Hazelwood apartment complex no bicycles policy

paddy1990

Hi, just looking for some advice

I moved into the Hazelwood apartment complex two months ago. I like living here. A friend of mine lived here last year and had his bike robbed from the bike rack in the complex. I have a very expensive bike and since I moved here I've been leaving it in my room in my apartment, no problem. Earlier today I was on my way out of the apartment and a security guard told me in no uncertain terms that i wasn't allowed to have my bike in my room, inside the apartment.

I realized he was just doing his job so went to the management company who have an office there and they told me the same thing. No bikes are allowed into the apartment.

I didn't know this before I moved in. I just took it for granted that I'd be allowed to bring my bike up to my room and I've been doing it for the past 2 months and nobody said anything.

The bike cost me 700 quid and is very expensive. After hearing about a bike being robbed there and seeing some, hmm how should i put it.. "scumbags" living in some of the apartments, I've no doubt the bike would get robbed. Security isn't on 24 hours and the bike rack is terrible as well. Plus leaving a bike exposed to the elements for long enough will cause it to fall apart pretty quickly due to rust etc.

So I've pretty much decided to move out. I was given the number of the overall landlord and I'll give him a ring tomorrow. I signed a lease for 6 months and I'll have to talk to the company who I am renting the room from.

I find this rule ridiculous and just want to let anyone who is thinking of moving into the hazelwood apartment complex know about it.

mikemac

My bike cost around €900 and realy, you can buy a car for less then that.

You are right to store it in your apartment, I do the same
If the management company are going to say you are marking the walls or dragging in dirt well ask them what is their policy on child buggys.

At least you can lift your bike, a buggy will bring in wet wheels and will also mark the walls but they wouldn't dare set a rule on them.

For a €700 bike, keep it inside.
Also, it's March, is it worth your while moving at this late stage? Exams will be over and it'll be summer before you know it. Moving now is bringing stress and hassle on yourself

paddy1990

feelingstressed wrote: »

My bike cost around €900 and realy, you can buy a car for less then that.

You are right to store it in your apartment, I do the same
If the management company are going to say you are marking the walls or dragging in dirt well ask them what is their policy on child buggys.

At least you can lift your bike, a buggy will bring in wet wheel and will also mark the walls but they wouldn't dare set a rule on them.

For a €700 bike, keep it inside.
Also, it's March, is it worth your while moving at this late stage. Exams will be over and it'll be summer before you know it. Moving now is bringing stress and hassle on yourself

I'll definitely be talking to the company who I am renting my room from and making those points about the cost of the bike and the fact that you just can't leave a very expensive bike locked in the elements, plus the chances of it being robbed.

It's a fair point about marking the walls but as you say, buggies mark walls as well and I'm sure they're not banned.

Moving out would be very awkward indeed and its not something I want to do in march but i love the bike too much to leave it outside and potentially get robbed.

The problem with keeping it inside is that the security lad, who was being overly aggressive about it in my opinion, said that they would fine me for leaving it in my apartment and I'd have to pay "big money". Again I will have to clarify all this tomorrow.

mikemac

paddy1990 wrote: »

The problem with keeping it inside is that the security lad, who was being overly aggressive about it in my opinion,

Give a weak man a uniform and a bit of power and watch him lash out at all around him with his new responsibility

Report back tomorrow, it's an interesting subject!

edanto

My instinct would be to ignore their rule, and write them a very calm letter about it.

In the same way that you probably signed up to this rule at the start (even though you probably didn't notice it), you had a reasonable expectation that they would provide you with somewhere secure to lock your bike. Is it protected by a CCTV system? You can refer in the letter to the incidents where you know other bike(s) were robbed, and that your bike isn't insured if it isn't kept securely in your home.

If they are prepared to insure your bike while it's locked on the rack then you would be perfectly happy to use it etc etc. good luck!

Wolfe Tone

Keep taking it inside.

edanto

I really should have just said what you said!

paddy1990

Well I talked to the owner of the complex this morning. I went down to the office, and asked him about the situation. He cut me off before I could even explain and told me that no bikes were allowed in the apartments in any circumstances. He said I have to lock it on the rack. I told him it cost me 700 quid and could get robbed if I left it out there due to the security not being on all the time, his reply "Thats not my problem".

There was no getting through to him. The management haven't been very helpful during my dealings with them either.

I'm just going to keep bringing it in.

mikemac

Dead right, keep bringing it in

If it gets stolen, they won't be compensating you so look after Number 1

All the same as I said before, I wouldn't be bothered moving at this late stage
It's a sunny day and it'll be summer and exams over before you know it

wonderfulname

paddy1990 wrote: »

He cut me off...

Don't let him do that, you make him listen to you. They are responsible for maintaining the complex, if the bike racks aren't up to scratch it is their problem. Tell them the bike stays until they ensure otherwise.

Blog about your experiences there if you're bothered, show them what it really means to "pay big money" for their actions.

Art_Wolf

If he refuses to properly fix the bike locks you may have a case for the PRTB for breach of landlord obligations - may want to go over their archives to see if there is a similar case *shrugs*

Mr. Presentable

What's the penalty for bringing it in? A word from "security". Oooh matron!

Keep your bike safe.

Hauk

I'll echo what everyone has said here and just keep bringing it in. If he's going to be a prick about it then it's not your fault that you have to keep bringing it in to keep your bike safe.