Aibu to leave shoes on a rack outside my apartment

[Shoeracklady]

I'll include lots of details so as not to drop feed.
New build property in a tourist resort. DP and I are the only year round residents, all the other owners use their apartments as second homes (so have fewer possessions here.)
We have been here for 6 months and have met most of the lovely neighbours so we are very happy here. DPs parents have decided to buy the flat opposite us too which will be full on when they are here but nice.
A new neighbour arrived yesterday and as they were standing in their doorway as I walked past I introduced myself and said nice to meet you etc. New neighbour's first words to me (after his name) were "So you're the one with the shoes, they're not going to be there permanently are they?"

I was quite taken aback by his rudeness and abruptness and mumbled that we might put a cupboard there at some point.

So AIBU to keep my shoes on a nice bamboo rack outside my apartment? They don't affect the new neighbour in anyway other than the fact he can see them when he walks into his flat. They don't smell. Can the sight of shoes really be so offensive?

Other apartments in the building also have shoe racks outside as well as things like umbrella holders.

Photo included as well as a diagram to show that shoe rack is neither a fire hazard (it is in an alcove) nor in anyway in the neighbours way.

I could possibly find space to store the shoes inside but it would be a much bigger inconvenience to me than that caused to the neighbour for having to see our shoes.

Are you sitting out in the hallway either collecting, or putting on and taking off shoes? Or are these shoes rarely used and basically gathering dust? Either way, YABU. YOUR shoes should go inside YOUR flat.

Sorry but years of communal living means shit like this gets my back up

Don't be surprised if you come back one day and find them all gone.

What's the residents association got to do with it, they look horrible, move them in.

I think it looks cluttered & would do my head in but I wouldn't have a problem if you put a cupboard there - perhaps a good compromise?

I also feel it is most people's interest to be able to use the corridor.

Thats just another wasy of saying "I want to use the corridoor so I should be able to."

Its not a storage space its a corridoor. It might be ok to leave wet shoes/ski boots out to dry now and again but not every shoe you possess!

I wonder if you could apply to get a fitted cupboard made at the end of the corridor to house shoes

OP: AIBU?

MN: Yes
OP: No, I'm not. I'm going to do it anyway because my way is the right way. I'm going to try to ramrod my way through because this is how I prefer it.

The corridor's use is for transport, for people to get to and from their flats and for service personnel to access the flats, not to permanently store one's personal items.

However ambiguous you feel the wording is, your neighbours opinion wasn't ambiguous, was it?

They're not communal shoes. Get them out of the communal hall. From the diagram you've given, they look like the focal point of the hallway. It's scruffy.

And why exactly are you putting them in the hallway?

In the event of a fire those shoes will act as an accelerant .... right out side yours and pils access route

In Singapore/Malaysia that would be totally normal - where are you now?

Personally I think it's sensible, and not in the way and therefore I can't see how it can be against fire regulations.

Eww, sorry OP but that looks AWFUL.

Do you own the corridor for your sole use? No? THEN KEEP YOUR CRAP INSIDE YOUR FLAT!

'I wonder if you could apply to get a fitted cupboard made at the end of the corridor to house shoes'

Then every resident is entitled to use the corridor to house personal items. Hey, why have rules at all? I feel like burning incense and using air fresheners make a place less soulless and smell nicer, so I'll fit a plug in one in the shared corridor and burn stick of incense in there because it's better that way.

I agree that it looks messy and I wouldn't want a neighbour's shoes right outside my door. Plus they're nearer his flat than yours anyway.

I thought not leaving things in communal corridors was pretty well known from a H and S/fire safety POV. Although yours probably wouldn't be a hazard from a fire pov if one flat is allowed to then others soon follow.

I don't think he's BU to want you to move your shoe rack, but I do think he was very rude. Who replies to a new neighbour like that when you had gone out of your way to introduce yourself and welcome him? Surely a pleasant hello back, and then a knock on the door a bit later if it was bothering him.

Agree you should clarify the position with your apartment committee.

expatinscotland

Not the case at all. I said I would move them in!

It is to do with the residents association because it is either allowed or not allowed so it will affect many more people than just me as others like to leave their shoes out too, surely it's best to get these things confirmed early on.

I wonder if you could apply to get a fitted cupboard made at the end of the corridor to house shoes

I imagine the OP wouldn't like that. That would mean the neighbours would be coming up 'her end' if the corridor to store their shoes.

She clearly does feel some ownership of that end, or we wouldn't have heard anything about her PIL, who are actually entirely irrelevant.

I think it looks scruffy and would be the first thing I spotted on arriving up the stairs.

I'm assuming not in the UK if it's a ski resort - but don't they have fire regulations that prohibit this? I am really surprised that they don't already have a rule about this otherwise people would be leaving ski boots all over the place in winter, and that really is a fire hazard: it's dark, the alarm goes off, there's no power, and someone kicks a boot as they leave their apartment. Suddenly there's giant slidey ski boots (or even normal shoes) everywhere getting kicked around, people run because they're panicking, and someone falls.

(I'm not exaggerating, this is literally why you don't leave things in corridors: it's a fire hazard.)

Also, are you sure all your peripatetic neighbours are nice? If you leave your shoes lying around out of your property you can't complain if someone nicks your pricey hiking boots.

Yes. His rudeness really left a sour taste in my mouth! Such a shame as everyone else in the building seems lovely. I was about to offer them a cup of tea too as they were moving in... Guess we won't be having that sort of relationship!

What will you do when the shoes get stolen? Accuse all the neighbours??

Looks junky to me. If he's bothered he should complain. Presumably you've cluttered up the hallway to avoid cluttering up your own flat, so yeah YABU. He didn't sound rude to me, I'd be complaining if I were him.

YABU to keep them in a communal corridor. My previous neighbours did this and it was annoying. I don't want to see someone else's shoe collection spreading into the communal space. It makes the hallway look cluttered and probably gives it a sweaty foot smell.

Why not get a rack for the wall just inside your front door? Take them off outside and carry them into your flat.

YABU - the corridor space is not yours to use as storage and it looks scruffy. I'd be pissed off as well if I was your neighbour. At least a closed cupboard would look better - ikea do a slim one that would fit neatly

Don't be the person who fucks up the blind eye turned to the odd person leaving their wet snow boots outside just so you can store half your closet in the hallway.