Storing your bike inside your rented accomodation

I'm new to this forum (and the UK!), but I hope you may have some advice for me.

I have an issue with my rented student accommodation and storing my bike. I have an expensive bike that I obviously don't want to store outside during the night and the building in which I live does not provide for any real bike storage. So the simple solution would be storing the bike inside my accommodation. The building however doesn't agree and first argued it's a health and safety problem. When I made clear to them that it really wasn't (I live on the groundfloor, there's enough space, the bike is not blocking any doors or exits), they argued that it just wasn't allowed (no further comments). Now I want to challenge that as well but I don't know how strong my position is. Having a bike inside the building is not formally forbidden by any rule yet, but of course now the building wants to incorporate such a rule in its house rules asap. I wonder however whether legally speaking I can be forbidden from having a bike in my accommodation. I own the bike and its not an illegal item to have, so how could it be forbidden? I already told them that if I would bring an enormous suitcase with me every day, nobody would stop me, but I think just because it's a bike, people start to get difficult.

I hope someone has some advice.

Replies

  • By Shreds at 07:42pm 18 Nov 2011
You have my sympathy. I have a Brompton that has NEVER been refused anywhere, and is normally welcomed with open arms including regularly in numerous multi-million pound homes. The one and only exception was going into a block of student flats where the trumped up concierge said 'bikes are not allowed in here'. So I promptly folded it up in front of him, and told him it wasnt a bike just hand luggage, and which was the lift to the flat. He gingerly pointed at one of two lifts, but I had no intention of leaving the expensive Brommie anywhere outside arms reach. In the block I live in they wont tolerate bikes left in common areas, but inside flats, no problems. Legally, the building owners can specify any rule they like, so watch out, although a suitcae containing your bike might be difficult to enforce. (they do one for a Brompton and I think you can get them for full size bikes), but you could try the trick I used to use on trains, four bin bags; two for the wheels, two over the frame! It works a treat.

Probably they just want the place to be "tidy"  - and if your bike was there - why not the guy who's on the "nth" floor ?, and the girl on the "xth"

Bike Bag.  Cheap ones on ebay.  About £20.  They then wont know what's inside.  Claim rights if they ask to look. You may need to take off the front wheel though.

I think my steerable in-line zimmer-frame can be classed as a mobility aid -  I have a well prepared line "this is a Class 1 device under the Disability Discrimination Act, even though it may appear to you as a bicycle". But as a stroke survivor I have never had to utter it.

Would your landlord have objection to a scooter, a skateboard or a fixed zimmer?

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