Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to leave my pram in the hallway?

73 replies

coolbeans · 30/12/2009 18:47

We live in mansion block in central London, (so not the world's most child friendly dwelling).

There are three flats on the ground floor and ours is the furthest one back. It's a very big communal hall.

Anyway our (lovely) next door neighbours have rented out their flat and one of the new tenants has just complained to me about the fact that I leave my pram outside our door. Bear in mind this is nowhere near theirs and so the pram doesn't pose any kind of difficulty or obstacle to them, apart from, clearly, an aesthetic one.

She was quite rude and snotty and apparently its very presence "makes it look like a shanty town in here"

A bit far, no. It's a pram and a scooter, ffs, not a cardboard shack covered in newspaper.

Not huge amounts of space in the flat, hence leaving it outside my front door, in my third of the communal space.

Suppose I can (will) fold it up and bring it in, but what a pain!

(And, my other lovely neighbour told me to ignore her - she's not at all fussed and doesn't see it as an eyesore).

OP posts:
DarrellRivers · 30/12/2009 18:48

We need a picture TBH, pram and scooter and hallway

SleighGirl · 30/12/2009 18:49

Can you fold it up leave it downstairs and cover is with some fabric to make it look more attractive?

Your neighbour is nuts.

There was a fab thread on here a while ago about this sort of thing but the pram was huge and literally blocked the neighbours doorway - was hysterically funny.

pippaNnippa · 30/12/2009 18:49

as long as it doesnt get in their way or is a fire hazard I wouldn't have a problem. yanbu

SlartyBartFast · 30/12/2009 18:51

we have communal flats down the road and i know they are not allowed to leave stuff in the hall.
plus arent you worried abaout it being stolen?

SheikYerbouti · 30/12/2009 18:53

One of my neighbours once objected to me carrying my buggy THROUGH THE HOUSE, which has nothing to do with her. Nutter

DarrellRivers · 30/12/2009 18:54

SG, that thread was great.
She was the complainer about the pram, and everyone said she was being unreasonable until they saw the picture of the pram and the hall

SleighGirl · 30/12/2009 18:54

Buy a huge tasteful plant instead to leave in it' place?

What do the deeds say, can you use the hallway space or not?

coolbeans · 30/12/2009 18:59

It's really not a fire hazard, to us or anyone else. There's lots and lots of room in the hallway.

It's one (video entry) door entrance to a communal space which leads off into three flats - I'm not worried about it being stolen. Well, I wasn't....

Oh, no, have I committed a cardinal MN sin and rehashed an old thread?

I promise you it really isn't a very big pram (a Zapp stroller).

Good point, should check the deeds.

But do feel really self-conscious, now. Shanty town, indeed.

OP posts:
CirrhosisByTheSea · 30/12/2009 18:59

I think the thing is that with flats there are rules. If everyone flouted them, places would look seedy and awful and depressing. I assume there will be a clause in your contract somewhere saying that goods are not to be left in communal areas.

I mean, personally I would not care one teeny bit about a pram in a hallway....but clearly she does and it sounds likely she is backed up by the 'rules' of your occupation of the flat....

I understand it's an inconvenience to you but....I live in a tiny, tiny house and I don't have the luxury of using outside space for things like that, have always had to bring stuff in and stash it. I don't think it's too much to ask on her behalf tbh.

PrincessToadstool · 30/12/2009 19:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

domesticextremist · 30/12/2009 19:02

hmm presumably a renter wont have access to the deeds anyway - they are just being arsey...they may not even be there that long...if you are good mates with their landlord get the ok from them and then tell that to the tenants...

Heqet · 30/12/2009 19:03

(If you check and it's not against the rules) can you put a small screen so the pram can't be seen? If it's a large hallway it wouldn't block anything would it?

littleducks · 30/12/2009 19:04

Tbh i think that if your neighbours had no problem with it and they then rented out the flat the tenant can't then start complaining and expect it moved

kitsmummy · 30/12/2009 19:04

Sorry Coolbeans but I can see your neighbour's point. I'm sure it doesn't really look like a shanty town but it's communal space, not your personal hall, so you shouldn't leave stuff there. If every flat owner started leaving bulky stuff in the hall it would soon look like a real dump.

Firawla · 30/12/2009 19:05

I think yanbu and your new neighbour sounds like a bitch if it really is a big hall and plenty of space

cookielove · 30/12/2009 19:06

oooh yes i want a link to that to, and to add to this thread, i have known plenty of people to leave pushchairs and prams in hallways and it not be an issue

blowninonabreeze · 30/12/2009 19:07

this was the original thread

CirrhosisByTheSea · 30/12/2009 19:07

although, maybe you could put on your own snottiest face and ask her "do your landlords have permission to sub let their flat to just anyone? The thing with Sub-letting is it's so shanty town like and drags down neighbourhoods for decent citizens"

domesticextremist · 30/12/2009 19:08

Maybe your neighbour sees it as a constant symbol of womens suppressed creativity and it just gets her down...

domesticslattern · 30/12/2009 19:20

LOL domestic

Photos please so we can judge pramgate2!

and there's a scooter as well as a pram, right? Maybe if you brought that in it would seem like meeting her halfway. They fold up don't they?

MummyDragon · 30/12/2009 19:21

Tenants ARE subject to the terms stated in the freehold agreement, and should be given a copy of these before they sign their tenancy agreement. So, the fact that they are tenants, not homeowners, is irrelevant.

Can't understand all these comments on here about your neighbours being mere tenants, as if that makes them second-class citizens in some way ... most odd.

If your freeholder/management company rules permit you to park a buggy in the hall, YANBU. But if you are flouting the rules by parking it there, YABU, even if you think the rules are unreasonable.

Sounds as though you don't actually know for sure what the rules are in this instance. Might be worth checking?!

domesticextremist · 30/12/2009 19:22

[hijack] oooh slattern I have been wanting to catch you - do you want me to namechange - I was someone else but gave too much info away and liked this at the time but am prepared to think of something else...

coolbeans · 30/12/2009 19:22

That's a very good idea, why didn't I think of that? I will indeed contact their landlords and do it that way.

Thing is, my pram is nowhere near her door, so really, her objection is merely to the fact of it being there.

There used to be a bike rack on the far wall, which I was fine with, because I saw it as our communal space, and that means it can be used within reason for normal living purposes. I'd get a bit stroppy if you started piling wardrobes outside, (I exaggerate, but you know what I mean), but normal things like wellie boots or umbrellas seems fair enough.

I suspect she feels that I am lowering the tone somewhat, but it's my home, complete with messy small child, not a showpiece.

OP posts:
Missus84 · 30/12/2009 19:27

How bizarre! I live on the second floor in a block of 8 flats and my upstairs neighbours leave their pram at the bottom of the stairs. It's not the prettiest thing and there isn't much space, but it's not blocking anything so I wouldn't dream of complaining!

Bambinoloveseggbirds · 30/12/2009 19:29

YANBU. Your pram is outside your door. tell her to feck off.

Swipe left for the next trending thread