To not want my neighbours in my garden? Please help!

[ItWasAlIADream]

I live in a gf mainsonette, I have my own private garden. When I moved in a noticed a door that lead to my garden from the main building. Tbh at the time I didnt even notice it as I was so excited to finally be moving (council property and waited a long time in a too floor flat) anyway when my sister came to look at the place she spotted the door and said my garden must be shared. I thought that couldnt be right as if it was that would mean literally only my garden was shared out of all the gf mainsonettes (row of 4.)

I called the council who told me that it was a sole use garden but the upstairs flats use to store their wheelie bins in the shed in my garden but that is no longer the case. So I left it at that. fast foward to last year and a woman knocks on my door from the council telling me to clear the sheds in the garden as upstairs are going to start storing their wheelie bins in there as apparently they are a “fire hazard” at the front. (The stuff in the sheds isnt mine and was there when I moved in) I wasnt impressed as that would mean my garden is no longer private and tbh i think it will only be a matter lf time before they start trying to use my garden as if its their own. However for some reason this never happened and they didnt bother to move them out the back. So today when the post man knocked on my door I opened it and over heard of conversation of a woman saying the bins were a hazard and need to be moved. This is a year later! aibu in being annoyed? I really dont want people accessing my garden as was told it was sole use. my kids play out unsupervised which will have to stop with random people being able to access it. Anyone got any ideas what I can do? I have noticed next door has installed their own foor so they have privacy. but I wouldnt even know how to go about that! Any other ideas? Wont let me add a diagram for some reason as I know its difficult to picture this very unusual set up!

Can you put a gate between your door and their door in the garden? Or do they need to cross your garden to put them out? Maybe put a gate anyway as it will give you privacy and just have it open on bin day.

Also where are your bins?

I think you will have to accept that they have to use this shed. Maybe you can put your bins there too?

I don’t think as a council tenant you will get far demanding a private garden. It’s not loads of people either is it, just upstairs.

However I would ask the council to send someone to empty the shed, it should have been empty when you moved in and they’d should have checked, if they are saying it’s your responsibility to empty it. If it’s upstairs shed then upstairs need to empty it, or arrange it.

tinypic.com/r/fdesnl/9

Next door have installed that white door themselves but I wouldnt imagine something like that to be very costly. the picture shows the flat door and the bin shed. I know people say that it doesbt mean they will use my garden but I know what people are like. There are a few families upstairs with small children with no outside space. Give people an inch and they will take a mile.

I wouldn’t like my son playing out with the possibility of random strangers, neighbours or not, having access to him.

Nor would I let him play out with the gate open.

It’s an accident waiting to happen. What if someone leaves the door open and they wander out or god forbid a neighbour is a weirdo.

I second blocking the bin access with a screen.

I appreciate it’s a council property but if your tenancy agreement states sole use garden then are they reducing your rent to reflect this? If the bin access is not safe then they need to create an alternate solution which does not infringe on your property.

As a landlord would in a private rental. Put up and shut up is simply not adequate.

See if you can get the plans from the council.

The first thing to do is clarify the sole use thing. Who told you? Is it in writing?

Get a gate or door put in like next door.

Its not just directly upstairs its the other upstairs flats aswell. (they share the bins)

As already suggested why don’t you ask if you can add a fence or door where the red hash line is?

My child has SEN so wouldnt be able to go out unspervised. The door is currently locked and always has been but if people need access its obviously going to be left open.

Who is the dark brown door? And where does that white door lead to? Your garden?
Its filthy too

You can get old doors on eBay. Do you know anyone to help you with diy?

But to be fair they're not just going to be coming through once a week to take the bins out front, they're going to be walking through every time they take a full bag of rubbish out of their kitchen bin to put in the wheelie bin, so it could be more like every other day.

Not much you can do if it's council owned though and they say you have to provide access.

Oh get lost I pay my own rent just because its council doesnt mean Im not entilted to privacy.

Yes will have to install a fence/gate I reckon.

Blimey. If the garden is for your sole use you are paying rent, for it and the council are trying it on. Tell them to arrange access into the bin store from the alley as they should have done in the first place

Yeh it is but its disused hence why its dusty. We dont go into that area so Im not going to clear someones random doors. the white door leads to next doors garden. they have installed that door themselves. The brown door is where the bins are to be kept, the blue door leads to the communal hallway for the upstairs flat. (I have my own front door.) so that blue door just literally leads to upstairs. More than one flat will be using it so its likely the will be in and out daily.

ItWasAlIADream Wed 08-Aug-18 14:34:51 my kids play out unsupervised

ItWasAlIADream Wed 08-Aug-18 15:16:37 My child has SEN so wouldnt be able to go out unspervised.

Which is it?

Good grief - the state (so that's me and every other taxpayer) has provided you with cut price accommodation, on a secure tenancy, that actually has a garden, and you're complaining that the garden might not be for your sole use? You might have to supervise your own DCs?

You're an arsehole.

You really need your tenancy agreement to see what it says about the garden.

They currently play out unspervised as the door is locked. When they start storing the bins out they wont be able to anymore. Thought that was clear .

Absolutely, a fence with a locked gate from the corner of the shed to the house wall. Do you have to get formal permission? I'm in the US so I don't know UK rules. There are types of fencing that is temporary but pretty sturdy, maybe you wouldn't have to get permission for that?

Firstly wether or not it is some use should be specified in your contract. Clearly it isn’t as you were told about the bins at the start.

If you’re that precious about ‘your’ space put a fence across

Hi.
Your tenancy agreement will state if the garden is sole use.
Find that and confirm that it is. Then contact your Housing Officer and ask them to arrange a workman to come and quote for the gate/fence to go up. Obviously you will need access too. I would expect them to put up the gate if your garden is sole use. Explain about your children and then you don't want others in your garden and also don't want the children to escape/get hurt if they venture into this area.
Also ask them to clear the sheds. That should have been done before you moved in.

I thought you meant that you live in a gluten free masonette.

I would install a fence and gate and square off my garden definitely. That way you can stop worrying about what the neighbours might do now or in the future. It will also make your garden nicer and you won't have to look at that weird door!