Author Topic: Weird or Unmustachian lease restrictions?  (Read 4961 times)

NumberCruncher

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Weird or Unmustachian lease restrictions?
« on: July 29, 2013, 08:38:00 AM »
Found this clause (below) and will contact my landlord directly to ask if it's alright to store two bikes on the porch (as otherwise it could get messy and would be difficult to commute to work).

Quote
No bicycles, baby carriages, sporting equipment or the like will be stored on
porches, hallways or stairs or in any way that may become unsightly or a danger."

Is this a normal restriction? Seemed odd to say no storing bikes on the porch period. (No other place to lock up a bike outside, and they just put in new carpet inside)

Anyone else have weird, unmustachian, or crazy lease restrictions?

**Edit: update -- got email back from landlord "You can store your bikes on porch   No problem" Yaay!
« Last Edit: July 29, 2013, 02:05:00 PM by NumberCruncher »

willn

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Re: Weird or Unmustachian lease restrictions?
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2013, 08:53:35 AM »
Found this clause (below) and will contact my landlord directly to ask if it's alright to store two bikes on the porch (as otherwise it could get messy and would be difficult to commute to work).

Quote
No bicycles, baby carriages, sporting equipment or the like will be stored on
porches, hallways or stairs or in any way that may become unsightly or a danger."

Is this a normal restriction? Seemed odd to say no storing bikes on the porch period. (No other place to lock up a bike outside, and they just put in new carpet inside)

Anyone else have weird, unmustachian, or crazy lease restrictions?

I've seen that many times. Not unusual at all in my experience. Landlord has a right to keep his property appearance the way he thinks it should be, period.  Hopefully he's flexible with you and you can keep it there.

spider1204

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Re: Weird or Unmustachian lease restrictions?
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2013, 11:17:27 AM »
I've got a balcony that they won't let me dry my clothes on, citing aesthetic reasons of course.  I still do just on the weekends when the property manager isn't around.

dragoncar

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Re: Weird or Unmustachian lease restrictions?
« Reply #3 on: July 29, 2013, 11:20:48 AM »
Very common.  Enforcement really depends on how involved management is and/or busybody complaints. 

Is there any way you can store them there without it looking like they are bicycles?  Like put them behind another object that is allowed?

Rebecca Stapler

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Re: Weird or Unmustachian lease restrictions?
« Reply #4 on: July 29, 2013, 11:23:46 AM »
It's normal. I would call your LL and ask how/where you can store your bike. Maybe you can hang it somewhere inside? Or put down a carpet remnant or mat underneath it?

MakingSenseofCents

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Re: Weird or Unmustachian lease restrictions?
« Reply #5 on: July 29, 2013, 11:35:35 AM »
I've seen this a lot. Maybe ask?

jba302

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Re: Weird or Unmustachian lease restrictions?
« Reply #6 on: July 29, 2013, 11:56:36 AM »
I think the key there is unsightly / dangerous placement as the qualifier to the whole first part. A reasonable LL shouldn't pitch a fit about a single bike placed in such a way as to allow safe egress, especially if asked first. It's just to protect him from 1) being liable for someone tripping over their own shit trying to leave his property and 2) so you don't f up the property value around the area looking like you are having a perpetual yard sale.

NumberCruncher

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Re: Weird or Unmustachian lease restrictions?
« Reply #7 on: July 29, 2013, 12:10:48 PM »
I think the key there is unsightly / dangerous placement as the qualifier to the whole first part. A reasonable LL shouldn't pitch a fit about a single bike placed in such a way as to allow safe egress, especially if asked first. It's just to protect him from 1) being liable for someone tripping over their own shit trying to leave his property and 2) so you don't f up the property value around the area looking like you are having a perpetual yard sale.

That's what I thought at first - that if two bikes were stored unobtrusively on the porch, there wouldn't be a problem, but there's that pesky "or" in front of "in any way that may become unsightly or a danger"
=>meaning the 2nd bit is an addition to the first bit, not a modifier or qualifier. Basically "no storing these items in these places, and no putting them anywhere else "unsightly" or dangerous."

Ideally they'll say yes to the bikes on the porch; if not, we'll have to move things around and put a plastic mat down or something...not a ton of space, so kinda awkward.

Frankies Girl

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Re: Weird or Unmustachian lease restrictions?
« Reply #8 on: July 29, 2013, 12:35:47 PM »
What about a bike rack inside the apartment? Like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Delta-Michelangelo-Two-Bike-Gravity-Stand/dp/B000ACAM38/ref=sr_1_2/002-0946976-8244824?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1184017319&sr=1-2&tag=apartmentth0a-20

or this one (UK, but it's pretty nifty):
http://www.cycloc.com/

I like the idea of using your bike as wall art when it isn't in use.


I've had that clause in the last couple of apartments I lived in (but it's been a while).

I can understand the restriction; having lots of stuff outside on the patio or by the front doors looks cluttery, can cause an attractive nuisance for kids or thefts, and once you allow one person to bend the rules (no matter how nicely you may ask, or how nicely and neatly you store your bike), you're going to get other apartment dwellers seeing that as a sign that their crappy trashy stuff is okay since someone else is allowed to put their bike outside... even if you are storing your stuff neatly, that is no guarantee that some other person isn't going to start leaving crap strewn all over the place.


NumberCruncher

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Re: Weird or Unmustachian lease restrictions?
« Reply #9 on: July 29, 2013, 12:52:40 PM »
What about a bike rack inside the apartment? Like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Delta-Michelangelo-Two-Bike-Gravity-Stand/dp/B000ACAM38/ref=sr_1_2/002-0946976-8244824?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1184017319&sr=1-2&tag=apartmentth0a-20

or this one (UK, but it's pretty nifty):
http://www.cycloc.com/

I like the idea of using your bike as wall art when it isn't in use.


I've had that clause in the last couple of apartments I lived in (but it's been a while).

I can understand the restriction; having lots of stuff outside on the patio or by the front doors looks cluttery, can cause an attractive nuisance for kids or thefts, and once you allow one person to bend the rules (no matter how nicely you may ask, or how nicely and neatly you store your bike), you're going to get other apartment dwellers seeing that as a sign that their crappy trashy stuff is okay since someone else is allowed to put their bike outside... even if you are storing your stuff neatly, that is no guarantee that some other person isn't going to start leaving crap strewn all over the place.

Thanks for this links - I'm pretty sure we'd do a stand like that or like this: http://www.amazon.com/Racor-PBS-2R-Two-Bike-Floor-Stand/dp/B000077CPJ/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1375123436&sr=8-6&keywords=indoor+bike+stand   

That makes sense about why it's there... It just kinda sucks with space limitations inside as we'd have to move furniture around to get the wall space open.

*update -- got email back from landlord "You can store your bikes on porch   No problem" Yaay! Now I've got no excuse. Goal: This time next year to be biking more than driving.

AlmostIndependent

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Re: Weird or Unmustachian lease restrictions?
« Reply #10 on: July 29, 2013, 01:59:25 PM »
I have a similar clause in my leases. It is there for the sole purpose of being able to prevent people from turning my apartments into refugee camp-looking dwellings. If people put a couple of things neatly on the porch I have no problem. If the clause isn't in the lease I can't enforce it. Ask your landlord. If its neat and not unsightly I bet he will give you the green light. Neighbors and HOAs are less flexible in my experience. Good luck!

 

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