Dogs in the shared garden.

[Neversurprised1975]

My mum shares a back garden with 1 other neighbour, it’s a small slabbed area. Neighbour has a dog, there has been issues and relations have broken down over the lack of cleaning and lack of control.

Neighbours boyfriend has now moved in and he also has a dog, so now 2 dogs in the shared area which has become their toilet area.

Maybe it’s just me but surely if you only have a shared area you really shouldn’t expect neighbours to live with your choices?

Mum owns and neighbour rents from private landlord. My mum has brought the issues up with landlord but she’s also not bothered?

My mum is sick of standing in puddles of dog pee and only goes out the back if necessary now as both dogs are free in the garden.

Unfortunately I also think selling wont be an option - cant see many people taking on a dwelling with a shared garden - especially if there is dog poop there on the viewing

Landlords in Scotland have very few options to influence tenant’s behaviour.

There is no ‘no reason’ eviction category, so no incentive for the tenant to be reasonable if they are not inclined to do so.

Whilst I can understand how upsetting this is for your mother, if the council are not willing to intervene, there is no possibility of eviction on grounds of anti social behaviour.

What is the layout of the garden? Are both properties on ground level with direct access to the garden? Even though it is shared would it be possible to come to an arrangement to split it?

It would probably mean that your mother would have to pay for the change in fencing, but at least she would be able to use her part of the garden for sitting in without having to be concerned about where she steps.

I am a dog owner, and I don’t think the dogs should ever be unsupervised except in a private, secure garden.

if the dog mess isn’t cleared up then she could throw a bucket of bleach and water on it all to wash it down. Do this on a regular basis

Bleach can actually encourage them to go more, so maybe not the best idea. A special enzyme spray designed for pet urine is probably going to be more effective.

Good idea

They are also paying for use of the space and it seems logical they will use it for their pets, they've probably taken on the tenancy because of the garden space. I think it's reasonable to expect them to lift any dog poo and to be supervising their dogs when they are outside but I think that's it. It's not reasonable to expect them to ignore their own garden and leave their home every time the dog needs the toilet. I'd suggest your mum looks into dividing the garden space somehow like fencing up the middle or something if she's not happy to share. If she owns I'd look at the deeds about what she actually owns. Or ask if she can buy the remaining garden space from the other landlord so she owns it outright.

If they're leaving poo behind, I think I'd be tempted to bag it up and pop it through their letterbox. Probably wouldn't actually do it as I'm a wimp, but I'd be tempted

Is it possible to put in a small grassed area, even 2 foot square? so the dogs could pee there and the poo is mainly being picked up anyway?

If the dogs are out there unsupervised every time they come unto your mum if she turns her back they should lose interest, not ideal I know.

I would never let my dog out of sight in a shared space.

Well your mum is being unreasonable. It is their garden too (regardless of who rents and who owns) and it is normal for dog owners to let their dogs into the garden. They should of course pick up poop immediately, but it sounds like they generally do so I don’t see what she is complaining to the landlord about.

Of course they have the right to enjoy the space, I’m a renter myself.

The problem is they are the only ones enjoying the space or should I say dogs are as are usually unsupervised and it’s a toilet area.

Thankfully poos are rare but when there are there for days.

Im not slating just wanted to see other opinions as I don’t have a dog or a shared garden so I’m unsure what is or isn’t acceptable with them?

I'd be leaving the gate open, throwing buckets of bleach down regularly and any sign of aggression and I'd be reporting them as dangerous dogs. If they're unreasonable neighbours, then her only way is to act even more unreasonably. Given they rent, they may then choose to move.

The caveat to this is that she has actually spoken to them and expressed her concern? If not, then she needs to speak to them first.

If the garden is owned 50/50, then speak with their landlord and ask if he/she has any objections to the garden being split 50/50. If the landlord is happy, ask if they'll contribute 50% to the costs of the fencing. You might get lucky.

It's not as if the tenants are in a position to enforce their 'rights' to use all of the garden as per the freehold.

She spoke to the neighbour several times but requests to clean/pick up were ignored.

The landlord was also approached on a few occasions but no resolve.

I think now she has just given up hope that any changes will ever happen.

Then she absolutely needs to go down the unreasonable route and make things very difficult for them to have the dogs in the shared garden.

Not true anymore, the DDA was updated to include private places

Probably more helpful to find the landlord’s address and keep hanging the shit on his doorknob until he deals with the tenants.

And also at posters who think that it’s okay for dogs to shit in the garden and their owners to leave it there, just because it’s a shared space. Dirty fuckers

I can't find it by searching but I swear when I registered as a landlord (in Scotland) I had to tick a box to agree to ensure my tenant would not be a nuisance or it would be my problem when it came to reapplying (possibly harsher implications than that, I can't remember, my letting agent keeps me right on any issues and my tenant is an absolute gem so haven't had anything like this to deal with)

Perhaps the first thing you should do is search to make sure the landlord is registered (just search the property) because that would be a pretty big stick to wave at them if they weren't bothering to even try...

www.landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk/search/start

Scoop up the poo and put through the letterbox and see if they like it. Your mum owns the area and surely has a right to not have it covered in dog poo. They have a right to use it but surely not to leave poo everywhere

That's for dangerously out of control, not just out of control. The dogs aren't dangerous so this doesn't apply.

She needs to check what lease says

If it is just pee and they mostly pick up the poo straight away then the problem is that it is a shared garden and your mum wants a private one. I understand her wanting her garden to be private without anybody else or their pets in it but she has a shared garden.

I’d hose the pee and poop until there’s a shitty puddle right outside their door, that is a nuisance. Every time they leave a mess.

Can you fence it in half? Would you be allowed?

She wouldn't even need a proper fence, just something that keeps the dogs out of her side. Something like an opened out playpen, perhaps? That way, she wouldn't need any permission.

I live next door to a house with small yard that is covered in dog poo and pee, never cleared up, dog never walked. Landlord totally absent. Stench in summer is horrendous
I think that you cant change people who wont clear up, they are just disgusting ,
best way is to try and separate the garden.

I feel for you as I see how down my mum gets.
Summertime is a nightmare.
Did you approach anyone for help or advice?