Apartment complex and bicycle accomodation obligations

supertramp

Hi, came back from holidays and found my 1,050 euro worth bike destroyed. Wheels robbed and the frame cut, because they could not cut through the lock.

I originally kept the bike indoors, but managment caught me and threatened me with eviction if caught again.
I had told them of my 2 previous occasions that I had my wheels robbed, in the same yard, but still told it's not their responsibility. When I asked if they would put up better storage than a rusty bar sticking out of the ground, or cameras, they said they would look into it, and I know what that means...nothing.

I have another less expensive bike now, but am wondering is there rights that someone can store a bike indoors, as with baby buggies, as they roll in **** sometimes too!
There is litter problems, car parking problems, people pissing in the entrance path in broad daylight, but only signs against bikes indoors are up.
Why in this age of environmental challenge, is there still fascist managment actively obstructing the sport of cycling???

Gavin

This is a bit odd.. If you own/rent the apartment there's no way someone can tell you not to bring your bike into your apartment.

Or is it some sort of college accomodation or something ?

mikemac

To be fair, if cyclists lean their bikes against the hallway walls in the complex, they'll soon be marked.

But defo bring it inside in future. As you say, if you can bring a childs buggy in then a bike is not much difference

supertramp

Verb wrote: »

This is a bit odd.. If you own/rent the apartment there's no way someone can tell you not to bring your bike into your apartment.

Or is it some sort of college accomodation or something ?

No. it's a normal small apartment block.
Yes, there are marks on the staircase, but there are many other flaws, and this is one of the few been picked on.
I have the new bike indoors now...

Stark

Apartment dwellings in this country are a joke. In other countries, there'd be a secure basement area for you to store your bike and other bulky belongings.

TinyExplosions

Stark wrote: »

Apartment dwellings in this country are a joke. In other countries, there'd be a secure basement area for you to store your bike and other bulky belongings.

We have a 'secure' area in the basement, but there's a number of bikes stolen from there, as well as some vandalised, so my bikes stay one in the spare bedroom, one on the balcony -the management co don't like the balcony one, but others leave them on theirs, and I'm on the third floor, so they can't reach -it's also handy that my mum is my landlord

Raam

When I had my apartment, my bike lived indoors. Management Co. used to send letters saying that bikes should be left in the rather insecure underground car park. Those letters got ignored. If you are the owner of the apartment, there is probably nothing they can do.

fergalr

Sorry to hear about your bike...

I always insure my bikes, just in case something like this happens (123.ie - I take out an all risks policy for about 120euro/year)

It's tricky to know what to do with apartments. I know exactly the situation your in... Leaving nice bikes outside isn't a practical solution in a lot of places, but lots of places seem to have policy against having bikes inside, presumably because they are concerned about marks on walls, dirt, etc (which is quite understandable).
In the past, I've always brought my bike inside.
There's some things I've done to try and avoid any conflict over this.

I've always carried the bikes, as discreetly as possible, rather than wheeling them through the building. This is in order so as not to leave wet tire marks. Also, took extra care to try avoid marking walls.
I've also tried my best not to leave any mud or dirt around, and if mud fell from my mountain bike, I came down asap and cleaned it up.
Have always shown courtesy to any other tenants I've met, opening doors for them, rather than barging through with bike, and chatted to them about cycling, the weather etc, and letting them see I always try and clean up any dirt. I think this helps, as it means the management company doesn't get complaints which they have to act upon.

I bumped into a rep from the management company once when coming back from mountain biking. He said that bikes weren't allowed in apartments. He was quite adamant at first, but I politely engaged with him, mentioned that that there wasn't anything saying that in my lease.
I politely explained my predicament, got his attention by telling him how much the bike was worth (he was surprised, probably would have guessed about 1/10th of the value) and explained how it wasn't practical to leave it outside, saying it was a pity there weren't secure facilities, as this would be much more convenient, asked what would advise me to do etc. I made really sure to emphasize I knew where he was coming from, but I always cleaned up after myself etc. In the end we sort of agreed to differ, but in an amicable way, understanding each other, and I continued to bring my bikes in and never heard anything else about it.
Obviously this sort of thing won't work everywhere, but it can make the difference in marginal situations, make people not want to go through the hassle of kicking you out...

Where I am at the moment is on the ground floor, so can take bikes in and out through patio doors... Ideally I'd live in a small house with a big garage, but that's a while away yet... :-)

dmigsy

Feckin bastards. What a way to ruin your holiday. Castration is too good for the scrotes.

The majority of management companies are rubbish. I've had dealings with a few. My impression is that they basically try to do everything for as little cost and effort as possible with no consideration for the residents of the block that they "manage".

I'd ignore them completely and talk to your landlord. Explain to him your situation and that you'll carry your bike and clean up after you etc. The only thing the management company can really do is complain to the landlord so if he's cool with it you're sorted.

There's no way I'd leave my bike in any "secure" bike shed in any apartment block in Dublin.

Ghost Rider

Management companies have no say whatsoever in relation to keeping bikes inside apartments. Their "jurisdiction" extends only as far as common areas on apartment complexes.

I suspect your landlord/-lady would be within their rights to forbid you from keeping your bike inside the apartment if and only if they could prove that in doing so you were negatively affecting the value of the property. That strikes me as quite a hard thing to do, unless the bike is scraping paint of the wall or something.

In short, I'd just keep the bike in the apartment and don't worry about it.

fergalr

Management companies have no say whatsoever in relation to keeping bikes inside apartments. Their "jurisdiction" extends only as far as common areas on apartment complexes.

What if they just say you aren't allowed bring a bike through the common areas? I'd imagine that's how they approach it, on the basis that they are worried about the common areas getting damaged. I personally don't like this, but I do see what they are worried about, and would be very surprised - albeit pleasantly so - to discover they had no say.

kenmc

if you carry it they have no cause for complaint. Especially if you take one of the wheels off first, then it's just a bicycle frame in one hand, and a wheel in the other.

Caroline_ie

I am looking to move closer to D18 ... and one of my criteria is that my bikes sleep in the house ... It's going to be harder than I thought ... dammit!

kenmc

it could also be considered a mobility aid, in which case it would discriminatory to force you to leave it outside

seamus

fergalr wrote: »

What if they just say you aren't allowed bring a bike through the common areas? I'd imagine that's how they approach it, on the basis that they are worried about the common areas getting damaged. I personally don't like this, but I do see what they are worried about, and would be very surprised - albeit pleasantly so - to discover they had no say.

They can't really say something like that, except that bikes can't be "wheeled" through common areas. If you're carrying the bike, it's just another piece of private property so it's no different to bringing your shopping or a new fridge up to your apartment.

There's barely enough room in my hallway for my bike (and it ruins the carpet if it's even slightly wet) so I lock it outside. There are steps up to my front door, and a small walkway with railings and a glass partition in front of the door, so I just lock it there. In the event that someone was to mess with the bike, they'd easily be spotted by all of the other residents and they'd make an amightly amount of noise if they tried to saw through the lock.

Ghost Rider

Yes, I think carrying it is the answer.

In any case, management companies rarely (and notoriously) have any real physical presence in the apartment complexes they manage, save for maybe the odd maintenance worker. I reckon you'd be safe enough wheeling the bike through, though if it's wet you might want to lift it over the carpets etc.

kenmc wrote: »

if you carry it they have no cause for complaint. Especially if you take one of the wheels off first, then it's just a bicycle frame in one hand, and a wheel in the other.

TinyExplosions

Ghost Rider wrote: »

Yes, I think carrying it is the answer.

In any case, management companies rarely (and notoriously) have any real physical presence in the apartment complexes they manage, save for maybe the odd maintenance worker. I reckon you'd be safe enough wheeling the bike through, though if it's wet you might want to lift it over the carpets etc.

I did have the head of the management company look incredulously at me once when I said I kept my bike in my apartment -she said "you can't leave it in there", and I replied "Honey, I can do as I please in my own flat", and walked out the building... made me grin anyway

Ghost Rider

Were you wearing your bib shorts at the time?

TinyExplosions wrote: »

I did have the head of the management company look incredulously at me once when I said I kept my bike in my apartment -she said "you can't leave it in there", and I replied "Honey, I can do as I please in my own flat", and walked out the building... made me grin anyway

SerialComplaint

supertramp wrote: »

I originally kept the bike indoors, but managment caught me and threatened me with eviction if caught again.

Are you renting or owning? If renting, does it mention this restriction in your lease? If you own, is this mentioned in the agreement you signed when you bought the apartment?

supertramp

SerialComplaint wrote: »

Are you renting or owning? If renting, does it mention this restriction in your lease? If you own, is this mentioned in the agreement you signed when you bought the apartment?

I am renting. Yes I was carrying it indoors when I turned the corner, there was all of management having a meeting!!
The landlord did say before he had no problem with the bike indoors, but I'll contact him again to make sure..

TinyExplosions

Ghost Rider wrote: »

Were you wearing your bib shorts at the time?

The borat mankini

Civilian_Target

I live in an apartment block... but I just suck it up and carry my bicycle up or down 3 flights of stairs. Sucks, but that's what you gotta do. Never had a complaint, but I keep the corridors clean...

SerialComplaint

supertramp wrote: »

I am renting. Yes I was carrying it indoors when I turned the corner, there was all of management having a meeting!!
The landlord did say before he had no problem with the bike indoors, but I'll contact him again to make sure..

If you are renting, I don't think you have any relationship with the management company. If you ring up complaining about security or hygiene, they would presumably tell you go away and contact the owner. You could take the same approach with them, i.e. tell them to take up any complaints with the landlord. If there is no prohibition on the bike in your lease, you can tell the landlord to stick it too.

bobtjustice

Caroline_ie wrote: »

I am looking to move closer to D18 ... and one of my criteria is that my bikes sleep in the house ... It's going to be harder than I thought ... dammit!

I live in an aparment complex in D 18 and get the usual toss in the door about the common areas. Most people just carry their bikes in the door. The "secure" area around our complex is a joke, looks like a modified bus shelter and its totally rammed with bikes every day so i bring mine inside, no one has said a word to me yet.
The management company round our area just posted in a flyer a couple of weeks ago saying they were going to remove any bikes from the area that seemed to be dumped but still chained up,which is positive in a way, lots of rusty pieces of Halfords crap dotted around, still I wont be leaving my bike outside.!

dub_skav

I moved into an apartment a few months back with the girlfriend. One of my main criteria was that it needed a hallway in our apartment big enough for the bike. When I moved in I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a large shed out the back with a small locked area for each apartment that the letting agency hadn't mentioned, my bike now lives there.
That complex was built in the 70s/80s, you wouldn't get that kind of consideration these days.

portomar

supertramp wrote: »

Hi, came back from holidays and found my 1,050 euro worth bike destroyed. Wheels robbed and the frame cut, because they could not cut through the lock.

I originally kept the bike indoors, but managment caught me and threatened me with eviction if caught again.
I had told them of my 2 previous occasions that I had my wheels robbed, in the same yard, but still told it's not their responsibility. When I asked if they would put up better storage than a rusty bar sticking out of the ground, or cameras, they said they would look into it, and I know what that means...nothing.

I have another less expensive bike now, but am wondering is there rights that someone can store a bike indoors, as with baby buggies, as they roll in **** sometimes too!
There is litter problems, car parking problems, people pissing in the entrance path in broad daylight, but only signs against bikes indoors are up.
Why in this age of environmental challenge, is there still fascist managment actively obstructing the sport of cycling???

tell the management company to f**k off. they would have a seriously hard time evicting you for this, even if it is against they're rules