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!

Im going to go with the fence I think. I guess I didnt see it as a hazard as only one is partially covering one of them and they are double doors. My bins are set up the same but they dont have an issue with mine. and no I dont want peoples kids in my garden im not running a holiday camp! They have 5 kids between them.

My garden IS tidy thank you very much! we dont ebetrm

You're lucky to have access to any outside space at all, so perhaps share your good fortune

Why should she? She pays her rent for that space. Do you share your garden with the neighborhood children?

My garden is clean thank you! they are not my doors and we dont use that area. I haven't got time to go around cleaning random doors. They can clean it when they start using it.

Please ignore the posters that are jealous you are not forced to pay market rent and think you should let all and sundry into your space because of it. Definitely get a fence and speak to your neighbours about it.

mmm did I read this right they changed the doors did they have permission do you have a housing officer? if so give them a ring & ask if they can come out & mention your child has special needs (disability?)

Anyone worried about where council money goes should look at private letting.

Housing benefit is being payed to line the pockets of private landlords because the rent is so bloody high normal average working families can't afford it without the help! Where is the logic in this?

You need to clarify the terms of your tenancy. After that, you have exactly the same rights to peaceful enjoyment as any other tenant in any rented property. The fact that you are renting from the council is neither here nor there!

I think your only option is to install a high fence with a locked gate (provided the council agrees) to secure your garden. If the bins are deemed a fire hazard, that will be prioritised over your privacy in the garden.

I appreciate you don't want to share it, but I don't see you have a choice unless you fence it off. We used to have a communal garden when DC was small, it's not ideal but better than having no garden at all.

Have the council given you a written tenancy contract? That should clarify what you were verbally told.

I’d also tell them that there’s nothing of yours in the shed, it was left by previous tenants, as you won’t want to incur the cost of clearing it.

You can still lock the door when your kid is playing out there as you do now, just unlock it when he isn't, anyone who wants to access when he's out there can knock on your door and ask you for access.

But I'd also square it off. Having access to thr bin shed doesn't mean they have a right to use your garden.

BTW the bins may well be a fire hazard if they are at the front of the house if they are kept close to the front access to the flats. It’s not always avoidable but it’s bettter if they are strored away from main exits especially if those areas are public areas. I don’t know but I suspect arson would be a potential risk.

I don’t think you should be so dismissive of the fact that the council are saying they are a fire hazard.

It's not clear how the bins get access to the street on bin day...

I imagine the bins are taken through OP’s garden out to the street.

If it were me I would not worry about it until it became a problem.

private rents are vastly inflated

Private rents are the equilibrium point between supply and demand, as per any good.