AIBU in feeling spiteful towards my neighbours over washing lines in communal garden

Amazing - this is an almost identical scenario my friend went through. After making the communal garden stunning - some morons let their dog crap all over it. Their moron friend actually cut down her washing ropes.
There is likely to be someone who resents you - and thinks your property is communal. Work through your neighbours and do a process of elimination.
There are some real sadoes in the world

Why don't you just say to her next time you see her "I was wondering why you moved my washing?"

Could landlords not ask for contributions, like amenity rent?

For example my mum used to live in flats, where everyone contributed to the upkeep of the lifts, even if on the ground floor (was not optional)

Sounds like they just can't be bothered buying pegs. I know you shouldnt have to but maybe if you go to the poundshop and buy some pegs for communal use then they won't take them off your clothes to hang theirs out and will just use them.

If you buy a lightweight rotary line do you have somewhere you could store it away when you are not using it?

I'm wondering if the reason she moved your washing is because where you had hung yours gets direct sun and the others possibly don't? It's absolutely not on of course.
My sister had an issue in her last assisted living flat that instead of her own washing machine they had a communal washer and dryer. She put a load in, and someone stopped it mid cycle, took her clothes out of the wash before they were done, to wash theirs!
Some people think their time is more important, that they are entitled to do what they wish, and sod anyone else.
I'd bring your pegs in with your washing in future and only take them out to hang out. Assuming you take out a basket carrying your clothes it shouldnt bee too much of an added hassle.

We needed to put our rotary line into the ground using cement. I don't think it will stay upright if you just stick it into soil (unless there are different types of rotary lines).

I don't understand why your neighbours took down the clotheslines? Unless the neighbour who removed your washing also removed theirs and they decided to only put up the rope when they wanted to hang theirs out?

I feel your frustration OP. Would it be possible to have your own rope that you could keep in your home and hang up only when you want to hang out your washing. Then when your washing is dry, take it back inside along with your clothes pegs? If anybody asks you why the line isn't for communal use, you can explain why. If your washing is removed even after doing this, I would put a sign up on the clothes line saying that it is your personal clothes line regardless of how petty it sounds.

but whatever you do, it will be impossible to stop her from removing your washing once it's hanging out. I would go for the rotary line, and padlock or remove it. Then, if possible, hang it out to dry and sit out in the sun with a book. If anyone turns up, tell them to leave your things alone.

Otherwise, it's never going to be safe to hang out your washing - it's obviously a crap thing to take down someone else's, but that didn't stop her.

www.brabantia.com/uk/laundry-drying-ironing/wallfix/wallfix-with-box-matt-steel/

What about one of these in the 'unused' part of the garden. Pop your flat number on the box (like bins)? Don't know if it could be modified to lock?

We needed to put our rotary line into the ground using cement. I don't think it will stay upright if you just stick it into soil (unless there are different types of rotary lines).
You could cement a tube into the ground that you can then insert your washing line into - that's what my mum has always done. Or even just make a hole the right size in wet concrete, & stick something like a toilet roll tube (if it's the right size) to keep the shape while it dries - the cardboard will disintegrate in time but should work long enough for the concrete to harden.
(Sorry OP, doesn't necessarily help you)

What's to stop her from taking your clothes off of your rotary line once you put it up for the day?

The issue isnt washing line provision, or the terms of individual leases or tenancy agreements.

The issue is your neighbour is a rude prick. Up to you whether to one to front it head on, or not.

Get a camping rotary from Amazon. It folds down and is nice and light so you can take it back in with you.

I can't imagine how a shared washing line in a communal garden could work tbh. Surely it's always going to cause issues?

When I lived in flats with communal garden, our deeds specifically said No washing lines of any kind in communal garden. People had little balconies, ans everyone hung up their laundry in their own little space.

I would be pissed off to have to stare at your bloody laundry out of my window. I'd rather look at overgrown greenery than you knickers, thanks!

So you're being massively unreasonable to think you get to hang your laundry in a communal space and others just need to suck it up and be stuck with the ugly sight - because you decided to cut some weeds.

I think you're going to have to speak to the woman who did this. It's very rude and certainly oversteps a boundary. It's hard to see how a lockable washing line would stop her moving you washing when it's hung out again.

You need to find out how the communal area is managed. Who does it nominally belong to? If it's the council there will be rules set out for use which you all HAVE TO follow.
IMO you should have found that out before you did the original tidying work. It was a kind thing to do but clearly not everyone in the building is as community spirited as you.

You can get ground stakes for rotary lines, you put them into the soil, they don't need to be cemented in. Then you can remove the line when you are not using it. Personally if she is removing your washing and putting hers up, I would do the same. Remove hers and put yours back. Petty I know but sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.

missing the point entirely - is leaving pegs on a line a thing? why aren't they put back int eh peg bag and taken inside?

And I'm petty enough to remove MY washing line when I've taken my washing in ......

When I shared a communal drying green each flat had a different drying day (or two).
And after the washing was dry it was removed and so was the line and the pegs, we all used our own, it only took seconds to put the washing line up each time.

What about the other 3 people who helped with the garden and presumably use it for washing too? Is one of them brave enough to speak to this unpleasant woman about ground rules?

I'm bemused about people taking the line in though- what does this achieve? Is the line often so full that they might not be able to hang out the washingwhen they wanted to? Otherwise aren't you just making extra work for yourself by having to tie and untie the line each time?

How long had your clothes been there? We used to share a communal line and it really annoyed me when people left their (dry) clothes on it for days. Sometimes they'd blow down in the wind and once another resident accused me of moving her clothes when all I'd done was peg them haphazardly to stop them blowing around the garden!

Could your clothes have blown down and they put them back up? Or their toddler pulled them down playing in the garden and they put them up on the wrong line with wrong pegs?

It must be frustrating that you did all the hard work with the garden and now they're intruding, but they have every right to use it. Maybe they think the pegs are communal?

I think putting a locked rotary line in would put their backs up. And they could still remove your washing, just not put theirs up when line was folded?

Why not get a big pack of cheap pegs and leave them on the line, with a note telling people not to move your washing?