Housing Association not removing old bikes etc from communal bike shed

[Kleinl]

There are 12 flats - half are rented and the other half are owned/share ownership. My flat is the latter. I live in the flat by the entrance to the bike shed. From one of my rooms, I can see part of it.

As I was returning home, I saw one of the residents taking her bike back in the shed (she lives in a shared ownership flat) was moaning about so many bikes, pushchairs etc. She asked me how many residents I see/know who have bikes. I said yourself and two others.

The rest belong to former tenants and a couple of the kids’ bikes and pushchairs, kid has outgrown them.

Both myself and the other resident have contacted the HA about the abandoned bikes etc. They don’t sound interested. Some of the bikes are probably ceased up due to non use and neglect.

Have you had success from housing associations/property management companies about bikes not being used and left in the shed?

That is tricky for them to manage I think. If they remove property someone will complain. Is there a building WhatsApp can you suggest a clear out. I also have a number of bikes I keep meaning to take to recycling place.

Have a residents meeting and then agree that all bikes and any other stuff that is not belonging to anyone living there or they no longer want, can be left out for the scrap man.

If you are sure some of fhem belong to former tenants, just clear them out yourself. If there are kids bikes etc that you know belong to people who are still in the building, just ask them if you can get rid of them, will probably save them a job.

How would the HA know which bikes belonged to former/current tenants and which belonged to former/current owners? They can only remove stuff abandoned by tenants so without knowing what belongs to who, their hands are tied really.

In my area there are several groups who recycle bikes for people on low incomes. Invite them to take their pick once owners have claimed theirs

Send a message to all owners saying that you want to suggest an annual shed clearing and that you are happy to manage it. Your suggestion is that a message goes to all owners and residents that all bikes/items in the shed that are owned by one of them and wanted need to be tagged with a big neon sticker (batch of them left by the shed entrance) by x date. You will then organize a person to come and remove all other items and they will be scrapped/sold by the person to cover the costs of removal. You will also organize the stickers. Ask all owners to reply to you to approve your suggestion.

At some point things become neighbour issues to sort out rather than managing agent or housing association.

the suggestion above is a good one.

I have no experience to share and I am not a lawyer but if the H.A. do not have an action plan, could you ask them about the maintenance of communal areas? Clear access and availability of space seems reasonable although day to day this may be the residents' responsibility.

If the H.A don't address it, could you and the other resident letter drop the 12 flats with the suggestion of a bike shed clear out, with a proposed date and adequate notice period.

In addition to the letter, all bikes and prams could also have a label attached (similar to abandoned bikes in public spaces) with the intended clear out day and ask the owner to remove the label if they intend to keep storing the bike/pram.

Any items with the labels still in place on the clear out day could then be reported to the H.A as abandoned property.

Cross Post with the @SeaToSki above...
Neon sticker to claim property is a good idea as is arranging disposal of the unclaimed items.

A reasonable notice period and an opportunity for residents to claim their property are key as some may seldom use their bikes but have securely stored them in the communal shed.

Our housing association asked all tenants to move there bikes by a certain date so they could determine which bikes didn't belong to tenants and then they disposed of any that where there on that date.

There is a wheelchair which I haven't seen the guy for at least 5 years. He moved out just before the pandemic. Obviously he has another w/c. It was always in the communal area between his flat and neighbours. I know one of the pushchairs was a previous tenant as she had twins as soon as the boy was too big for a pushchair so she got a twin pushchair.

The flats have a mix of communal (just two flats per communal area) and individual entrances

I agree with PPs that there is no easy solve for the HA when it comes to them removing items. they would have to have something signed from every occupier that they don’t own any of those bikes. If they didn’t, one person could say ‘it was mine’ and the HA would have to pay them to replace it.