Bike locked to railing, management agent unhappy

I'm a renter, lived in this apartment about three years, it has it's own door entrance so I'm not scuffing hallways or common areas here

My landlord wants the bike left outside as he said I was marking the walls, fair enough.

This is not my pic, it's from the internet but to describe I lock my bike to the railings at the top of the steps. Where the traffic cone and board are is a good example. And you can see the steps are very wide



In three years there was never ever a complaint about this.
Do you remember the heavy wind last month? The bike fell over a few times and a busybody complained. What's the big deal? I picked it up when I saw it down. We have gale forces winds a few times last month, it was exceptional

There are lots of other residents around the estate who do the same but it's me getting letters and the management agent threatened to cut my locks and dump the bike :mad:. They also said they were dealing with the directors of the management company, my neighbour is a director and I know well he was him who complained.
I offered to triple chain it so it could not fall over but they don't accept this

They said I could park it down by the footpath.
The steps are wide and they want me to lock it by the narrowest part and right on the footpath
And we have vandalism in the estate. I owned a Honda scooter that used to be parked on the footpath that got trashed beyond repair so I had to get rid of it. So I don't want to lock my bike down there away from my door

Am I unreasonable? I'm a renter three years the only reason for complaints is it was falling over in the wind.
And why do I have to move my bike when nobody else does? Oh we have no bike shed here.

Have I options? I'm not ranting, looking for advice

Why don't you request that they provide a designated bicycle locking area, with proper bike park things to lock to? This might out them off their quest against you, if you start pestering them to provide a bike shed or a bike area.

Or maybe just start bringing your bike into your hallway again for a few months and let all the fuss die down. Does your landlord call around often?

talk to your landlord again tell him that the hassle your getting is not worth the grief, tell him that you are now so peeed off that your thinking of moving.
Leave it with him for a while, no landlord wants to lose a tennant and all the associated costs involved with getting it re let, i.e. addvertising painting / upgrading of property and appliances, up to date BER cert etc.

micmclo said:

I'm not ranting

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Then why use emotive terms such as "busybody" and claim that you "know" that it was your management company director neighbour who complained without any obvious evidence? In any case if the management company have house rules about this then any resident/householder is perfectly entitled to raise the matter and have it dealt with regardless of it being tolerated to date.

You need to deal with your landlord to see if a mutually acceptable solution can be found that does not breach any of the management company house rules. It's the landlord's responsibility to deal with the management company if applicable.

I think that bluffing a threat to quit over this is an extreme measure. Better to deal with the landlord on an honest and clear basis in my view.

Busybody is an accurate description in my opinion. If there were house rules they would/should have complained at the start.
But they wait three years and now I'm getting letters and emails over it.

And nobody thought to knock on my door for a chat? Instead straight to the management agent for some letters to be sent. Do nobody in estates talk to each other at all, seems not
If you've an issue with a neighbour you should talk to your neighbour


I'll talk to the landlord. Haven't spoken to him in about ten months, we're due a chat

Thanks all for advice

Personally if I or my child were tripping over a neighbours bike at the top of some steep steps in the morning then I wouldn't be too happy either.

If the management company are contacting you directly then I am surprised - I would have expected them to contact the landlord (as (presumably) the member of the management company linked to the property in which you live) and the landlord would then raise the matter with you.

Thanks Clubman

What happened was a letter was sent out, no names, just the resident. I got one, I cannot say who else got one.

It's pretty clear it's my bike, I'm on it every day.
And my neighbours know me to see me, there three years

Letter was nasty in my opinion, and gave a deadline and then locks would be cut and bike dumped.
So I contacted the management agent by email, offered to use three chains so it would not fall in the wind but was not enough

Ah well, thanks for replying

On the one hand....

I do think it looks unsightly and a nuisance in cases where it's falling over.

On the other hand....

This should have been planned out better - and there should be an area for bikes.

micmclo said:

Letter was nasty in my opinion, and gave a deadline and then locks would be cut and bike dumped.

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That can be standard practice from management companies/agents in my experience - although sometimes they do this but don't follow through immediately or at all.

Basically if the house rules have something about keeping railings clear of bikes or something similar then you (and your landlord) don't have a leg to stand on regardless of the issue having been ignored/tolerated for a few years.

In my opinion your issue is with the landlord. S/he should deal with the management company if relevant.

Ask for a copy of the rules and regulations - check it to see if it mentions the railings etc. If they dump your bike they will have to replace it.

It is best to keep on sides with everyone. Ask the management does is this rule being enforced for the whole estate. I suggest that you keep the bike on the veranda at the back of the apartment for awhile. Then I suggest you wait a couple of weeks and see if the other bikes have moved. If they have not I would get back onto the management company and ask them are they not enforcing the rule.

They only thing that would concern me about this is the fact that it is unsightly. It is not in anyone's way and is doing no harm, even if it does fall down. That bike is locked near the front door of your home that no-one else should be near unless they are knocking on the door.

Another suggestion would be to lock it on the footpath and then let them get more complaints. Then ask them how you should proceed as you cannot seem to park it anywhere.

Personally I dont think they should have to provide a bike shed.

alexandra123 said:

Ask for a copy of the rules and regulations.

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I presume that the management company will not issue these other than to members - in this case presumably the landlord? On the other hand they may issue summary "house rules" to all residents (owner occupiers or tenants). That's my experience where I live anyway.

I know your nose is out of joint about the letter but look at it from the management company point of view. Your landlord is a member of that. If somebody tripped or fell over your bike that fell over in the wind because you couldn't make it secure in the first place they are liable and will be sued. Why should they carry the can for your action. When the bike fell the first time , you should have sorted it out, you didn't so face the consequences.

If I were you I would apologise & ask them where the safe designated bicycle parking space is .

Do you not have bike sheds in the development? We do and the leases and development rules clearly state that bikes should be kept there and are not permitted to be stored in or carried through common internal areas or hallways. It also says that bikes may not be attached to railings or bannisters and they will be removed.

A bike attached to the steps in that way does potentially cause a hazard if it falls. Locking a bike to railings also damages the paintwork and railings are expensive to repaint as they all have to be done by hand.

shesells said:

Do you not have bike sheds in the development?

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micmclo said:

Oh we have no bike shed here.

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Unfortunately not

micmclo said:

Unfortunately not

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In that case a bike as your property would have to be stored on your property and not in common areas. It would be up to you and your landlord to work out how it can be stored in the unit. The MC would be totally within their rights to remove it from common areas for reasons already stated.

I know a recent case with a commercial property where there was a fire, the insurance company are stating they won't pay out due to a partial obstruction at one of the fire exits. Concerns like that might have a bearing on the Agent's actions.

If it's one of the management co rules that bikes can't be chained to railings then the landlord was completely out of order to tell you it was okay to do so. If you apartment has its own door and the hallway is not a common area then that wouldn't be covered by any rules. Bascially your landlord seems to be suiting himself and protecting his own paintwork, while ignoring rules that he signed up to when purchasing the apartment and really your issue is with him. He didn't make you aware of the rules when letting to you, which he is also obliged to do.
I know it's not your fault, but I live on a privately managed estate and it is really irritating when residents just flout the rules right, left and centre regardless of annoyance to neighbours, or when landlords don't bother to let tennants know about the various restrictions that go with living in the estate.
I would take this matter up with your landlord and not with the Managing Agents. Neither they, nor neighbours complaining, are at fault here. Your landlord is.

Why don't you give him a deposit for the cost of painting the walls, to be returned if you get the walls painted. Get a bike bag for the bike. Or get a folding one.

Resurrecting an old thread, but locking a bike to those railings is a fire hazard and could result in a hefty fine for the management agency. They are well within their rights to remove it.