Renting - problem with the neighbour. Can I end lease early?

ash23 · 29-03-2013 10:02AM #1

Hi all,
I moved into a house in November. I chose the property because it has a ramp, downstairs bedroom and bathroom. I have MS and at the time, was having problems with my balance and walking.

The only thing that was unsuitable was the fact that it's tearraced and to get to the back garden there's a flight of concrete steps. The bins were kept here and to leave them out for collection, I had to drag them around a lengthy laneway to the front.

There is room at the front of the property, within the boundary walls, to keep the wheelie bins so I moved them there.

This means I can leave the rubbish out into the bins and avoid the concrete steps and it also means that leaving them out on the street for collection just involves wheeling them up and down the ramp.

But the next door neighbour has taken issue with the bins being at the front of the house. She has called to my door and shouted at me because once, the recycle bin blew over. I cleaned up the litter (there wasnt much) and I bought ties to keep the lids closed. I thought that would be the end of the matter but since that she's gone to the letting agent twice, ranting at them over it.
Each time, I get a call. Now, they know the circumstances but they're caught between a rock and a hard place I suppose.

I just don't know what to do. I feel very wary going in and out of my house in case she starts again. I dread bin day as me putting the bins back in the front seems to cause her a visit to the estate agents.

I am refusing to back down because I just know she'll find some other issue. Part of me just wants out but I can't afford to lose my deposit by leaving early (year long lease).
I don't want to make things worse but it's very stressful and stress is an MS trigger. I was only diagnosed in December and the week I was diagnosed and had been in and out of hospital was the week she came banging on my door. It really upset me as to be honest, I've enough to be worrying about. She did it in front of my daughter too which bothered me most.

Summer is coming and I'll be putting up the swings and trampoline in the back garden and I'm already wincing at the thought of her giving out about it.

As far as I know, the letting agent have told her why I need the bins out the front but she isn't happy about that.
I'm lucky that I've renting from the same agent for years and they know me very well and know I'm an excellent tenant.

What can I do?

dublintweety · 29-03-2013 10:10AM

What an unpleasant person you are living next to! I live in a terraced house as are most on my road & about 80% of the bins are kept in the garden. My neighbour has 4 lined up against the wall in my view! Just keep going as you are and ignore the neighbour the bins are in your garden.

the world wonders · 29-03-2013 10:14AM

Tell her if she's not happy she's welcome to move your bins for you every bin collection day.

Keep a record of any harassment or shouting incidents, if they continue complain to the letting agent about anti-social behaviour. If the letting agent doesn't do anything complain to the PRTB.

odds_on · 29-03-2013 11:04AM

If the neighbour is not a tenant but an owner occupier, it no use complain to the PRTB. If she is a tenant then write, in the first instance, to her landlord and complain of anti-social behaviour - harassment and threatening behaviour.

ash23 · 29-03-2013 11:23AM

She's a home owner as far as I know. The letting agent offered to move the bins on bin day which is very second week. But that's not really the issue. I could manage that.
From the back of the house to the garden where the bins are kept, there is a flight of concrete stairs.
So to put my rubbish out into the bin, I'd be up and down the steps. Not much of a problem in the summer when I'm well. But not great in the winter when it's dark when I come home from work and if I'm not well, my balance is also off.

I also, to be honest, don't want to give the old cow an inch just because she is being such a cow.
But I don't want to spend my time living there getting calls from the estate agent or getting crap from the neighbour either.
I'd prefer to just move. But I'd say (?) it's unlikely the LL will let me break the lease over this.

D3PO · 29-03-2013 11:32AM

what a horrible neighbour.

OP just ignore here. You have no legal right to break a lease becasue of a nasty neighbour, but that doesnt preclude you from discussing it with the Letting agent as they may along with the LL be open to the idea of letting you exit the lease early.

Personally speaking I would just ignore the neighbour. Refuse to answer the door if they come knocking, if they approach you the street just ignore them and continue doing whatever your doing.

Teyla Emmagan · 29-03-2013 11:35AM

She sounds obnoxious. It's none of her business where you put your bins for a start, and how could any decent human being complain when it's been pointed out to her why you need to have them out the front? Ignore the cow.

ash23 · 29-03-2013 11:49AM

Yeah it is probably best to just ignore her. The house is pretty much perfect. Within walking distance of work and my childs school and the shop (I had a period last year where I couldn't drive for a few weeks) so I need everything to be convenient if I have another relapse.

I hate confrontation and hate leaving it on the shoulders of the letting agent as she's a lovely girl and I don't want her getting sh*t over it.

But yeah, I think I'll just brazen it out and try to have a thicker skin about it. Some people are just plain difficult and sadly it seems I'm living next to one of them!

Party in my gaff this weekend

UDP · 29-03-2013 12:05PM

OP, why not speak to the letting agency and inform them that you would rather just end the lease and move out because of this issue but only on the grounds that you do not lose your deposit. If they decline then inform them that you do not want any more calls from them regarding complaints from your neighbour. If you do not want to move anyway then still let the the letting agency that you do not want to hear from them regarding complaints from your neighbour again that you are sick of it.

Put the bins where you want to put them and maybe you should even get a webcam and point it to where the bins are so that you can catch your neighbour if she tries to do anything to them so that you can make a complaint with the gardai.

The next time your neighbour tries to give out to you tell you calmly that you are sick of her complaints and you will be reporting her to the gardai for harassment should she come near you again with a complaint. Best of luck.

ted1 · 29-03-2013 02:02PM

As above, but if you want to meet half way you can get enclosures for bins that look like hedges but give a much better look.

Something like these. http://www.hidbin.ie/ I am sure that there is other such products on the market

Del2005 · 29-03-2013 05:26PM

While I have sympathy for the OP and the neighbour does sound like a busy body the amount of uniformed posters here is crazy.

The first thing the OP needs to do is see if their local council has laws relating to the storage of bins at the front of premises. If they do then they'll need to contact the local council, it's nothing to do with the letting agent or LL, to see what alternative arrangements can be made for the OP.

Unless the OP can go back to their neighbour with the law on their side then the neighbour is right to be giving out about incorrect bin storage.

D3PO · 29-03-2013 05:43PM

Del2005 wrote: »

While I have sympathy for the OP and the neighbour does sound like a busy body the amount of uniformed posters here is crazy.

The first thing the OP needs to do is see if their local council has laws relating to the storage of bins at the front of premises. If they do then they'll need to contact the local council, it's nothing to do with the letting agent or LL, to see what alternative arrangements can be made for the OP.

Unless the OP can go back to their neighbour with the law on their side then the neighbour is right to be giving out about incorrect bin storage.

rubbish (pardon the pun) If the neighbour has an issue with the bins and believes the OP is legally in the wrong its up to this wench of a neighbour to speak to the council.

The OP has nothing to do. If that whingebag believes there is something wrong then they need to follow the proper steps. Harrasing the letting agent who in turn is then harassing the OP is not the way to go.

So really before you call others uninformed you should perhaps inform yourself.

100200 shih · 29-03-2013 05:50PM

if its not a social housing area, then the bins can be left where u have them. I would have a chat with the local community garda & see what they have to say on the matter. If your in the right , then they could have a quite word with your lovely neighbor . I had this issue before, but as I own my home they were told where to go very quickly as I can put them where i like on my own property

ash23 · 29-03-2013 06:17PM

The area in front of the house, where the bins are, is enclosed by walls on all sides and a gate. It's private property so I doubt the council would have any say in the matter.
The area outside of those walls is a main road. But the bins are kept within the property boundary walls.

100200 shih · 29-03-2013 09:19PM

ash23 wrote: »

The area in front of the house, where the bins are, is enclosed by walls on all sides and a gate. It's private property so I doubt the council would have any say in the matter.
The area outside of those walls is a main road. But the bins are kept within the property boundary walls.

Then if she comes to your door again, tell her you are calling the garda for harassment, she will soon stop, dont worry about her,

Victor · 29-03-2013 09:41PM

Could the landlord put in an enclosure for the bins in the front garden?

ash23 · 29-03-2013 10:00PM

Victor wrote: »

Could the landlord put in an enclosure for the bins in the front garden?

It's an old building which was newly renovated and the disabled access is via a ramp which is where I keep the bins. An enclosure would block the disabled access so I don't think it's possible.

Marcusm · 29-03-2013 10:47PM

It sounds as if your neighbour has not approached you since the initial incident; if this is the case I would respond forcibly to the agent if they (the agent) contacts you again. While the neighbour may have a preference that you not keep them out front, it sounds as if they don't want to. address it directly with you again. The agent needs to stop entertaining their complaints as they have no standing to make them. You have enough to deal with; I'd be surprised if the neighbour raised it with you again; it sounds as if they'd hae to be heartless to do so.

Mrs OBumble · 30-03-2013 12:05AM

When the agent calls you, what exactly does she want you to do? Is she calling to say "Just letting you know that Mrs Whining Britches called again", or to say "Please store your bins in the back yard"?

Is there anything in your lease about where the bins are to be kept? (I doubt it, but you never know) If there is, then what exactly does the agent propose doing about the fact that you are breaching the lease in this way? As you say, it's not about bin day, it's about all the other days.

On a practical note - how old is your daughter? Is she old enough to put the rubbish out, if the bins were stored in the yard? I know it's probably not the sort of household chore that you expect to get your kid to do. But if you have a degenerative disease, then probably the way your life runs is going to be a little different to what you expect.

ash23 · 30-03-2013 07:45AM

I think the agent is just trying to find a solution so they wont get roared at once a month. There's nothing in the lease about the bins other than rubbish not being allowed build up or dumped. The only clause about the front is that there's to be no satellite dishes or clothes being dried out front windows.

With regard to the problem, at the moment I could manage the bins. My balance is still slightly off and at the moment the problem ia with my sight. With ms, the problems come and go. But that's not to say it will be ok in a week or a month.
Right now, it's more a matter of.principle and not letting a bully.dictate how I live in my own home. Shes so unreasonable that it'll be something else if it's not the bins. If I have friends over or a bbq in the summer etc.
She can't tell me how to live.

As for my daughter, she's ten. And while I appreciate my life has to change, I don't need to change it for some cow of a neighbour. I'll adapt as much as possible before I start relying on my daughter to do anything tor me. If there's any way of doing things independently I'll do it.

Renting - problem with the neighbour. Can I end lease early?

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