Renting - not allowed to fix stair gate

[PaigeTurner]

I've just signed the contract on new build rental, went round to measure up and was told that I won't be allowed to fix a stair gate to the wall, and should use a travel stair gate instead.

I've read reviews online saying they are next to useless on a day-to-day basis and actually not that safe as a toddler could easily push them over.

One of the reasons I'm moving out of my current property is that it is unsafe for my DS.

WWYD?

There is a knack to those travel ones, but I could never get it. How old is your ds? He might be old enough to start understanding a firm No, maybe? Are there doors that would stop him getting to the stairs unseen? if you think you'd fret too much, maybe reconsider the move to somewhere where you'd be alloowed to use the gates.

Sounds a bit unreasonable of your landlord. However, I just got this stairgate (for new puppy!), it's very good and doesn't require any screws into the wall. DH installed it within about 3 minutes lindam stair gate

Second the Lindam pressure fit gate. We have these on all our doors and provided you remember to step over them, they are fine.

We had the Lindam one suburban linked to in a rental property with 2 toddlers, it did the job perfectly well and didn't cause any damage to the property.

I have the lindam ones cos I didnt want to screw them into my doors in my new build, mine have been up for 3 years and have never fallen off. They were £13 on amazon the other week as I bought an extra one now ds can get out if his cot.

Also im a childminder and they have coped with lots of use!

We have three pressure fit gates and they're all fine. Much easier than screwing one into the wall or doorframe.

I have the baby dan pressure fix and they are excellent. Also IME living in a new build the walls are so crap that the fixed gates don't hold as well as the pressure fit ones. My friends who have new build also found this.

But what I wanted to say is have you been expressley told no to the stairgate or is this what is written in your tennancy agreement.

I'm a LL and use a standard issue AST and there is all kinds of stupid things that the tennant is not allowed to do that I would never enforce such as no blu tack on the walls and written permission by me to bring a pram into the house .

Provided you make good any damage that a fixed one would cause then I really can't see a problem if you ask the LL and explain the situation.

Thanks everyone, I will get a pressure mounted one then and see what happens, DS is 14 months and can go down supervised, but new house is very open plan with 2 stair cases.

It's in my contract that I can't fix anything to the wall without permission but the ll's agent specifically said no stair gate fixing.

Glad to hear the Lindam gates are not completely useless!

We have several lindams in our rented including a very extended one and they are excellent. However DO NOT place them at the top of stairs as they have a trip bar which is very dangerous to adults. Better to use them to keep dc in rooms upstairs and supervise them when on landing.

The travel ones are useless so no point getting one of those, but the pressure fit ones are fine.

One thing you might want to bear in mind is that they tend to have a "lip" at the bottom which can be a tripping hazard, so best if at all possible not to put it right at the top of your stairs.

We also have the Lindam pressure fit. Thy are fine. Re the trip hazard, we have them fitted so they sit just below the top of the step therefore there is no trip hazards

we had one with pressure fit. was pretty solid.

A pressure stair gate is the way to go. We used those in a rental property.

Although, TBH we did also use a screw in one and offered to leave it in situ for the next tenant (who also had young children) or we could have just refilled and sanded the wall and repainted and the LL was happy with that as another solution.

Also, when you install the pressure fits, put a bit of something between the pressure fit and the wall - something bigger to spread the pressure out so that the wall isn't marked - it's best if it's something that has a little bit of give, like a very very dense rubber and not something 'flat' like hard wood, so that it grips not slips.

Totally agree with the 'lip' issue as a trip hazard and putting them below the level of the stair step. We also put a pressure one across DS1 bedroom door so he could not just wander in the night as he tended to sleep walk.