Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Original poster

WWYD?

111 replies

Whattodo20177 · 18/10/2017 23:53

More a WWYD really.

My neighbor has recently started leaving her bike in the communal hallway.

It is a pain to manoeuvre around with shopping etc as well as being a fire hazard

But I don’t want to ruffle feathers as she is a nice neighbour and the other neighbour in our block is a miserable complainer so I’m keen to keep her on nice neighbour’s side.

The bike doesn’t affect miserable neighbor as she is in the basement flat. Me and bike neighbour are the only ones who share this particular hallway.

The complicating issue is that I’m a professional pianist and so practice at least 4 hours a day. Only ever within the hours of 10am and 6pm though. She has always been complimentary about the music though whenever we’ve bumped into each other. But I’m worried that if I complain about the bike, she will turn and create bad blood.

WWYD?

OP posts:

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 19/10/2017 07:03

Also agree re the wall bracket as a fair compromise

We need pianists and we need cyclists !

user21 · 19/10/2017 07:09

Why the assumption the bike won't be used in the winter?

Csd17 · 19/10/2017 07:15

Tricky. I’d definitely be miffed at a bike blocking my communal hall access. Lugging shopping bags upstairs is hard enough without obstacles to avoid. I see your issue with complaining when you practice the piano a lot in the day time & I would never be ballsy enough to say anything, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Your piano practice takes place during reasonable hours.. and isn’t a physical inconvenience, plus it’s your career. It’d be pretty hard for someone to criticise work towards your actual job. Unless this person is a professional cyclist, they couldn’t claim that your piano playing is as troublesome as their bike placement.

RhinosDontEatOatcakes · 19/10/2017 07:16

This thread has to be a joke. The bike needs moving but ffs 4 hours piano playing a day - that is appallingly selfish. Surely the OP is having us on?

Legal right to bash on a piano for hours on end? Legal right? How about manners and decency? I hate the fact that you've even looked into what's legal about it, covering your arse in case anyone confronts you about it. So rude, so entitled. Go and rent a practice room instead.

Csd17 · 19/10/2017 07:16

Love the idea of a bike bracket! Posing a solution could be helpful in the conversation.

MidniteScribbler · 19/10/2017 07:18

The OP owns her flat. Not rent. Has bought. She has a legal right to practise her piano

And especially the fact that she owns, not rents, is why I simply can't understand the stupidity and sheer 'don't give a fuck about anyone but myself' in buying a flat with close neighbours when you are going to be making loud noise for four hours per day.

RhinosDontEatOatcakes · 19/10/2017 07:19

I wonder why your other neighbour is "miserable".....

Csd17 · 19/10/2017 07:19

Bashing about? I highly doubt it as a professional pianist.

burnoutbabe · 19/10/2017 07:20

We have a flat and yes, NO items are allowed under the stairs or in the communal hallway, we have someone taking to leaving a pram there, its still a fire risk and we are going to have to, as the management company, remind them again it needs to be removed and if not, will be disposed of.

So you need to ask the management company to deal with it. It will probably invalidate any Insurance on the block. Fine ask them to suggest alternate storage areas (outside) but of course these all cost and you'd have to pay your share (or say its too expensive and so the block offers NO bike storage bar in the owners flat).

Piano playing and any noise is just part of living in a flat. So can call noise nuisance if she wants at the council but if its in day time hours and you have windows closed (and maybe a rug on floor?) then nothing can be done, flats are just badly designed for noise to travel.

SvartePetter · 19/10/2017 07:21

It is likely that your buildings insurance is invalidated by the bike blocking access. Ask your management company and get them to deal with it.

GinIsIn · 19/10/2017 07:31

To all those bashing the piano playing - OP is a professional pianist, not a 7 year old hammering out chopsticks. You can't argue that neighbours have the right to work from home etc - this is the OP's job, the OP is working from home.

When I lived in a flat in London, there was a concert pianist on our street. Lots of the neighbours used to gather outside to hear him practice, it was lovely.

OP I think the best bet is to suggest a wall bracket.

AreThereAnyUsersnamesLeft · 19/10/2017 07:35

...or buy an electric keyboard with a volume control on it for 3 hours-worth of the practice.

Dumb question - won't the bike fit inside her flat? I have 2 bikes in my front hall and 2 in the dining room (which have to go outsideor in the front room if we want to sit down to eat). liking the sound of a wall bracket though....

64PooLane · 19/10/2017 07:39

Some people are being pretty rude about the piano thing.

I lived in a flat for fourteen years, and I work from home in a job requiring concentration. We could hear a LOT of sounds from all sides. You tune it out to some extent if it seems like reasonable noise.

A couple of hours' professional music practice at predictable hours during mid-morning and mid-afternoon is totally reasonable. Particularly if it's because it is the person's career - surely working musicians have traditionally always done this? OTOH roadworks drilling, neighbours fighting/yelling/blasting random bursts of stereo at high volume while they wash their cars - that was the kind of stuff that disturbed my work. We actually did have a nearby musician regularly practising, and from talking with many other sets of neighbours over the years, I know that none of us minded at all. Anyone who got angry about it would have been very much the odd one out.

Different for everyone, of course, but seemed worth mentioning.

MinervaSaidThar · 19/10/2017 07:43

@Telstarr99

I am sure the bike owner isn't stupid and puts it in a place where it's not an obstruction.

Makes me laugh when people think they know OP's situation/neighbours/friends better than they do.

Telstarr, please never become a fire warden anywhere, your lack of common sense is astounding.

LakieLady · 19/10/2017 07:55

OP, I'd love to live next door to you, especially if you play a lot of Chopin!

It would make a pleasant change from hearing my neighbour shouting at the racing on telly in the afternoons.

TheCraicDealer · 19/10/2017 09:37

I’ve never seen or heard of a block buildings policy which has any warranties or conditions relating to keeping communal fire routes clear tbh. I don’t think you’d need to worry about cover if there was a fire, and the safety concerns take precedence anyway.

I don’t get the ire about the piano playing. It’s within normal working hours with defined periods of playing and breaks, so it’s not as if OP is hammering away and the neighbours are left wondering “when will it ennnnnd”. They know because she’s in a set routine which must make it 100x more bearable even if it does grate a bit after a while.

Winetime0909 · 19/10/2017 09:43

Someone left a bike in the hallway of our flats and everyone was sent a letter stating not to do it because it's communal and a fire hazard! Yanbu, I'd bring it up with the building owner and ask them to deal with it so it doesn't seem like it was you that has a problem! Imagine if every flat wanted to put their bikes in the hallway

SouthWindsWesterly · 19/10/2017 10:42

Koala - apologies if that came across badly but people were telling OP to rent elsewhere. She doesn’t rent. She owns.

SouthWindsWesterly · 19/10/2017 10:49

And Midnite - apologies if that came across badly as well. PP’s were telling OP to rent elsewhere as the. She could avoid the bicycle scenario. I’m not saying that because she owns that she is more entitled to make noise - I was clumsily making the point that as she owns it’s not as easy as handing in notice and moving to another property.

londonista · 19/10/2017 11:01

My buildings insurance specifically states no obstructions “such as bicycles and prams” to be left in the communal areas.

OP you sound like you have a nice neighbour, I would just have a gentle word, even with the piano playing. All it might take is a quick “by the way, I’m a bit worried about the bike in the hall, as it’s difficult to get past especially if there was an emergency”.

londonista · 19/10/2017 11:06

Craic yes I agree not sure about the annoyance over piano playing. Not ideal but equally not as bad as much we’ve all had to put up with at some point, I’m sure.

I scream at my kids for longer than 4 hours a day I’m sure ...! 😬

Misspollyhadadollie · 19/10/2017 11:08

I'm surprised this is allowed. I wasn't allowed to store my pram downstairs in the communal area (under the stairs) as It was a fire hazard apparently, so had to bump it up and downstairs daily, up 6 flights of stairs to the top floor (no lift)

blueskyinmarch · 19/10/2017 11:08

The piano playing is a red herring. This is not the issue here, the issue is the bike which is a potential fire safety hazard.

babybat · 19/10/2017 11:13

Our council provides on-street bike hangars www.cyclehoop.rentals/ - could you check if that's available in your area and suggest it to your neighbour as an alternative?

Witsender · 19/10/2017 11:24

No flat I have been lived in has allowed bikes,prams etc to be stored in the hallway. This has nothing to do with the perfectly legal piano playing.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5