Neighbour scolded me about washing out in the front

[OrangeSplot]

Hello.

I'm feeling a bit stung and embarrassed.

We rent in a close. A few retired homeowners take care of the communal area (off their own back - do the gardens etc but I think our LL pays for lawn to be cut etc).

My neighbor just told me that I should dry my washing at the back as its "not nice for the neighbours".

Incidentally, my DH hung washing out front yesterday as the stand was there from kids playing and was sunny.

I was a bit taken aback - although I know/suspect they look down on us for having toys in our front lawn etc and more weedy than theirs. I can imagine it's not ideal but you just accept that you have a neighbour with lower aesthetic standards than you, surely?

If it's relevant I was told off last year because my friend had left her car in the communal grounds (not obstructing etc, just parked) for about 2/3 days because she ended up getting a taxi home. Another neighbor had a real go at me about it disrespecting the neighbours etc. It's just a car in my eyes, it was removed on day 3 or 4 I think.

I said little because I didn't want to say 'yes of course'. And I didn't want to argue so I just said 'I'll think about what you said' and I think I may have uttered 'I think it's an unreasonable request'. She said 'Well, , if you don't hang your washing out the back, I think you should know that it will be taken further'.

I just feel upset. It's not nice to have upset from neighbours. I'm polite and friendly and my kids play with their grandkids happily.

Is she being unreasonable or am I?

[OrangeSplot]

Funny story MsHoolie :)

[happybee1]

Oh dear, my garden's a complete mess. Never have time to do it as single widowed parent with 4 Dc's. I am terrible at gardening and definitely lower the tone. I even have an old carpet rolled up in the front waiting to go to the dump but had trouble lifting it into the car on my own. I am trying to do up my horrible house. Neighbours must hate me but as I own my property probably not much they can do. Nobody has commented on the state of things, thank goodness. Will be a skip out there soon as well, once I get started on the bathroom! I must admit I do find the garden overwhelming and it does get me down. My DP used to do it.

[happybee1]

I have rented twice and people definitely treat you like second class citizens. In one flat, the man upstairs constantly complained about my toddler running around. He used to bang on the floor. My DS loved it he used to bang back, this was all in the daytime. He also did it when I had visitors and was talking at around 9pm as obviously this wasn't allowed either! He even said people like me shouldn't be allowed to rent in places like this. That really confused me, what did he mean people with kids I guess. They told me they really hated the fact the flat was rented out and actually sold up and moved, problem solved I guess!!

[AndTakeYourPenguinWithYou]

I rent, I'm not treated like a second class anything so speak for yourself. But then I maintain the property well and cut my own grass etc, so I expect that helps.

[OOAOML]

Re the bluebells - we live in a flat with no garden. There are a few front gardens nearby with masses of bluebells. My son and I often stop on the way to school to admire them as they look amazing☺

[Ifailed]

Well, Happybee1, I for one admire you bringing up 4Dcs as a widowed parent. If I was your neighbour, all you'd have to do is ask for a bit of help with the carpet etc and I'd be happy to help.

[PotteringAlong]

You're not looked down on for renting. You're looked down on for not maintaining your house.

[Gwenhwyfar]

A tenant is not supposed to maintain their house Pottering (unless you mean cleaning the inside). In my street you can have a good idea of who is renting and who is owner occupied by the state of the front doors and whether the door bells work. These are the responsibility of the landlord.

[Janeymoo50]

I don't really get the whole I'm renting so don't need to keep things smart view. Why wouldn't you want your home/garden tidy regardless of if you're renting/own your own home? I rented a flat for years and washed my windows, had baskets, tubs outside, cut my grass etc, it's my home and I wanted to enjoy it looking nice (plus it makes for good relationships with a LL, who was more than happy for us to have lots of tubs, baskets etc). Funnily enough, we have a lady three doors down whose front garden is a tip, rubbish, sofa discarded, empty milk cartons etc. It makes the street look untidy, and she sits in her doorstep having a fag most days (I go out the back discreetly 😳). As for the washing, I'd probably not bat an eyelid if your garden was at least attempted at being tidy.

[AndTakeYourPenguinWithYou]

A tenant is not supposed to maintain their house Pottering (unless you mean cleaning the inside)

Nonsense. If you have a front garden, you weed it and cut the grass. You clean the windows, you keep the place neat and tidy.
Renting isn't an excuse to live in a kip, and its that type of renter thats looked down on, not the rest.

[OurBlanche]

As a renter you are obliged to keep the garden in a similar condition as it was in when you moved in. You are not bound to keep any plants alive... but you are bound to keep any pots, ornaments etc.

So, if the lawn was mowed and the beds weeded, that is the upkeep you are expected to maintain. Unless your LL specifically says no and provides a gardener, which some do.

[PigletJohn]

"obliged"

So what sanction is to be applied to the tenant who does not sweep their garden, in your opinion?

[BombadierFritz]

You'd get your tenancy terminated round here (posh houses only - the rest dont care). Or a gardening charge deducted from the deposit (no idea if this is legal)

[clam]

As children, my friend's house used to back on to a massive Victorian villa-type house. They received a note (on posh paper) through the door requesting them to remove washing from the line in the back garden by 2pm each day, so that it wasn't visible when they entertained guests for afternoon tea.

[OurBlanche]

So what sanction is to be applied to the tenant who does not sweep their garden, in your opinion? On check out I would note any differences in condition and allocate costs according to the AST.

It's what I do for a living!

[AndTakeYourPenguinWithYou]

Sanctions? How about a bit of common decency and behaving like a grown up?

[NewLife4Me]

OP, saw you post way back where you mentioned Bluebells.

If you come back to this, why not put them in a little pot, they are so pretty.
Please don't just pull them up.

[OrangeSplot]

I'm pleased bluebells are making people smile. They're all fizzling out now.

Can I just for the record say we don't have old sofas and milk cartons and I don't smoke or thrown cans out! I do mow the lawn! I don't see why I should be lumped in with that category when it's not that bad!

To be fair I haven't washed the windows.

Picture attached so you can see the crazy patch of green. Several other houses have all soil and neatly planted flowers. Next door is same as mine.

[IceRoadDucker]

On check out I would note any differences in condition and allocate costs according to the AST.

Only if it's like that on the check-out day. Landlords can do sod all about you not sweeping your garden during a tenancy.

[NewLife4Me]

I love bluebells, we have pots of them in our garden and i'm going to plant in the soil when we have enough, maybe next year.

OP, there's nothing wrong with your washing being there at all and I believe your ll probably doesn't have the grass outside as to make it low maintenance for tenants.

I'm a LL and if I had a call about something so petty, I'd laugh tbh, you are doing nothing wrong.

[Gwenhwyfar]

"A tenant is not supposed to maintain their house Pottering (unless you mean cleaning the inside)

Nonsense. If you have a front garden, you weed it and cut the grass. You clean the windows, you keep the place neat and tidy. "


I meant house, not garden. Yes, I clean my windows as far as I can reach - there's a strip at the top of the outside windows that I just can't reach from inside. I keep the place tidy, but that is cleaning, not maintenance. I don't clean the outside of the communal door or fix my doorbell because that is the landlord's responsibility.

[AndTakeYourPenguinWithYou]

Communal door suggests flat rather than house so doesn't really apply.

[Newmanwannabe]

YANBU, Especially if there is not much space out the back or the sun not as strong. I don't think I'd do it though, well not my underwear maybe jeans and tshirts or towels.

But I think you should feel lucky that they are eagle eyed busybodies and looking out for the area.. It does give you a bit more security

[liz70]

"just a bit further along the coastline, the villagers hang their washing on the public green"

Our washing hanging out by the sea, in front of our holiday cottage in Caithness one spring.

[BadDoGooder]

To all those who think people shouldn't hang washing outside the front, or even in the back, is your sensibilities really worth more than the environment?
Not being goady, just genuinely curious as to what you think people should do with their washing?
Tumble driers are incredibly bad for the environment, and drying washing indoors is bad for the residents health, and the health of the building.

I think it's pathetic that in 2016 people still care more about supposed "appearances" than the environment around them.

A lot of the weeds that sprout round here are attractive to insects, I leave them where they are, I'd quite like to keep bees around for as long as possible, and I will hang my washing wherever I damn well please.