WWYD (What would you do) re scaffolding in garden?

[poppynic]

Our landlord has, without clear advice to us, erected scaffolding in our back garden. He is doing it in order to convert the roof into flats (i.e. not for necessary structural work to the property as allowed for in the lease). It is quite a large house with high ceilings and three stories. (We have half the ground floor and share the garden with the other ground floor flat.)

I have a very active and daring 13 mo and a cautious (but still not completely reliable) 5 yo boy. I am concerned that I don't know if the scaffolding is erected properly and safe. Whether it is safe to allow the children play around the scaffolding when I am watching them? Whether I can require the landlord to fence off the scaffolding so the children can't get to it.

We have already complained and he is taking 25% off the rent while the scaffolding is up. Money, of course can't replace children. Maybe I should stop them going in the backyard at all - which would be a real shame in the summer as we don't have a front yard - but then the extra money would be extremely useful - in helping us to save for a deposit to avoid future problems from landlords like this. .

Scaffolding should have a scafftag on it. A little card saying it was erected and checked to be safe. Well in construction it does, so assuming same laws apply for ALL scaffolding. Have a look to see if it has one. But best to ask for it to be fenced off as well, tools and such could fall off onto anyone below.

Have searched scaffolding and can't see any tag. There also isn't anything to say who it was erected by, although I guess we could find this out from the landlord's agents.

TBH, I think the 25% off is quite a good gesture and he sounds as if he is trying to be reasonable and respectful - I wouldn't be so concerned about your dc getting on the scaffolding as tools and supplies falling off it onto them. I would definitely get him to fence the area off but, if it is a fairly straightforward loft, the structural work should be over in a couple of months so iit should be down by the summer.

I guess I can keep kids out of the garden while builders are working - it's the weekend that we really tend to use it. (Hopefully they won't be working then?)

Hmmm, the 25% off only came after a blast by my partner after the scaffolding had suddenly gone up and my partner told the agent he did not have authority to come onto our property etc. etc. The landlord has a large number of properties and is, we think, just taking the pragmatic approach, that it is cheaper to pay us off and keep his project progressing.

However, to tell you the truth it is hard to know what comes from the landlord and what from the agent. Before the scaffolding went up we were assured it was going to be in the front of the property (i.e. not related to our tenancy), and was necessary to do repairs to the roof!

Anyway, the only problem with fencing the area off is that it is directly in front of the other tenant's glass doors and I imagine she wouldn't want that. Poor thing, has just moved into the property and was not warned about any alterations.