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AIBU?

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Original poster

to put up a political poster in my window?

82 replies

ethelb · 19/06/2015 17:18

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?

OP posts:
MitzyLeFrouf · 20/06/2015 15:45

I don't think posters look tacky. Go for it OP.

wigglylines · 20/06/2015 17:13

Giving a shit about other people and the society we live in and expressing that via a poster is tacky and tatty?

Jesus wept.

Check your priorities people!

People are suffering and even dying, and our country is being dismantled because of ideologically-driven austerity measures but what really matters is that our windows look neat?!

wigglylines · 20/06/2015 17:16

ethelb did you go to the demo? I hope you had a good day :)

limitedperiodonly · 20/06/2015 17:57

Giving a shit about other people and the society we live in and expressing that via a poster is tacky and tatty?

That's not the issue. I support today's protests and am glad they were so well-attended.

But if the freehold company don't like political posters, washing, flags or prams on balconies, then that is their prerogative.

If I lived in OP's block I wouldn't make an issue of her poster as she says she's going to take it down today and I CBA to make that much of a fuss for a shortlived annoyance.

But if she made a habit of breaching the lease I would be very fucking arsed indeed.

If you were her landlord, I'd be on your case.

Because the thing is, you don't live there, so an ideal tenant to you is presumably someone who pays the rent on time and doesn't bother you much with inquiries about maintenance.

If I lived in a block with someone who displayed political posters - and I think they are all tacky - or decided to do the hoovering at 3am, they would not be my idea of an ideal tenant and as a freeholder I would be pressuring the freehold company about getting on to you about breach of the lease by you and your tenant.

Freehold companies can force you to evict a troublesome tenant even if you are also a freeholder. If you aren't a freeholder and are a leaseholder who is sub-letting, they can make life very difficult for you indeed.

If that happened to you and you faced trouble and expense, how supportive of your tenant would you be?

OP's attitude is completely unreasonable and rather foolish. I'd guess that she's not only getting herself into bother but her landlord too.

MitzyLeFrouf · 20/06/2015 18:09

It's one poster. One.

MitzyLeFrouf · 20/06/2015 18:09

I'd imagine the bother she's in is nil.

limitedperiodonly · 20/06/2015 18:45

I'd imagine the bother she's in is nil.

Depends.

This comment would seriously piss me off:

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

After that rude response to a polite request for her to comply with the lease I'd have been gunning for her. I would have directed my ire to her landlord and make it my mission to stop the nuisance or get rid of her.

As the only owner-occupier in the building of five flats, I was expected to work as an unpaid concierge by absentee landlords such as wigglylines who collected the rent but didn't have to live with the consequences of their 'ideal' tenants' behaviour.

As I said, 'ideal' tenants to landlords like wigglylines are people who pay the rent on time and don't bother them. They may bother their neighbours but hey-ho, wigglylines doesn't have to live with them.

wigglylines · 20/06/2015 18:52

If I had two tenants and one complained about the other displaying posters, and wanted them evicted, i'd certainly be considering eviction, but it would not be for the person with the poster!

Ever heard of tolerance?

wigglylines · 20/06/2015 18:56

Making a few assumptions there! And pretty insulting ones too, i'd like an apology please.

In fact was friends with the other freeholders, having lived in the flat for over a decade before I rented it.

I am a decent person, and certainly was not an irresponsible landlord.

If a neighbour had a reasonable complaint about a tenant of mine I would of course have dealt with it.

Complaining about posters in other people's windows it not reasonable IMO.

WaitingForMe · 20/06/2015 19:07

Reasonable or not the leasehold company for the block of flats of which I own one is very strict. It's in my leasehold agreement that I need their permission to let to tenants and if my tenants break a rule (including putting up posters in their windows) the leasehold company can force me to evict them. I would literally have no say in the matter.

Ubik1 · 20/06/2015 19:10

Oh of course you cAn put posters up in your window - even if you are tenant.
Of course you can.

NewFlipFlops · 20/06/2015 19:11

I could have written limitedperiodonly's posts.

Ubik1 · 20/06/2015 19:16

And yes effing landlords.

There are 7 flats in out block, three of which are landlord owned. 5 years ago there was only one -owner occupier - the landlords let he building fall into disrepair. The one owner - an elderly lady - was flooded 9 times by tenants and nobody gave a damn.

And now we have £40,000 buildings repairs pending per flat And the chance if a 50% grant from the local authority. We lose the grant if everyone doesn't pay up. Guess who isn't paying up? You guessed it - the greedy feckless landlords.

It's a bloody feudal business run by criminals and idiots.

limitedperiodonly · 20/06/2015 19:18

Complaining about posters in other people's windows it not reasonable IMO.

Yes it is if it breaches the lease. How many more times do I have to say that? Most leases have a catch-all clause about causing nuisance.

As I said, I would have sympathy with the political sentiments of people displaying posters about the anti-austerity marches of today, but they would not be allowed in the building and I had to deal with that.

Them's the rules. People like you rely on people like me to enforce them. Unpaid and often on the receiving end of truculent people like OP and people like you who think it's okay to enforce your social conscience from afar.

So don't hold your breath for an apology,

MikeEhrmentraut · 20/06/2015 19:20

The problem with a lot of people in this country is that they're so precious about their little patch that it offends their delicate sensibilities to see a poster in a neighbour's window or some washing hung on a balcony. It's ridiculous in my opinion, as is the attitude of some people who seem to think they're a cut above because they own their home.

There are massive issues affecting this country at the minute, and the perpetrators of them must have a good old chuckle about the fact that it's this kind of thing that generally gets people's backs up , not the important stuff.

limitedperiodonly · 20/06/2015 19:24

Oh yes, we should look at the bigger picture.

Thanks for reminding me

Ubik1 · 20/06/2015 19:26

Op - I hope you get a giant light up raindeer fir the window at Christmas.

limitedperiodonly · 20/06/2015 19:46

Op - I hope you get a giant light up raindeer fir the window at Christmas.

Do you want to offer her a room in your house when she gets evicted Ubik1?

She's a private tenant. Her tenancy is not going to be that secure.

I don't think it's a good plan to piss off the freeholders.

I also think it's reckless for third parties to encourage people to antagonise their neighbours for their amusement.

OP might want to go along with you. She seems that way inclined. OP might find herself homeless.

Ubik1 · 20/06/2015 19:53

Oh FGS
No landlord wants to evict a tenant over trivialities. Evictions cost money.
And landlords are all about money.

WeekendDilemma · 20/06/2015 20:34

Did anyone see the article about the woman who complained that her neighbour was making her garden too 'gay' by putting up coloured lights?

Signlake · 20/06/2015 20:40

She was unreasonable to speak to you about it, you're well within your rights to have a political poster in your window. However, you'd also have to accept that she wouldn't be unreasonable to display something you didn't agree with. For example a UKIP poster in hers

limitedperiodonly · 20/06/2015 21:11

you're well within your rights to have a political poster in your window

No she's not within her rights to do anything that breaches the tenancy agreement which will probably have a clause about nuisance. Most do. That will cover it displaying posters in the windows. Her landlord will crumble if the Freehold Company want to get shirty because however high-minded the landlord is, she will ultimately just want to earn money.

WTF are people encouraging OP to dice with making herself homeless?

I realise that OP will probably come back to this thread after a lovely day at the austerity march and hate me.

However, my advice isn't to her. It's to anyone else who thinks it's a good idea to piss people off.

Protect yourself. Don't put yourself in a vulnerable position.

Signlake · 20/06/2015 21:24

Sorry Limited, where did OP say that her tenancy agreement forbids her from doing so? I've missed that part though yes, encouraging the OP to do things to purposefully upset her neighbour is hardly sensible

limitedperiodonly · 20/06/2015 21:46

The lease will probably include a clause about 'nuisance'.

If the freeholders want to get shirty, then that will cover it.

The OP's landlord may not have told the freehold company that he or she is sub-letting. That's a common oversight and is a breach. One of the things it transgresses is insurance. It could invalidate insurance for the whole building.

It can be easily overcome, but if you piss off the freeholders it may become a problem for your landlord.

No matter how right-on they are, if they're going to get hit in the pocket, they're going to ditch you.

wigglylines · 20/06/2015 21:57

"Most leases have a catch-all clause about causing nuisance"

What is meant by nuisance is open to interpretation.

In my opinion, a neighbour romplaining about a neighbour putting up posters is causing much more of a nuisance than the posters are.

And, again I find your posts offensive limitedperiodonly.

"Them's the rules. People like you rely on people like me to enforce them"

Really?! Hmm

If you interpreted a "no nuisance" rule as giving you license to complain to my tenant about a poster I certainly wouldn't see it as you doing me a favour and enforcing rules for me. I would be mightily pissed off with you for harassing my tenant.

You have a very strange view of the world. Thankfully most people don't think like this despite what you seem to believe!

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