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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Hoarder neighbour spreading into communal hall

69 replies

CSIblonde · 16/10/2020 23:19

I live on the ground floor of a converted Victorian house. The hall is shared between 2flats downstairs & 1flat upstairs. The woman opposite me hoards & according to the flat above, the smell when you go in her flat is awful. Our agent doesn't do quarterly checks so prob has no
idea. Anyway, she's spread some stuff into the hall. Am I being petty mentioning it to the letting agent? The neighbour can be volatile, so I'm wary of talking to her myself. The hall used to be tidy & welcoming: coming home to crap in the hall now is depressing: you have to pick your way thru the scooters,bikes,shoes,wellies etc. I wouldn't mind but her flat has a side area behind the gate & a paved tiny garden where she can put stuff. It's clear ,bar the neighbour aboves bike which he never uses any more.

OP posts:
MrsHSW · 17/10/2020 13:33

Contact letting agent with your concerns - ask them to make sure they don't disclose a complait has been made but say that it's a spot check?

RincewindsHat · 17/10/2020 13:55

Bitchy and sneaky?

No, it's inconsiderate and dangerous of the neighbour to be spreading personal possessions into a shared hallway.

She's a grown woman, this should not need explaining to her. Report away, OP.

2bazookas · 17/10/2020 14:18

Communal areas should be free of blockages and trip hazards in case flat residents have to evacuate in a fire.

I'd ask the neighbour once to remove the clutter for safety reasons, and if she ignored than raise it with the LL as a fire hazard. As he's the one responsible for insuring the building he's very unlikely to ignore it. Nor will he let a hoarder tenant pose a fire risk in their flat.

But if LL needs a little encouragement , any resident can ask the local fire station to come and do a free fire-risk assessment of their home.

billy1966 · 17/10/2020 14:21

Fire and health hazard, especially if there are smells that could dray rodents.

Report.

billy1966 · 17/10/2020 14:21

Attract!

SuitedandBooted · 17/10/2020 14:28

Take a picture and report it to the agent. It's a fire and safety risk.

I don't shy away from dealing with people, but I wouldn't go knocking on the door of a volatile neighbour with MH issues either. Do it soon, before it gets too out of hand.

FenellaVelour · 17/10/2020 14:41

Scooters... does she have children?

MissSarahThane · 17/10/2020 14:50

Scooters... does she have children?

I asked that upthread, and so did another pp. I wondered if the hoarding could be considered a safeguarding issue. I don't think the op's been back. (It is Saturday, she might be busy out and about.)

romeolovedjulliet · 17/10/2020 15:08

@opinionatedfreak

I live in a block (I'm on the board of directors). One of the tenants is currently storing stuff in the communal hallway which is against the lease.

He has been unbelievably rude to me when I raised it with him.

I'm now only dealing with his landlord and quite frankly if the loses his tenancy over it it is his own fucking fault.

this in a nut shell.
Original poster
CSIblonde · 17/10/2020 22:03

Thanks for the replies. The flat above used to let their son play with her 13year old, but stoped after a few altercations & the worsening hygiene of her flat (the smell & the mess). She's also fallen out with the people in the house next door who used to let their child come round to play. Her own child is now 14 & well turned out etc. I really don't want to approach her as both neighbours have had bad experiences of her & personally I find them lovely people, so I don't think they'd lie re her volatile temper.

OP posts:
Original poster
CSIblonde · 17/10/2020 22:05

Sorry,to be clear, the above flats child is 13. The hoarder flat's child is 14.

OP posts:
Original poster
CSIblonde · 17/10/2020 22:13

@SoloMummy, the hall is small: 6ft by 5ft ( I know ,because I painted it & put a nice mirror by my door on my flats wall). At present there are : 2sets of trainers,two umbrellas,one pair of wellies,one filthy wheel- less scooter, one filthy new scooter & one filthy ,huge , folding bike. I don't know anyone who thinks that's nice to come home to or, rhat its safe in a communal hall where that's our only fire exit.

OP posts:
Ginfordinner · 17/10/2020 22:21

Have you contacted the agent or landlord yet?

Original poster
CSIblonde · 17/10/2020 22:36

@Ginfordinner, yes I emailed them yesterday. No reply yet. The paintwork is damaged and the wallpaper too,from the scooters & bike. (Painted Victorian anaglypta wallpaper below dado rail)

OP posts:
longwayoff · 17/10/2020 22:45

Fire hazard. I wouldn't get a minute's rest. Tell the agent and insist on some action. I'm sorry for anyone wth MH issues but when its causing a risk to others, something has to be done

Yoloyohol · 17/10/2020 23:15

I tend towards: 'what's inside your flat door is your business, what you put outside it you're making everyone's business,' as a decider on these sorts of things. Feels fair.

Sarahsah4r4 · 17/10/2020 23:19

it's a hazard and will probably invalidate the buildings insurance
(you could always threatened to send a photograph to the insurer👀?)

Sarahsah4r4 · 17/10/2020 23:21

It sounds very difficult and she sounds very problematic, I would be keeping a detailed log of every incident...

StarCat2020 · 18/10/2020 00:52

The link provided by PP makes for interesting reading.

Not only could the other tenant's crap cause a hazard to the residents, it could also cause harm to firefighters should there be a fire.

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