To not want a dog in shared garden?

[Dotty07]

We have a shared yard at the back of our house that is shared with 2 others neighbours. A new neighbour recently moved in and has a dog. The dog uses the garden space as a toilet, he does now pick up poo after many discussions but the dog pees everywhere and in everything. We can have anything out as he just lets it pee on whatever, including my back door!

AIBU to not want a dog using the back garden at all, it’s very small and the dog is big, is it just me?

YANBU. Dog pee will burn the grass apart from smelling.

My dog goes out for four walks a day but still needs to pee in the garden between times.

I think this is the problem of buying a house with a shared garden, though OP. This tenant has a dog. Other tenants may have five very loud children or parrots or have a weed habit that needs to be undertaken outside.

You can't really choose your neighbours. It will rain again soon enough soon and that should wash everything away.

Ugh, dog piss and small concrete yards don’t mix. My godmother has both and it stinks to high heaven of piss all the time, doubly worse in summer.

@mathanxiety like I said it’s shared. I know it might not be what you’d want in your own garden, but unless it’s explicitly prohibited in the lease or elsewhere, it’s just tough - that’s the nature of shared spaces.

Sharing means you don’t get to dictate how others use the space, unless this is set out in deeds, leaseholds etc.

One person might not want a dog in the garden, another might not want the neighbour to hog the whole garden by having a bbq with friends, or whatever, but unless there’s a specific rule against it, it’s just hard luck. Assuming no rules in place, you can’t tell one person they can’t allow their dog into the garden anymore than they can tell you that you shouldn’t have a bbq in the garden.

That’s not to say I don’t think everyone should be kind, considerate and respectful. I completely think it’s good manners to be considerate of how you use a shared space, but that applies to everyone - whether it’s cleaning up after the dog, letting your neighbours know you’ll be using the garden for a party, not leaving rubbish out in the space, and so on.

I understand some people don’t like dogs, but if you really don’t like them, don’t move somewhere with a shared garden, or only live somewhere where dogs aren’t allowed or are prohibited from doing the things you don’t like.

As long as he is reliably clearing up the poo then I don't see the problem. Perhaps he could hose the yard down at times, but that is about it.

It is a shared outdoor area, and if there is no clause in his tenancy that prohibits him having a dog or from using the communal area then there is little you can do and it is a risk you take.

It is disgusting and you are not being unreasonable. Talk to the other neighbours and see if you can join forces to speak with him.

check your lease regardless of him being a renter he still has to abide by it & he may well not have his landlords permission (these days many LL don't because they cant ask for extra deposit)

When I've been in the position of looking for somewhere to rent while owning a dog, I considered shared gardens a no no for this very reason.

It's shared by the people. Not necessarily by the property of the people, and not necessarily to use as a nice, handy toileting area.

People's property should be under their control, not a hazard to people, and their waste should not be left in an area that is common, either a garden or a shared stairway or vestibule, or a storage area, or a laundry area.

Sharing means that you can't set up a condition that means others can't use the space without washing it down, taking down a huge piece of equipment like a kids' playset or a big over ground pool, or hogging it every weekend with BBQ parties.

It's not a case of 'not liking dogs'. It's a case of not liking dog poo in a garden the OP paid for and is entitled to use for her enjoyment too. It is unreasonable to expect her to use the garden when it smells of dog pee and contains dog turds. The fecal waste of someone else's property left in the garden is equivalent to used tampons or nappies thrown from an upper window and left to fester.

Tonemeth there are no children pissing in the garden or entitled to piss there, and adults are not entitled to piss in a shared garden.
The dog, which is an animal and therefore property, is not entitled to piss there either.

He’s obviously very unreasonable not to hose it down and could take the dog for a quick run up the street. I’d never have a dog in a shared garden, he’s an idiot. Of course others want to use it, especially during lockdown.

Grim. You poor thing. That would make me want to tip piss through his letterbox.

Do you pay ground rent or do you all own part of the lease? If there’s nothing in the deeds, I’d also be contacting the leaseholder if there is one. The smell of piss will devalue the property somewhat. Worth a go.

Use buckets of hot water and Zoflora.

I love dogs, I wouldn't mind a neighbour having a well behaved one in a shared garden but he shouldn't be letting it shit everywhere - just because he pays rent doesn't give him the right to make the garden unusable for the other people who are entitled to the space too.

Does he go outside with the dog or is he just letting it out and leaving it to its own devices?

I can completely understand. I have a shared garden that I cant use due to dogs pooping and peeing on everything and one lady let's her dog out there unsupervised all day. I'm going to get flamed but a dogs rights should never come before a childs rights.

@mathanxiety I’m not sure you’re making a valid point about dogs being ‘property’. If we accept that people are entitled to use the shared space as they like, within the rules of the lease etc, then this means they can use the space to exercise their dogs or let the dog out to pee.

I don’t disagree with what you’re saying about being considerate with this use though - like I said I think it is polite to clean up after a dog in a shared garden or avoid it using the garden to go to the loo if that is possible. It’s just about being considerate in the same way others should be with their kids, bbqs, music or whatever.

But like I said earlier I think some posters are going too far in saying the dog shouldn’t be allowed in the shared garden at all etc. It’s not banned in the lease. It’s not banned by the landlord. So it’s not banned.

Offer him a bottle of zoflora to spray after the dog has a shit.

They are property and should be in the control of their owners at all times, with the needs and safety of people the number one priority at all times when deciding who can use the space and for what. Otherwise people could let their pet boa constrictors out to play.

Could you fit an outside tap . Ask him to wash yard down then at least If he does not you could use yard cleaner to give a quick wash down every now and then? Maybe shame him into doing it ?

If we accept that people are entitled to use the shared space as they like, within the rules of the lease etc, then this means they can use the space to exercise their dogs or let the dog out to pee.

That's not a logical conclusion, in other words.

This is why you shouldnt buy with a shared garden. Never a good idea.YaNBU but what can you do?

I would absolutely annoyed. Absolutely no way should they be allowing it to pee or poo in the shared area. Totally unacceptable. It is totally selfish. Not everyone feels comfortable around dogs. Its very unfair.

Grim for people to have to sit in a paved garden that smells of dog piss.

The tenant should not be letting his dog use the yard as a toilet.

Fill buckets with water and disinfectant, and chuck it over the slabs. Do it a lot.
He can have the fun of a dog tracking wet paws back into his home.

As others have said, check your legal documents re shared spaces. The landlord may not have a problem because he knows him. Lease might say otherwise.

Any news on the deeds, OP?

The dog should only be out on a lead in a shared garden in my view. That way the owner can ensure the dog does his business near his house and he can clean it up