Question for those who live in flats.....

[Earlybird]

....where do you keep your prams/pushchairs? What about bicycles/scooters?

The front door of our flat is at the end of a small hallway (so no one passes by), and for almost 5 years dd's pushchair (when she had one) and bicycle/scooter have been tucked away in a little space there. This morning one of the neighbours (posh polo playing college student living in mummy and daddy's flat) complained about the items to the management company saying "she has lots of things she'd like to leave in the hallway too, but doesn't out of consideration"). The management company simply informed me of her complaint, but have not asked me to move the items.

What would you do?

In the boot of the car.

Don't have bikes or scooters.

Our landlord does not allow people to store things in common areas.

That's why I'm selling my soul to the Devil - if there is such a thing - to get out of this damn flat.

id carry on keeping them there regardless....

and hope that when shes older and has kids they are REALLY tantrumy ones who embarrass her EVERY time she takes them to the supermarket...

people like that REALLY irritate me... maybe when she has kids she'll understand!

Depends on lots of things, this one. Are you on the ground floor? Where is your sniffy neighbour? How many flats use the hallway? Does everyone get on well generally? Is there a lift?

We're at the very top, no lift, in a three-flat entry. The ground floor hallway played host to ds's pushchair, then ds & dd's double buggy, & now ds's bicycle (our buggies long gone); and it now hosts our downstairs neighbour's multiple buggies and another neighbour's bicycle. Our stuff was the first lot there (we were the first in the building to have children) and there was a bit of adjustment - but we are all very neighbourly (more than that, friendly) and all seem to accept the give-and-take involved. Buggies are parked neatly to the side and bicycle handlebars carefully turned in.

The principle seems to be Big Outdoor Items Only - eg I keep dd's scooter up in our flat because it is carryable. I would think it a bit off if the hall started sprouting people's recycling bins, welly boots, and such.

What does your lease/service contract say? Does sniffy neighbour have a leg to stand on? How would you feel if she started leaving her windsurfer in the hall? If there's no prohibition and reciprocity is fine, then I'd ignore her.

Thinking about this a bit more - at most every flat we've been to (where children live), there are pushchairs/scooters, etc in the hallway. IMO, there's nothing wrong with it as long as it's not blocking the hallway.

TBH, I think what's pushed this girl over the edge is that a family with a 2 month old baby moved in about 10 days ago, and they now keep their pram in the hall too....though it is also off to the side, and doesn't interfere with anyone passing by.

Hi Bink - We're on the top floor, and 3 flats use the hall. There is a lift. Sniffy neighbour () lives directly across from lift, and our flat is at the end of a small hall - so, only people coming to our flat would get close to bicycle/scooter. There is a little odd shaped space at the end of the hall, and that is where the items are kept....they don't even get in our way going into/out of the door.

I could easily fold up dd's scooter, if it would look "neater". Or, I could put items in our car park space in the garage....just they wouldn't be as handy, and would require a small detour to pick up. It's completely do-able, just I'm surprised that this is a problem when it's been fine for all these years. Not sure what the lease says, but will check.

These are not very "neighbourly" neighbours. The brother (bro and sis live here when mum/dad are in their "other" house) appeared at my door barechested/barefoot and in his shorts at 10 one hot Saturday morning (when everyone had all windows open) complaining dd was making too much noise. He was obviously hungover, and couldn't handle a child's normal conversational/play volume! But I digress....

Well, I think what is happening then is that Sniffy is miffed at the new neighbours (whose baby probably whimpers occasionally) and is trying to sound objective by having the complaint apply to you too. I certainly wouldn't change what you do with the things (which sounds totally reasonable), but I would (if you feel right with this) make positive friends with the family with the new baby, as they're the ones who'll really be getting the brunt, and after all solidarity is the name of the game.

i left mine downstairs under stairs iyswim . there was no room for them inside my flat . the council did complain to me about it saying it was a fire hazzard which it definitly wasnt . all the neighbours (block of 6 flats ) all told them that my prams where not affecting them . they had been there for 8 years (3dd's) and they had never said a word but got ew officer and she took her job ott imo .

my friend has just had a e c/s and lived on the 2nd floor . there is no way she could take baby then come down and carry the pram upstairs on her own (for at least 6 weeks anyway) . council backed down .

stick to your guns and ignore them . some people have no idea do they ffs

new*

Thanks Bink for the very sensible advice.

If Sniffy complains again to the management company, I doubt she'll get much joy. The chap who oversees our building lives in a nearby mansion block and has 2 year old twins (and a huge side-by-side double buggy), so he's completely familiar with all the bulky gear children require! Don't know where he keeps their buggy, but I'll wager it's not inside their flat!

i keep my prams inside the flat (where i live they would be stolen if left outside) but 1 neighbour used to leave her pram downstairs, (theres a security door, only people with a key fob can get in) and it was a massive pain in the bum, she didnt fold it, and it was a huge 3 wheeler, and it was very hard to get my own dds pram downstairs as it used to block the bottom of the stairs, this is the only reason it irritated me, had it been out of the way as yours is, i cant imagine why anybody would have a problem, some people are born moaners
by the way, annoying neighbours pram did get stolen after the postman left he security door open, well, it solved my problem

i hate living in flats w/kids.

We keep the stroller in the hallway just outside our flat, the big pram in the cellar. We're probably officially not supposed to put things in hallways but everyone does it and we've never had problems because of it. (It would be unfair anyway as at least half the tenants in our house have shoe cupboards and collections of plants outside their flats).

I live in a block of 6 flats, half of which are owned and half are still council. We can't leave anything outside because a, it would get pinched (no security doors, anyone can walk in), and b, the one of the 'home owners' is a pita about things like that, complains to the housing office all the time. Not about me though, as he thinks we're lovely

Right, the little buggy is in the car, the big and now unused buggy is blocking the door to the DSs room whilst I decide what to do with it.

We've got a small 'pram shed' just outside the flat which holds all the christmas decorations and tree, all the camping gear and the kids bikes balanced vertically on one wheel. DH's bike (he cycles to work) is kept in the door of our room, so you have to shimmy past it to get in the bathroom or our room.

I'd leave my stuff in the hall if it was secure, and wasn't getting in anyones way. I hope your landlord backs you up Earlybird.