near the bottom of the stairs, but for safety probably go with the welcome mat and obnoxiously large plant pots

[BlackeyedSusan]

you can buy pushchairs that weigh 5kg (single) or 7.5 kg (double) so they are easy to get up the stairs.

[ouryve]

Park the buggies squarely in front of their own doors, if you have to move them. Meantime I do agree that it;s a good idea to phone the fire brigade. If I'd left our buggies outside our front door, they'd have got wet or would have been stolen, and we have no hallways in our terraced house, so I can't see how it would be any more inconvenient for them to fold their buggies and take them inside.

[arabesque]

I would talk to the management Agents. When a couple of residents started leaving bikes and pushchairs in the communal entrance or my apartment block the Management Agency put a notice up on the wall stating that if they weren't removed by x date they would be removed by the Agency.
The weren't long disappearing .

[coco87]

I would start off nice and gently, with a friendly note posted through their doors. I would also perhaps put a very clear note on your door saying that the flat is occupied and you cannot get through the hallway/it is a fire risk.

If they ignore these and keep doing it, then bring out the big guns.

[AnotherStitchInTime]

Should point out it was not us blocking the access, it was the 4 other flats, at times 6 buggies blocking access when they had friends over.

We were the ones that complained as we couldn't get past with our buggy when carrying it to the main door.

[RobotBananas]

Calling your local fire station really will be the easiest way of dealing with it. If you ring management you'll get their backs up.

[whois]

Honestly it's hardly a surprise is it if you live on a first floor with DC that you will have to lug the pushchair upstairs.

There is no way they should be blocking your door, and probably no way they should even be in the communal hall.

Check lease, phone management company and get a fire inspection.

I might be tempted to pile them up on top of each other in a very tangled way at the bottom of the stairs but not sure that is a v reasonable approach!

[AnotherStitchInTime]

I had this in our old flat, we used to lug our buggy to the first floor so as not to block the access.

It is a fire risk, you need a clear exit at all times. My landlord and the fire safety officer wrote a letter reminding the tenants why we don't block access.

[filee777]

I'd just pop a really nicely written note through each door explaining that its really not nice for you and it's making you feel uncomfortable

Also mention that if it does not stop you will have to contact the buildings manager and if it still doesn't stop you will have to move the prams outside of the communial area which would be on the street.

[sleeplessbunny]

can you fold them up so they take up less space? It seems very selfish of them, I understand they would want to leave them downstairs but blocking someone's doorway is very rude.

[weisswusrt]

Padlock them together with a chain. Leave a note saying they can pay you a parking violation fine of tea and cake and you will release them.