Neighbour dilemma!

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Hello mums. I'm new here and this is my first post. I just wanted people's opinions. I rent a back to back property with an enclosed garden, which I intend to eventually buy. My landlord has an agreement with the owner on the back of me to have a set of keys to my top and bottom gate (ginnel entrance) and help herself to the washing line. She has never introduced herself, or even shouts over our gate to warn us of her coming. She just turns up, puts the washing out and leaves. She has walked in on my partner doing a work out this morning, which had resulted in her now feeling on edge and no privacy. What would you guys do? Do I speak to the landlord? Or the neighbour? If so how do I approach this?

Thanks in advance

I would speak to the land lord and end this arrangement. Bizarre

Do nothing. If your partner isn’t bothered about her coming in whilst he working out then it’s her issue. She doesn’t have to enter the garden.

Did you know about this agreement when you moved in? Is it a shared garden or just yours? If it's just yours can you talk to your landlord about agreeing certain time limits etc with the other tenant? If it's just your garden I'm a bit confused by the arrangement in general (why can't she get her own washing line, and what does your owner get out of this?) but if that's the contracted agreement there might not be much you can do.

On an informal level you could introduce yourself when she comes through - take the first step in forming nice neighbourly relations and then when chatting, just ask if she can make her presence known before just coming in.

Oh and I wouldn't buy this house. I wouldn't want to be the owner having to deal with shared access arrangements. But obviously you can decide whether you can put up with it!

LochJessMonster I read it as the partner is now feeling on edge and has no privacy? Might be wrong though

Do you mean a true back to back where your terraced houses are joined both side to side and a row at the back too?? Your access is to the back and here to the road a the front?

I think I need a diagram as this is the only type of back to back house I know and it’s confusing me to picture it!

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back-to-back_house

I'd speak to the landlord - were you aware of this agreement before you rented the property? If not, and it's not in your contract, then I'd also speak to the letting agency.

I don't thing there's any point in speaking to the neighbour, as her arrangement is with the landlord and not yourselves.

Diagram needed I think.

LochJessMonster "Do nothing. If your partner isn’t bothered about her coming in whilst he working out then it’s her issue. She doesn’t have to enter the garden."

The OP clearly said "She has walked in on my partner doing a work out this morning, which had resulted in her now feeling on edge and no privacy." so the partner (female) is bothered because they feel on edge and no privacy.

If the neighbour can enter your garden at any time how do they know you're not about to hang out your own washing?
I'd ask the landlord to stop this arrangement.
If your partner was working out today was it possible to adhere to social distancing, nor sure how big the garden is, but that's an aside really, I'd want it stopped completely.

@CustardySergeant well it’s not that clear, I interpreted the ‘she’ who walked in to be the same ‘her’ feeling on edge.

If the partner is the one feeling on edge then, yes, talk to the landlord. And don’t buy the property unless you can stop that arrangement.

I wouldn’t like this at all but could you explain it abit more, why can’t she use her own garden?? Is it a shared garden? I used to live in a block of flats and everyone had a washing line outside their flat, I never used mine as I hated having washing hanging outside my front door, but a neighbour from the other side of the flats use to leave her line empty and come down to mine and hang her washing up outside my house. Use to drive me nuts, I had to start using it just to stop her!

Unless it’s a communal garden, you need to ask LL to end this arrangement especially if you’re considering buying the house.

I would put a note through your neighbours door saying you will be around at XX time to introduce yourself and to discuss the shared washing line arrangement. Then plan in advance what you want to say and your neighbour will also have the same opportunity.

I would also enquire of the LL as to whether this is an "informal" arrangement or whether covered by some kind of covenant or legal agreement.

Remember that as a tenant you have the same rights as an owner occupier as to who comes onto the property and right in law of what is known as "quiet enjoyment". Your LL should have discussed the arrangement with you before you rented the property, Is it covered in your lease?

Your LL does not have any right to impose an informal arrangement of this the on a tenant unless it was by prior agreement.

Thank you all for your replies. I have an ariel photo of my property and layout but unsure how to share it?
For clarification, the neighbours either side of me are Through houses. It is only myself and the neighbour on the back (which is actually on the front near the road with no garden) who are back to backs, hence the ginnel entrance. This was a verbal agreement but nothing about it in my contract. This is an enclosed garden, not communal and is my responsibility to maintain.

Are you in England?

If it’s an enclosed garden your LL needs to speak to her and ask for keys back, what an odd arrangement.
Did he used to live in the house and it was a friendly thing?

Did you know about it before you moved in?

Also, you can’t bring it up with her; the agreement is between her and the landlord. If you want it to stop you need to talk to the landlord only.

@JKScot4 yes it's an enclosed garden. The landlord bought this house 2014 and renovated it. So not sure if it's an agreement the neighbour has carried on since before my landlord purchased?

So in the back to back context you’re like a terrace, but split in half, she is at the front on the road and you are at the back and you get onto your house via the garden you are referring to, as does the postman, deliveries, etc. It’s not so much your private rear garden but also the only access into your property?

As such then couldn’t anyone have walked in? Postie? Delivery?

Therefore she is walking right round the houses to get down the ginnel and into your garden with her basket of laundry?

Whilst I think the agreement is crap (and maybe she should enter a new agreement with one of the other neighbours who isn’t a back to back?) but your plan is partly flawed because of the above. If the garden is the thoroughfare to your only door, more than just her will need to come in?

put a bolt on the inside of your gate.

Does she have an actual right of way to your back garden? Because it might be that she has a right to access the garden specifically to dry her washing. It's very old fashioned and traditional, but I know some of the back to backs in my area (West Yorkshire) have similar arrangements.

@Nomorewineever I have a locked gate on the road where my postbox is, also a locked gate at the top of the ginnel that is access to my garden. Also this is the only access to my property. There is no way through for anyone apart from myself and her (with the keys the landlord gave her)

Can I upload photos on here or is it just links? Newbie sorry

While you're paying the rent, that garden is yours. If its not in your lease, then your landlord has no right to just give permission to randoms to enter your private property. I would be putting a bolt on the gate, and if anyone has issues, they would be welcome to raise them with me. If you are expected to share your access to private property, I assume the landlord/random washing woman is happy to share the cost of the rent?