To expect to get out?

[Becca19962014]

My upstairs neighbour keeps her buggy, unfolded, in the access corridor. I can't get past it as I am disabled and on sticks and can't twist my body past it. I can't get to the bell and if there was an emergency can't get out.

I've been to the landlord and spoken to neighbour (neighbour was verbally abusive) but they're (both) insisting I'm being 100% unreasonable and obviously have a problem with children.

I can't move the buggy myself as I can't stand without sticks which I must hold on to. I can't climb stairs to ask them to move it and can't twist my body.

I've just come across this part of mumsnet and thought I'd ask you!

I don't understand why it's allowed. She knew about the toddler (who doesn't use the pushchair most of the time) and the steep narrow stairs, and narrow access corridor when she moved in. When her friends come round there are two or three there blocking the corridor.

Can someone explain to me why its considered to be so unreasonable to expect the access corridor (and emergency exit) to be kept clear please? I really don't understand.

Having a toddler is not a disability, it's a life style choice. She's either very up herself or thick as shit.

It is illegal to block someone's drive so they can't get out, isn't it! Surely, in this case they are imprisoning you against your will. What did the police say when you spoke to them?

As an LL, I am bloody furious at your useless LL, as well as that selfish mother.
Safety is non-negotiable

I would never allow access to be blocked, even if nobody was disabled.
If I knowingly do so, my insurance for Landlord Public Liability, buildings or contents might be invalidated. The main reason though, is I'm not an idiot.
My agents would immediately sort out anyone blocking access.

As a human being, I would make extra effort to ensure a disabled tenant was safe and comfortable in my property.

Take plenty of photos, then whenever you are trapped, call 101 and explain. I know 101 is overworked by Mumsnet, but in your case you are being falsely imprisoned and put at risk.
You may need to phone a few times, but the police will come, see your photos and take it seriously. They can also contact the various council bodies and make them listen.

Flyingtrue Its amazing how suddenly people become reasonable isn't it? In terms of her problem I can't decide. I just know she's a nightmare.

Bigchoc the landlord said it's okay because they can walk past it and it isn't 100% blocking corridor or only my door so can't be discrimination as it's kept in corridor. Do all landlords need those things you mentioned being made invalid by it? I ask as it may be a route I can go down with my LL.

If you can't get out call 101. If they need to get in they can break the door down - and then your landlord will have to deal with it.

It doesn't matter if everyone else can get round it. They are imprisoning you, against your will, by deliberately blocking you in. Call 101 every time you want to get to the front door, even if it is just to answer it. Every single time.

I'm sure tons of us will help if we can come up with practical
Ideas, if you wanted to tell us your approximate location.

Some people really do think the world revolves around them; I'm so fuming on your behalf.

What about a big sign saying 'any visitors to number xxx please get number xxx to let you in as I have been deliberately blocked in by them'. Followed by a photo.

It it might be worth joining Facebook for a name n shame ;)

need to put the toddler in the pushchair to leave the building

having a toddler is a disability - WTAF?!

Don't cc your LL in on any future contact with the Council, fire department, disability aid, etc. The council gave him a chance and he stitched you up by removing rhe evidence (you could make a Freedom of Information request to have details of the "false callout").

I'm in wales is that accurate enough I don't want to give more information than that.

Hasn't the stupid woman ever heard of folding her buggy and carrying it into her own flat? That's what I used to do when I lived upstairs, and we had a very big communal hall.I just can't believe how selfish and lazy some people are nowadays.

Insurance isn't a legal requirement, but if something happens an LL could be liable for millions. So, responsible LLs have full insurance.

Exits / access should be completely clear, so that means no squeezing past blockages or climbing over.
In the case of a disabled tenant, I would check if they needed extra space.
I don't know if anti-discrimination legislation requires this, but I'm a human being first and an LL afterwards.

I know the police and fire brigade are required to prioritise a lone disabled person in distress

Yes, definitely don't cc him in any future correspondence. If you can, EM photos of the blocked access to whatever department put your callout as false.

btw:having a toddler is NOT the same as being disabled.
E.g. that mum can't use disabled seats or wheelchair spaces on public transport, if a disabled person needs them.

OP, would you qualify for legal aid? I suspect a couple of letter from a solicitor to the landlord and the mother would soon sort this out.

Do you know who the LL has his Ins with? I think you can ask to see his ins certs if you don't and from that you should be able to get the relevant policy numbers - you can then contact the insurer and ask how the failure to address the problem of access/H&S etc. affects the cover they provide. Specifically ask them how they would deal with a claim for any harm you might come to if the LL's failure to act results in your health & safety being compromised. Might be worth posting on legal or emailing CAB/shelter for advice on how to determine if LL continues to do nothing re this obstruction & he is invalidating his ins, does that then affect/have implications on being able to actually rent out the property (I'm not sure on any of this at all but I think if you can see where this might lead, then perhaps an impact on LL's income/ability to let his property, that might 'persuade' him to actually do something about this).

I have little knowledge of how these things work but had cause to contact my LA re landlord in flat above mine. Turned out landlord was renting property out to more people than he was licensed to, and the LA had been trying to catch him out. I don't know of there is a min requirement in what the LL has to do legally but you never know where questioning his ins and whether his [in]action actually invalidates it might lead.

X-d with bigchoc, sounds more knowledgeable than what I've posted.

Get the council around again, it sounds like they could have helped you if they had seen the buggy.

Can you get a friend to come around to let the council in next time? Even if your friend waits outside the front door with keys so they can unlock the front door and show them through the hallway and to your flat?

OP why don't you apply for adapted social housing?

If you can't open your windows and you are experiencing financial difficulties then your neighbour is not your only problem, dreadful though she sounds.

Adapted social housing would be safer, probably be cheaper, more secure and save you from nonsense with batty potential LLs .

My DD's flats had a number of parents with children. They weren't even allowed to keep buggies under the stairs, let alone blocking exit paths/corridors.

Definitely photograph and contact fire brigade and council.

I have applied for social housing and having the maximum points a single disabled person can have, even homeless points (long story) but there are only very few accessible flats and they are taken.

To update you all, after scaring another tenant, really not doing well mentally at moment, she went and got her mum who was lovely and stated she would be complaining to landlord as it wasn't safe for her baby to live here, she helped me phone the non emergency landlord and was a star (I've apologised to tenant for meltdown and sent thanks to her mum). I spoke to a PCSO as well.

Landlord stated it is not their problem. Tenant is leaving, evicted apparently, but it will take awhile so there's nothing we can do. I did state clearly I've spoken to fire brigade and they will come round and assess it and if there is any problems then the fines etc will have nothing at all to do with me. They said if they put it in writing to tenant they then have no responsibility with regard to this issue anymore.

So it has moved. It is now in a corner in the corridor at the other end under the stairs folded up, the only time it will be a problem is if anyone needs to turn off their water. So that may be the end of it. Or not. Who knows.

But I really want to thank you all. Things are difficult for me right now for reasons other than pushchair (which I won't derail this thread by discussing here) and I've really appreciated the support I've had from you. I didn't expect it at all, I expected you to get in my back for being unreasonable and apologise for that cos you've been lovely and I shouldn't have prejudged you.

Thank you for the update. I am glad that this has been resolved for now. I am a bit taken aback that there was under stairs storage for the buggy all along, and the tenant didn't use it until things came to a head.

I hope you manage to get your other issues resolved as well

phone local council and local fire service

I'd clearly forgotten to mention there was somewhere she could put it all along, it is still in the corridor and the water meter man if he should come before she is gone will struggle to get in there. Hopefully it won't fall!

I don't know if this is the end of it. It has been moved before, several times but always goes back again.

Thankyou for the advice Maryz. I came here a long time ago and have been lurking around, it's always hard to get posting somewhere new!

If you physically cannot get out I would
1/ have a written proof of your landlord refusing to move obstruction
2/ go down stairs, see obstruction, call fire brigade and tell them you are a disabled person who is trapped and unable to get out. If they have to break the door down, so be it.

3/ inform them landlord and tenant refuse to move obstruction physically trapping you in your own flat

4/ do is every single time.

I doubt you will need to do it more than once.

If landlord says anything, record him on your phone and ask him to put everything in writing and send it by registered post. If he asks why, I would bluff and say because you have been advised to gather documentation by several parties including charity organisations who you've made aware of your predicament. If he refuses to comply with the law, you may need to pursue legal and media outlets and accept their legal aid. It doesn't sound like landlord is all that clued up on legalities.

Glad it's been sorted OP. Hopefully it will stay that way. If not, just repeat this action. Your landlord will learn.