Bouncy Castle in Communal garden

[Londonmum20222022]

Hi all,

We live in a mews house with a small garden. We also pay a maintenance charge for use of a communal garden and other amenities each year. The communal garden backs onto row of two story flats in our development.

I am trying to keep costs down for my sons birthday and cant fit a bouncy castle in our garden and therefore was hoping to use the communal one. I have written a polite note to all neighbours to ask if this is ok and if they object. Its for two hours on a Monday morning.

Just looking for feedback thanks!

its a reasonable request just tell the neighbours to shut the windows if they dont like noise or they work night shift. they will understand partys happen from time to time.

2 hours wouldn't bother me.

If it was longer or a more regular event I might be secretly a bit annoyed about the noise, but a one off kids party is fine in my opinion.

There's a lot more things to be worked up about in the world than a fairly short, fun party for young children.

If it's flats then the inevitable noise will carry upwards and might annoy people who are working from home which is why some might say no, if anyone does that is.

It's only a couple of hours, hopefully no miserable fucker objects!

@Lockheart read the OP, she has already said she’d post a note asking if they would object.
🙄

As long as you dont mind all the neighbours having thier own parties at times that may not be convenient for you.

I just wanted to reiterate that there might be insurance issues. I think you need to check.

I live in a similar mews estate. Quite a few neighbours have used the space & put up a bouncy castle for their own children parties. They usually pop a note through the door and say Children can use it as well they usually put up early so the local children all use it and then disappear for the party and back out before it goes!
We’ve also done mews party and one of the neighbour’s whose children are now all grown up insists on paying for it every time.
It would be a shame if anyone objected to it :(

I think you have acted reasonably and chosen a sensible day of the week and hope all your neighbours think likewise.

I live in flats with a communal garden and would have no issue with this at all, hopefully your neighbours feel the same OP

@Springhassprung86

Op anyone who objects for two hours on a weekday morning is a miserable, joyless arsehole and I genuinely pity what a sad life they must have.

Or they work from home and so don't want to be disturbed by excited children outside their window when they are in meetings or trying to concentrate. A weekend, totally different, but not on a weekday.

SecretSpAD

Springhassprung86
Op anyone who objects for two hours on a weekday morning is a miserable, joyless arsehole and I genuinely pity what a sad life they must have.

Or they work from home and so don't want to be disturbed by excited children outside their window when they are in meetings or trying to concentrate. A weekend, totally different, but not on a weekday.

Don’t be silly. If I had builders in, hammering, drilling, etc., during working hours on a weekday, there would be no basis for complaint whatsoever. A childrens’’ party is no more noisy.
The fact that you now work from home is not an issue that your neighbours need to consider. If it upsets you so much, go into the office.

If you put up your trampoline to live there, then ywbu but for 2 hours one day with advance notice. Fine.

I used to work in insurance. I'm sorry to be gloomy but I think you need a plan b. If you ask I think you'll be told no - the liability will be too great and the management co won't want the hassle when there's nothing in it for them.

If you don't ask and just do it, and something goes wrong and you're uninsured you're in a load of strife.

I don't think I'd take the risk. I'm sorry.

@whirlygirl if the castle is hired, the company providing it will have liability for how it is erected. That is the main liability.

I’m sorry but the privileged people who are working from home (I am one of them) do not get to start dictating to the people around them that they cannot live their lives between the hours of 9 and 5. It’s really not anyone else’s problem.

You'd just need to check that that insurance isn't invalidated if it's erected without the landowners permission in the first place.

Just better to be upfront with these things and ask the questions in my view, but it's the ops call. Hope it goes well whichever way she decides.

@whirlygirl

I used to work in insurance. I'm sorry to be gloomy but I think you need a plan b. If you ask I think you'll be told no - the liability will be too great and the management co won't want the hassle when there's nothing in it for them.

If you don't ask and just do it, and something goes wrong and you're uninsured you're in a load of strife.

I don't think I'd take the risk. I'm sorry.

This, 100%. Insurance underwriter here too.

Whoever owns the land is liable for claims and the world owes a higher duty of care to children. Sadly things can and do go wrong with bouncy castles... Anyone who owns the land becomes liable for a loss.

The bouncy castle operator will only have a fixed limit and a small child who falls off needing 70 years of support for tetraplegia will burn through that limit before they hit double figures, so every one with a charge on the land is liable

I know the possibility is remote but it's there in law, sorry.

@MarieKlepto

A one-off of two hours on a Monday morning with notice? For an autistic child's birthday? Asking if I object? I'd be the biggest knob on the planet to complain about that (and I say that as someone who cannot abide prolonged bouts of shrieking children - which I would hope the party would be!).

Where did OP say that her child is Autistic? That's a bit of an assumption, isn't it?