# MgtCo have a rule about no bikes in the apartment block. No alternatives offered.



## steviel

My management company have a rule about no bicycles in the apartment block.  However, they do not provide an adequate alternative.  There is a small cycle room at the bottom of the underground car park, but the chances of getting a rack is slim to none - it is full all the time.  I am an competitive rider, with bikes worth a few thousand euro, and so leaving the bike outside chained to a tree is not an alternative!  Nor is leaving it in the underground car park, as it wouldn't last 2 minutes without being stolen

I was thinking of taking photos of the cycle room to send to the management company to demonstrate that the room is inadequate, and continue to bring my bike upstairs to the apartment.

Does anyone know if I have any rights in this regard, given the lack of alternative storage, or whether i will just get fined, or worse, by the management company.

Thanks


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## Eblanoid

*Re: Bike in apartment*

Same problem here. Ignore the "rule", just keep it in your apartment. This rule is usually there as people scuff the walls with bike tyres as they carry them in indoor common areas.  It's a waste of money for the management company to pay for bike security in common areas, as they will always be foiled by someone with enough determination. Better for the company to spend the money on strong common-door locks and security cameras, as everyone, not just cyclists, will benefit from those.


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## scallywag

*Re: Bike in apartment*

Like so many issues with apartment management companies, I'd suggest you get involved and take part in meetings. It's the only way to change things, otherwise you let others make the rules and your interests are not taken into account. Remember as a resident you are part of the management company, and if you attend meetings you can tell the management agents what the rules should be.

Having said that, the builders who were on the make for the last 15 years took no account of practical matters when they built these apartments, they only looked at how many apartments and car parking spaces they could squeeze in. We're now left with many blocks without adequate space for even bins, let alone bicycle parking. 

Still there may be innovate ways to find space. I do think that if bicycles are allowed into apartments and onto balconies it can bring in dirt and make the place look shabby.


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## Padraigb

*Re: Bike in apartment*

Why did you get an apartment that did not meet your lifestyle needs?


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## Eblanoid

*Re: Bike in apartment*



scallywag said:


> Like so many issues with apartment management companies, I'd suggest you get involved and take part in meetings. It's the only way to change things, otherwise you let others make the rules and your interests are not taken into account. Remember as a resident you are part of the management company, and if you attend meetings you can tell the management agents what the rules should be.



I regularly attend management company meetings.  My bike was stolen 3 weeks ago from the designated bicycle parking area in the underground car park (it was locked with a chain there) in my apartment complex. There are also designated bicycle parking areas above ground in my complex.  Myself and another cyclist attended a management company meeting 2 weeks ago at which security issues were discussed.  All attending were willing to build better bicycle storage infrastructure, but we eventually all recognised that without a dedicated security guard on-site, someone will foil any security measures to get at the bikes.  Everyone at the meeting (including the Management Co. directors) agreed that if you value your bike, you should simply keep it in your apartment.


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## Eblanoid

*Re: Bike in apartment*



Padraigb said:


> Why did you get an apartment that did not meet your lifestyle needs?



Exactly what percentage of Dublin apartment blocks have a security guard whose sole mission in life is to protect bicycles?  Anything less than this level of security will lead to bikes being stolen from common areas.


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## mf1

*Re: Bike in apartment*

To be fair PadraigB is simply making the point that you, as a cyclist, choose to live in an apartment which does not suit your needs. You choose to break the rules by keeping your bicycle in your apartment. That is your answer - its not everyones answer. And it will annoy many of your  neighbours to observe you flagrantly breaking the rules that they adhere to. One view is that everyone else should adapt to the cyclists needs. Another view is that the cyclist should recognise the limitations of his chosen living space.

I am a cyclist and I personally would not live in an apartment precisely because so many of them fail to provide an adequate space for  kit for any sort of outdoor pursuit.  

mf


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## Eblanoid

*Re: Bike in apartment*



mf1 said:


> To be fair PadraigB is simply making the point that you, as a cyclist, choose to live in an apartment which does not suit your needs.


It suits my needs perfectly, thanks.



mf1 said:


> You choose to break the rules by keeping your bicycle in your apartment. That is your answer - its not everyones answer.


I do not break any rules. My bike was kept in the designated areas until it was stolen.  The directors of the management company have now said that cyclists should keep their bikes in their apartments, since the designated areas are so obviously insecure.


mf1 said:


> And it will annoy many of your  neighbours to observe you flagrantly breaking the rules that they adhere to.


No, my neighbours won't care. Of the approx 180 apartments in my complex, I'm one of about 5 owner occupiers, and one of only 2 who ever bother going  to management company meetings.  It is the non-owner occupied apartments that consistently cause problems for the management company, for instance, due to the damaging of common-area walls and roofs from satellite dish installation.


mf1 said:


> One view is that everyone else should adapt to the cyclists needs. Another view is that the cyclist should recognise the limitations of his chosen living space.


Another view is that cyclists and management companies be pragmatic, and agree to remove any rules about bicycles in apartments. After all, a bicycle in an apartment causes no harm to anybody else. Scuff marks in common areas will just be seen as a small price to pay.


mf1 said:


> I am a cyclist and I personally would not live in an apartment precisely because so many of them fail to provide an adequate space for  kit for any sort of outdoor pursuit.


Well, now I see the folly of my ways. Instead of buying a 1-bed apartment 1.5 miles from O'Connell bridge, I should have sought a bigger mortgage to buy a 2-bed house further from the city, solely to have an extra bedroom to store my bike, surfboard and canoe in.


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## mf1

*Re: Bike in apartment*

I think you need to read posts and post responses more carefully. 

There are rules - in your lease - and you are breaking them.  If all the parties to the Leases agree that the rule about bicycles in apartments be removed, then you will no longer be breaking the rules. 

To my mind, apartments are not suitable places to park bicycles and the bicycles do scuff /stain the paintwork in common areas. If the apartments do not have  a space suitable for bicycles, that should influence cycists who choose to buy apartments. 

mf


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## mdebets

*Re: Bike in apartment*

Does the managment company (or even a landlord if you rent) has any rights to impose a "no byciles in the apartment" rule.
They can tell you what you are allowed to do and not to do in the common areas but I would highly doubt that they could do this in your appartment.
That would be the same as saying you are not allowed to have a table or chairs in your appartment.


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## Padraigb

*Re: Bike in apartment*



mdebets said:


> Does the managment company (or even a landlord if you rent) has any rights to impose a "no byciles in the apartment" rule.
> They can tell you what you are allowed to do and not to do in the common areas but I would highly doubt that they could do this in your appartment.
> That would be the same as saying you are not allowed to have a table or chairs in your appartment.



In prescribing rules for the common areas, they can prohibit you from taking bicycles through them. So you can have a bicycle in your apartment, but you can't take it out or bring it back in.


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## Eblanoid

*Re: Bike in apartment*



mf1 said:


> I think you need to read posts and post responses more carefully. There are rules - in your lease - and you are breaking them.


No, *you* need to read posts and post responses more carefully. I am not currently a bike owner.  As you are an expert on my lease, can you tell me what rule I am breaking?


mf1 said:


> If all the parties to the Leases agree that the rule about bicycles in apartments be removed, then you will no longer be breaking the rules.


My lease also states that if permission from the management company is obtained, then apartment owners can be exempted from a rule (for example the rule about satellite dishes or pet ownership).


mf1 said:


> To my mind, apartments are not suitable places to park bicycles and the bicycles do scuff /stain the paintwork in common areas.


I think you'll find that people, in particular children, also scuff /stain the paintwork in common areas. Life goes on.


mf1 said:


> If the apartments do not have  a space suitable for bicycles, that should influence cycists who choose to buy apartments.


They do have suitable space: the space is inside the apartment.


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## Eblanoid

*Re: Bike in apartment*



Padraigb said:


> In prescribing rules for the common areas, they can prohibit you from taking bicycles through them. So you can have a bicycle in your apartment, but you can't take it out or bring it back in.



I can visualise it now: the management company paying special "baggage inspectors" to see if I'm hiding a fold-up bike inside my bag as I walk through the common areas.


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## Padraigb

*Re: Bike in apartment*



Eblanoid said:


> I can visualise it now: the management company paying special "baggage inspectors" to see if I'm hiding a fold-up bike inside my bag as I walk through the common areas.



That's still cheating, even if you get away with it.

What you need is a hoist mounted on a balcony. Remote operation, of course, so the bike is not left unattended as you go up or down the stairs.

Or a ground-floor apartment with a big window.


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## Eblanoid

*Re: Bike in apartment*



Padraigb said:


> What you need is a hoist mounted on a balcony. Remote operation, of course, so the bike is not left unattended as you go up or down the stairs.
> 
> Or a ground-floor apartment with a big window.



These only work if your apartment block faces directly onto a public place. If your apartment is surrounded by outdoor common areas owned by the management company, then you're screwed.

Maybe if you take the bike apart and smuggle one piece in at a time, no single piece of which would constitute a bike...


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## Bubbly Scot

*Re: Bike in apartment*

As a Managing Agent (complexes) I can tell you that I have only once been beyond the front door of an apartment. I firmly believe in the "peaceful enjoyment" right and personally I wouldn't advise Directors or Management Companies to be enforcing a no bicycle rule in apartments so long as common areas weren't damaged or blocked.


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## shesells

*Re: Bike in apartment*

We have bike sheds and the rule is no bikes in the common areas so not chained to railings etc or left in corridors but I see no problem in bringing a bike into your own apartment as long as bringing it in does no damage to common areas or lifts.


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## dougiehowlet

*Re: Bike in apartment*

You will probably find (especially if its a mature development) that alot of the bikes are scrappage and have been left there by tenants.  

There was a glut of bikes in my last place, so we decided to put numbered labels on each bike advising them to call the managing agents.  This was monitored, and in the end we were able to clear out a good few bikes.

Worth a try, though I can see frustration especially with more and more people cycling (including me as of Sept)


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## brian1

*Re: Bike in apartment*

Funny thing in my apartment building we have the opposite problem.

Lots of excellent bike stands in the underground car park, one inverted u type bike stand * for every two car parking spaces, plus at least two wall hanging bike racks for every parking space. Car park protected by gates and CCTV.

All probably there due to Dublin City Council planning requirements.

The problem is the management company will only give a remote for the gates to people who have car parking spaces! So cyclists are forced to drag their bikes though the building to get it to the underground car park.

It seems to me to go against the point of DCC's planning guidelines, if not the letter of the law.

* Looks something like this: 
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/ConcordWest-BikeRack.JPG


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## AlbacoreA

*Re: Bike in apartment*



mdebets said:


> Does the managment company (or even a landlord if you rent) has any rights to impose a "no byciles in the apartment" rule.
> They can tell you what you are allowed to do and not to do in the common areas but I would highly doubt that they could do this in your appartment.
> That would be the same as saying you are not allowed to have a table or chairs in your appartment.


 
Its a bit like no pets isn't it. Or no kids.


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## shesells

*Re: Bike in apartment*



AlbacoreA said:


> Its a bit like no pets isn't it.



No it's not! In a high density development pets can disturb other owners. We're trying to deal with a dog at the moment that's keeping about 50 apartments awake at night in a development that says no pets which might disturb others. And we're not heartless. All we want is a barking free development. Problem is that if we don't deal with this quickly then someone else will decide that they'd like a dog too!


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## AlbacoreA

*Re: Bike in apartment*

I meant in terms of a lease having special terms. Not as in "like" a dog.


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## micmclo

*Re: Bike in apartment*

Are child's buggy's allowed in the common areas? 
Do they not mark walls or have dirt on their wheels

But no apartment complex would ever ban them but bicycles are not allowed in common areas 

Just keep your bike in your apartment OP


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## liaconn

*Re: Bike in apartment*



mdebets said:


> Does the managment company (or even a landlord if you rent) has any rights to impose a "no byciles in the apartment" rule.
> They can tell you what you are allowed to do and not to do in the common areas but I would highly doubt that they could do this in your appartment.
> That would be the same as saying you are not allowed to have a table or chairs in your appartment.


 

Not really. Its like saying you can't have wooden floors.

A couple of people in my apartment block carry bikes up the stairs and it does leave dirty marks on the walls to be honest. However, its better than a situation a few months ago, where someone started keeping their bike down in the main entrance, someone else thought 'oh what a good idea' and started leaving their buggy down there as well, and the place was starting to look a bit kippy. Luckily, the management agents stuck up a notice telling them to remove them.


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## shesells

*Re: Bike in apartment*



liaconn said:


> Not really. Its like saying you can't have wooden floors.


 
Ban on wooden floors in in most leases now so it's different. It's a legally enforceable contract. Ban on bikes is usually development rules and they can be difficult to enforce.


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