Thread: Anyone Else Live in an Apt, Condo, etc & Have to Share Space?

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I currently rent the first floor of a house. My entrance is on the side of the house. I get the backyard and the neighbors get the side yard. The front yard is supposed to be a no mans land.
Last year I was lucky enough to have nice neighbors who let me decorate their sun porch which is above the main porch (which they weren't using anyway). Now I have new neighbors, and they seem less than happy with the idea of me decorating anything anywhere beyond tacky traditional decor for Halloween.
I really don't care about the sunporch since I do have to go through their living room to do it. I can even go without the graveyard space (in their part of the yard). However, I want to do the main porch and the front yard. They are supposed to be 'shared' spaces, but I guess the landlord changed this without telling us because now its their porch and yard.
I don't even light up the lights and do the noises/music till the week of (when I take my vacation and can actually finish the set up). Still, I think they aren't going to like it, and they aren't much for talking...
They really creepy me out. I haven't met the wife or even seen her (my friend says its like Flowers in the Attic creepy)...

I was just wondering what everyone else does when it comes to 'shared' spaces and borrowing other peoples yards, etc?

God, yes, and it sucks completely as far as decorating/parties go. I keep saying to my husband, my next halloween purchase is going to be a house.

Depending on how miniscule a space we're in for any given year, sometimes I just support our friends' parties (food, music, bringing tableware or decos). We decorate ours whether we're the ones having a party or not, of course. But space is really tight - I keep wanting to try to make a lot of the great ideas from the craft forum, but then I'm like, but where would we keep the finished product the rest of the year?

As far as sharing space outdoors goes, you said "They are supposed to be 'shared' spaces, but I guess the landlord changed this without telling us because now its their porch and yard." How do you know they're considering it to be only theirs? Have they put out a lot of their own items there? If you asked the landlord about it, would he/she remind them it's shared space?

I would think if you whisked everything away really quickly right after Halloween, that would help too - if it's only one week a year and then disappears right after the holiday, hopefully they won't bellyache too much. Just say, "Oh, don't worry, I always take it down right away" - hopefully this will remind them that they're actually the new kids on the block, and they should try not to step on what you've been doing all along just because they've moved in now.

And if the wife is some kind of Boo Radley/Norman Bates type person, who knows - maybe she'll slink out at night and add to the ambiance.

I always stretch the decorating out for most of the month (depends on what days off and the weather). The bulk is done on my vacation though. It usually all comes down within a week (again depending on weather).
I know my landlord has had problems renting the second floor apartment. After the one long term tenent left, we went through two short term tenents with gaps in-between in two years. I guess he figured that adding the porch and front yard would be a perk and has told all the people who came to see the apartment it would be theirs. When we originally started renting, we were told it was a shared space, and we never had any problems.
I would talk to the landlord except he's kind of a know-it-all and can't stand being corrected. Its his building and it was never stated in our contract. It sucks, but he lets us slide on us mailing the rent checks, and I can do what I want otherwise.
Still, it sucks. All my past neighbors have been friendly, and these people are so anti-social, its really strange. You share a house, it would make sense to try to make friends with the people living in the other apartment.

On the other side of the wall is the haunted house. not always good.
People banging at the door at 2 am wanting a discount tour (Yes, they are really drunk= no tour, "Go away!")
This is a haunted, haunted house. My Wife didnot like the sound of a woman screaming and crying in the next room at 2am . Her dog and cat heard it too and it was in the next room, not outside.
The dog, cat and Wife all ran away from the sounds to get me I was souns asleep. By the time I got over there ..nothing..

oh that's really creepy!

So what happens at Christmas? Do the neighbors set up yard displays? It should be fair.

Doesn't your lease agreement talk about what is community property?

so it wasnt in the contract, but it was verbal right? It was said that that area is common space. You were renting first. Find some leads on apts or houses to rent and then tell your landlord that your considering moving because you feel like a second class citizen.

If it took him that long to rent out the above space and youve been there all along, a steady income for him, Im certain he will think it a bad thing to let you guys go if you let him know your thinking of leaving. And why.

if he cant come around to letting you guys have the shared space like it was understood in the beginning I would cut my losses asap, if possible. No reason to stick with a landlord who wont do right by his tenants, other than a few late mailed payments.

Which technically, even if it was a few days late, they cants legally kick you out. Theres a certain amount of time before you havent paid before they can legally kick you out.

Since he is having trouble renting his space, I am sure he will listen to you and a once a year problem. (decorating the yard)