Washing line in shared backyard, AIBU?

[Beeloux]

Hi all,

Moved into a rented upper floor flat recently with a yard shared with downstairs flat who also
rent.
I put up a washing line when I moved in and neighbours commented how they never got around to putting one up (they’ve been living there almost 2 years). They started hanging their washing on the line using my pegs which I didn’t mind at first. However they’ve started leaving the washing on for days at a time.

Weather has been good this weekend and they’ve had their washing hanging bone dry on the line since Friday morning. I’ve been waiting all weekend to hang my washing out (I have a baby and toddler who are both ill at the moment so have a large mount of washing. I ended up having to squash all of my washing onto my drying rack and leave it outside in the yard. I just checked before and they’ve removed all of their dry clothes and replaced it with another set of washing hogging the whole line!

AIBU to be pissed off about this? Forecast shows it’s raining the majority of next week. I have no space for a tumble dryer in the kitchen and there isn’t any other nails where I could erect another clothes line in the backyard (tenancy contract states I can’t drill any into exterior walls).

I can confirm that it is where I am, sadly.

How awful. What is the smell coming from?

I mean, why not just talk to them.

"Hi neighbour, I don't mind you putting washing on the line I put up occasionally, but not to the extent that I can't get my washing out. I put the line up because I need to use it."
or
"Hi neighbour, I really need to be able to use my washing line when the weather is dry. I'm going to have to ask you not to use it,"

Whichever you prefer.

I couldn't disagree more

A line full of drying washing on a breezy sunny day is a lovely site and feeling!

@K0OLA1D Haha, I guess if the washing was really nice clothes, lol. They show those adverts don't they, about washing billowing in the breeze and people running round singing with joy!
Maybe I just need my neighbors to buy a new wardrobe 🤣

Bedding. Bedding is the best thing to line dry ahhh I miss summer already!

Yes this. Or a simple knock on the door explaining you want to put your washing out. Or a note through their letter box

@K0OLA1D yeah, sheets, bedding etc for some reason doesn't bother me! 🤣

Get a tumble dryer.

Farms, fields, muck piles. One of the downsides of living in a beautiful area with lots of farmers - it's not normally so bad at this time of year. I appreciate they're just making a living but it still reeks.

Yes I would be monumentally pissed off but what I would probably do is buy a cheap plastic laundry basket, take their stuff off, fold it up and put the basket outside their door. That way I'm still being politer than them and getting to use my line when I need to.

Thats disguasting! You only put clean stuff on the washing line.
They are very cheeky using your pegs. I keep my pegs in a kind of handbag and take them home, dont like them outside as they age so much faster.

In my house block there is a shared balcony for every two flats. One flat is always using just the half of the lines on their side.

They sound like they are one of those cheeky people.
Has it got any better since you posted?

I only have a small outdoor space for clothes drying and hate washing lines so I use one of these, it's been one of my best ever purchases. It's lightweight: you can literally close it and carry it with one hand. It's sturdy, well made and has 14 metres of drying space! I've used it in moderately windy conditions and it's never blown over. It comes with its own bag and folds to a small size. The other thing I like about it is you can hide underwear on the shorter lines in the middle section! I've just checked and Amazon are selling them for £73.50 and good second hand ones sometimes come up for sale on Ebay. Argos do a smaller one for about half that price but I don't know how sturdy they are.

Your neighbours are bloody cheeky and I couldn't be bothered with removing and bagging their washing. I'd do it once only: to get my pegs back!

www.lakeland.co.uk/53194/leifheit-linopop-up-140-portable-rotary-airer-with-protective-cover?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping+%7C+Catch+All+%7C+Low&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20891625552&gclid=CjwKCAjw6ZTCBhBOEiwAqfwJdxLwYP71qan6dWTofp5c26kBIfbA5HAVGXOVxIiPKA7i-nR8XIALuhoCgb4QAvD_BwE

Tell them to put their own washing line up and to stop using yours!

Spider Willies. Nuff said.

Speak. To. Them.

I live in a building with a shared laundry room. If someone leaves their things in the machine for hours, someone else takes them out and leaves them in whatever state in a basket by the door. The hint is soon taken.

I’d take their washing down but I wouldn’t be doing any clothes folding. They’re CF’s to be using your equipment. Especially without speaking to you about it first.

Yep exactly this!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5358593-i-dry-my-laundry-in-my-garden-and-my-neighbour-is-really-unhappy-about-it
Are you @washingwoes Neighbour?

Haha, I deliberately didn't go onto that one!
I wouldn't complain of it being in someone's own garden. That's not fair. But a communal garden is for recreation and relaxing. Not household cleaning tasks.