To lock my bathroom during renovations in the flat

[Hocuspoc]

The flat has just one bathroom/toilet which has just been refurbished. Considering this is in London, the price of the renovation was extortionate.

Now we have painters and decorators coming in to paint the walls, skirting boards etc.
I really don't want them to use the bath or sink for keeping the tools and washing up.
It still bothers me how much the bathroom renovation has set us back and if someone was now to scratch the bathtub or break a tile I think I'd have a mental breakdown.
I want them to use the kitchen sink instead, or to set up some buckets on the kitchen floor - whatever they can come up with - just to stay away from the bloody bathroom.
I am tempted to lock the bathroom to prevent any damage or soiling.

And I feel this is horrible - it is as if I don't want them to use the loo or something (and it is not about that at all).
But then, the guys who did the bathroom had nowhere to go for 10 days while renovating it - so this is not an impossible set up.

I feel I am being unreasonable but honestly with the prices the contractors are charging at the moment I could not care less - they can certainly afford a quick coffee in a nearby cafe and use the loo there.
Thoughts.

You can lock the bathroom if you have hired a portaloo for people to use instead but no you can’t expect people to use buckets.

They will piss in your kitchen sink.

Yabu

I am not expecting them to use buckets and the kitchen sink instead of the loo !!! it's for the washing up of the painting brushes etc...

Would you believe me that I care less about that at this point then them scratching a brand new bathtub 😞
I will happily change the kitchen sink after they are done, sigh...

Tell them where they ARE permitted to wash brushes etc. Something along the lines of ‘If you need to wash or store stuff, do it here. Not the bathroom. Ta very much’. Don’t leave them without somewhere to pee.

Yes, lock it. Tell them explicitly they are to wash their brushes and tools elsewhere.
I had my entire house painted and he took his stuff away for washing. Never once used my sink. Other than to wash his hands.

Absolutely not. They have to have access to a toilet. If you want to hire people to do work for you rather than doing it yourself, you have to meet their basic needs and treat them like your fellow humans who are worthy of respect.

You can of course be clear that the bathroom is to be used for toileting only and not washing paintbrushes, but you cannot bar them from using the only toilet in the property.

Agreed, but the guys who renovated my bathroom had no toilet access for 10 days (because they took everything out first day).

Usually when doing a bathroom the WC is removed and another put in on the same day. Are you sure they were without the toilet for all that time because that’s very weird
Plus
How did you manage without a toilet?

To others who have said just ask them not to wash brushes etc in the bathroom. I’m sorry, but that’s not going to be enough

Lock the bathroom but get a portaloo. You can’t not give them a toilet to use OP

i've never seen workmen use the tub for tools, how many days are they in for painting? will you not be in and out of your own home?
i just came on to say the more inconvenient you make things, the longer it will take for them to get the work finished and it will cost you more.

I would would think telling them (no tools in the tub, no washing brushes in the bathroom sink) would suffice.

They can go to a coffee shop for the toilet or furnish their own portaloo.

But they’re bathroom guys. They’re (presumably) used to working in properties with one bathroom that is out of commission until they complete a job. They’ll have strategies to manage it. They are the one exception.

And hopefully charge OP extra for the inconvenience and time wasting.

I once had contractors fitting a window and they were explicitly told not to step on decorative beams on the wall - I caught them standing on these 3 times and the next day the beams came crashing down. Luckily noone got hurt.
But in my experience people don't respect what you ask them to do or not to do.
Sadly you need to physically prevent access - hence this awkward thread.

I am not in while they are painting.
I also don't trust them respecting my wishes not to use the bathroom for storing tools or washing them. They will just do what they want and hope I don't notice.
This was my experience 5 out of 5 times.

I do agree with this.
I deal with builders all the time and when you’re not around not everyone takes notice of the rules.
There’s no point in asking nicely.

Or expect OP to provide acceptable arrangements?

You want a workman going to the coffee shop for a piss regularly?

Fill the bath with something so they can't use it. Piles of towels or something

Yes.

So unreasonable, I hope your workplace expects the same of you.

I also hope that OP has made the terms clear to their builder and they’ve added additional time and cost or the chance to say they don’t want the job.

Our contractor hired a portaloo. Obviously we paid for it but it was an expected part of the Reno’s

As long as OP has factored that in, the builders have costed for it, that’s fine.

Just not sure this has been done.

Honestly, I wouldn't trust them to respect my wishes, so I'd rather lock it. But I'd let them know that there will be no access so they know ahead of time what to expect.

Can you get to B&Q today? I'm thinking you could get some plywood cut to cover the bath, sink and maybe the floor. Wrap your shiny new taps in towels. Block & protect, basically. Tell the decorators you REALLY want to protect the bathroom as all new and hasn't "bedded down" properly yet. If you need to wash stuff, please use kitchen sink.

And good luck 😬 Hope it all goes perfectly!