to put up a political poster in my window?

[ethelb]

Just had a slightly unpleasant altercation with the neighbour who lives downstairs in our shared garden.

I put up a poster for the End Austerity Now march taking place in London tomorrow, a week ago.

She came out 'to have a word' with me about it and said that I had to take them down as it wasn't fair to have my views on the building.

I said that it was fine for me to have my posters up and they would be coming down tomorrow anyway after the march has taken place.

She said I needed the freeholder's permission (she is an owner/freeholder and I am a private tenant) and I said that I didn't.

She argued that it would have been polite and I said that I did not think that it was necessary and just left it at that.

She muttered something about it being ok if they were coming down tomorrow but it would have been polite. I just smiled and left her in the garden.

This neighbour is a difficult woman and has given us grief before, over once hanging our washing out (once in TWO YEARS) on a day she hadn't assigned us.

But maybe I should get some perspective on this single incident. Is it worth fighting over?

[limitedperiodonly]

i would tolerate political posters i didnt agree with

Would you?

I wouldn't tolerate EDL posters or ISIS flags

[ethelb]

I would not leave hate speech unchallenged no. This is not comparable.

[limitedperiodonly]

But she doesn't like your poster and unfortunately she's in charge

[ethelb]

No she is not in charge. She is not my landlady. You don't get to use your position as a property owner to take away less asset wealthy people's freedom of expression or right to their home in this country.

I sincerely doubt you do share my political leanings if you wish that to be the case.

[Werksallhourz]

Most of my old tenancy agreements stated that you could not put up publicly visible political material on the property.

I'd check your agreement if I were you.

[ethelb]

As I have stated already, there is no such clause in my tenancy agreement.

[limitedperiodonly]

You are a tenant, aren't you, and she is one of the freeholders?

I'm not judging you at all, but that is the situation, isn't it?

The freeholders are in charge. They can tell your landlord what to do as regards a tenant.

If the landlord is also a freeholder they could stick up for you but they might not want to.

If they are a leaseholder who is sub-letting they will have very little power even if they wanted to stick up for you.

IME they will ditch you if the going gets tough.

Really, it's not worth getting into an argument with her for the sake of a poster.

[ethelb]

Not if what she is demanding is illegal and unconstitutional.

[limitedperiodonly]

I am trying to save you from yourself ethelb.

Really.

I'm sure you'll throw it back in my face but Gladly, My Cross-Eyed Bear and all that

[Yamahaha]

Check your tenancy agreement carefully- all the ones I've previously had (and indeed, the one I use now I'm a landlord) state no displaying of posters of any kind.

[ethelb]

Im taking it down tomorrow ffs. Im not 'taking a stand' just pissed off.We are both politically active journos who could make this pretty nasty for the freeholder/landlord if they get petty. Im not going to be intimidated by a 19th century mill owner mentality.

[ethelb]

Yamaha, i have it in front of me right now. The only thing they could reasonably do me for is if the white tac leaves unremovable marks. It hasn't.

[limitedperiodonly]

Look forward to searching for another home when your tenancy agreement ends.

They do hold all the cards.

[LurkingHusband]

Not if what she is demanding is illegal and unconstitutional.

The UK doesn't have a formal "constitution" - unless you are in the US ?

[Yamahaha]

If it's not in the contract, then you won't technically be in any trouble. I do think that limited is right and that your contract would not be renewed in the future because of souring relationships for the LL with the other freeholders.

I'm not saying that's right, or in any way fair, but it's likely to happen.

[wigglylines]

I was a LL. If one of the other Freeholders had complained because my tenant was putting up posters in their window I would have thought they had lost the plot!

I certainly wouldn't evict a good tenant on that basis.

[RB68]

I think she is right....it would have been polite to mention she could then have had opposing posters if she wanted - you share a building - its all about give and take and everyone is entitled to their own opinion even if it isn't yours. You want to rant and display posters and get on your high horse - every single other person in this country is also entitled to.

Not as a comment on you OP but I think this country needs to stand up and take some blame and responsibility in many things - stop the sloping shoulders of its not my fault its his/hers. Today I heard someone ranting on the radio about this country's debt and how it was the fault of the bankers and not the people. Well sorry - you spent the money directly or indirectly and we all know the purses are not bottomless - lets take some responsibility here and sort it out rather than keep moaning about whose flippin fault it is. Gets off soapbox

[limitedperiodonly]

wigglylines If one person who happens to be a freeholder doesn't like it then you can ignore it.

If a majority of freeholders decide as a company that they don't like it then you would have to tell your tenant to take them down. Otherwise it might get very difficult for you.

That's whether you are also a freeholder or not. When you live in a block of flats with a freeholder you can't just go your own way.

There's no suggestion that you'd have to evict them, unless they were persistently breaching the lease, and the freehold company made a ruling on that.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

I can understand why she has objected. They look horrible, tacky and tarty, and spoil the look of the building. Similar to how some blocks of flats aren't allowed to have Estate Agents boards, or washing hanging up.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

..tacky and tatty...

[wigglylines]

"it would have been polite to mention she could then have had opposing posters if she wanted"

Eh?

If one of my neighbours came to tell me they were putting up a political poster I would think they had list the plot! Why would you?

If I want to put up an opposing poster I don't need permission or forwarning!

But then again if you think the nation's debt and the financial crisis has nothing to do with bankers you are living in a bit of a fantasy world i'm afraid! It was all to do with the bankers!

[IsadoraQuagmire]

It might not be in your tenancy agreement, but might well be in your landlord's lease (I assume this is a share of freehold house, so all the joint freeholders would have leases on their own flats)
I've never seen a tenancy agreement, so I don't know what's in them, but if your landlord was living there himself he'd have to observe those rules, so you would too.
And posters do look tacky.

[mileend2bermondsey]

Look at it this way. You put up this poster up in your window. The next day a brick comes through the window from someone who strongly disagrees with the message. Maybe even the window underneath is bricked because they assume its the same house/apartment. Thats hardly fair to either your landlord or the downstairs neighbour is it?

[NHSisfubar]

My tenants put up posters before the last election and I was annoyed as it looked tatty for my neighbours who I have always got on with. I wouldn't have said anything unless the neighbours had complained as not worth the hassle but as it happened they took them down after a few days anyway. It wouldn't have made any difference if it was a poster aligning with my views or not; it just looked out of keeping and a bit thoughtless.