Dusting off on balcony

[Liki K 13]

Hi all,

 

I couldn't find a similar topic in the forum, I hope I am not duplicating it.

 

The problem I have is with the neighbours that live above our apartment - they dusts off their blankets and cloths on the balcony and the dust and dirt end up on ours.

 

I thought this is not allowed here - I googled the matter and I also checked our rental agreement - it has a Hausordnung section where, if I am not mistaken (or it is better to say, if Google is not mistaking)it says Reinigung (Cleaning) and it says that "Teppiche, Decken und dergleichen dürfen nicht am Fenster oder auf Balkon ausgeklopft werden" - which should mean that carpets, rugs and the similar should not be dusted off throught the window or on the balcony. I've seen only blankets so far but who knows..

 

Obviously they are not locals too (otherwise I imagine they wouldn't do it) and the main problem for just going and speaking with them, as I would have normally done, is that I still don't know the language well.

 

Can you advice me what to do - has anyone encountered the same problem?

Or should I speak with the Hausmeister - how is it done here?

 

Thanks in advance!

[RajeshG 1,983]

Hi Liki K, you may speak with the Hausmeister and if the problem persists then with your Landlord. However, initially if you have a friend who speaks German, perhaps he or she can go and talk directly with your neighbour. And maybe as you suggested they are not locals, they might understand english.

[fraufruit 41,931]

The neighbors above us have to be reminded occasionally to not over-water their balcony plants because dirty rusty water splatters on my chair cushions. She also decided to deadhead all of her dead winter flower boxes so that it all rained down on my front balcony which I had just paid the cleaner for one hour of spring cleaning out there.

 

The simplest way I've found is to just shout up to them nicely, they say sorry and we're good to go for another few months. You could also have a friend write a very polite note and put it in their mailbox. I bet that they don't realize the results of what they're doing.

[Liki K 13]

Hi RajeshG,

 

thanks for the advice!

 

We still don't know anyone here so unfortunately I cannot ask anyone for help but I will try to find out who is the Hausmeister and if he/she speaks English. But let's face it - he/she won't/wouldn't want =)

 

Anyway, the point is that dusting off whatever from youw window/balcony is not allowed - as I suspected.

[Liki K 13]

Hi fraufruit,

 

that's a good one - I will try and compose a note and slip it in their e-mail box!

 

I know what you mean, because I spent 1 day cleaning the balcony - the previous tenant had a cat which obviously used the balcony as a litter box! I had to clean, scrape, swear, paint etc.

[fraufruit 41,931]

People here on TT with better German than mine are usually good at editing such correspondence if you ask nicely and smile a lot and the stars are aligned just so.

[sarabyrd 18,767]

 

Sehr geehrter <neighbor's name> -

 

ich bewohne die Wohnung unter Ihnen. Aus gegebenem Anlass darf ich Sie darauf hinweisen, dass gemäß der Hausordnung Teppiche, Decken und dergleichen nicht am Fenster oder auf Balkon ausgeklopft werden dürfen.

 

Bitte unterlassen Sie künftig derartige Arbeiten auf Ihrem Balkon.

 

Vielen Dank für Ihre Rücksichtnahme.

 

<your name>

 

 

I live downstairs from you. Due to a recent incident I would like to remind you that beating rugs, blankets and similar objects on the balcony or out of windows is forbidden by the building rules.

 

Please desist from performing these tasks on your balcony.

 

Thank you for your considerate behavior.

cc your landlord/house management company

[Liki K 13]

Dear sarabyrd!

 

You saved my balcony! And my nerves!

 

Thank you so much for your help - I am going to investigate their name now.

 

Hope this will stop.

 

Kind regards,

[catjones 1,658]

Trying to imagine how much dust there could possible be on a blanket that it would manage to settle on my balcony...and I'd notice. What's going on upstairs?

[Keleth 9,279]

Was thinking this myself.

Either the poster is incredibly fussy (like a neighbour we had a few years back who would go up and down the staircase with white gloves on after someone had done the kehrwoche) or the flat above is an absolute shit tip.

[Liki K 13]

Hey,

 

you are right - it does sound a bit too much but imagine the picture - you drink your capuccino on the balcony or just sit there, enjoying the sun and reading a book and suddenly someone starts dusting off a piece of cloth and you see stuff falling..

 

I don't like it, it is grose. Call me fussy if you want.

[kiplette 8,675]

Germany is all over dust. If I was in a flat shaking my blanket off the balcony the person underneath would need to dig themselves out, I fear.

 

The UK was less dusty. How can that be?

 

Just shout up in English and a friendly tone of voice, and if that doesn't work, Sarabyrd's note would be the first escalation (in my battle order). Hopefully just being reminded that soemone is in fact below will be enough.

[RajeshG 1,983]

 

Dear sarabyrd!

 

You saved my balcony! And my nerves!

 

Thank you so much for your help - I am going to investigate their name now.

 

Hope this will stop.

 

Kind regards,

 

as an after thought - Is it possible that your neighbours are not germans at all and have either not read the dos and donts or have read and have not understood - being written in german. So the entire effort of Sara and you would go waste if they are not able to understand the letter written by you - in german.

[sarabyrd 18,767]

Ah, young RajeshG, this is where the cc to the landlord/house management comes in. Liki K is doing things by the book, thus getting the Powers That Be on her side.

[nina_glyndwr 4,748]

Well, the neighbours upstairs sometimes bang their mats out on the balcony rails.

 

I also shake out a blanket from my bedroom over the balcony rails.

 

But the thing is that we look down to see if there is anyone else outdoors at the time. I also shake out stuff early in the morning, usually before my retired neighbours above and below me are up.

 

I don't see any problems with this. Maybe the OP could just ask them to do this at times when people are not out - like very early or late in the day.

[Rankersbo 462]

 

Germany is all over dust. If I was in a flat shaking my blanket off the balcony the person underneath would need to dig themselves out, I fear.

 

The UK was less dusty. How can that be?

 

Just shout up in English and a friendly tone of voice, and if that doesn't work, Sarabyrd's note would be the first escalation (in my battle order). Hopefully just being reminded that soemone is in fact below will be enough.

 

I've noticed this. I suspect the answer is more rain and, er, carpets.

[dessa_dangerous 13,315]

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

 

good luck with this

 

I actually made a copy of our freshly issued (as a reminder) Hausordnungen and put it in my neighbor's mailbox, including that it was also not nice to have her gross flower water (specifically mentioned in the Ordnungen) all over our balcony (and chairs, and us, and the book we are reading at the time, and our drink, etc). You know what we got in return? A bitchy shitty comment about how we're supposed to clean our balconies regularly anyway so her shitty water doesn't make a difference and why don't we learn how to close our doors more quietly while we're at it? This from the bitch who stomps from room to room like a stampeding elephant, slamming doors and screaming at her television 16 hours a day.

 

anyhootles

 

your neighbor is German. You'd have more chance getting ice water in hell than an admission of wrongdoing from a German. To be fair, though, even though my shitty bastard asshole neighbor didn't like being reminded of the roolz, she hasn't dumped mud all over my patio since, as far as I can tell.

[Liki K 13]

dessa_dangerous, seems like your neighbour plays in the professional troll league, mine are just amateurs compared to =)

nina_glyndwr, perhaps she hasn't seen me in the corner one time, all the others I was in the room, but my laundry was outside.

 

Reading the forum, I can see that people have a lot more serious situations - mine is unpleasant for me but it is a minor thing. Apart from that I don't have a problem with anything - of course there is noise; of course their kids run and shout from early in the morning till late at night (they have 2 or 3 boys, you can imagine ); they practice musical instruments outside of allowed hours; she bangs the floor with some killer stiletto shoes at 7 o'clock in the morning..but this is normal, we don't live in some sterile, sound-proof ballon.

 

I was told that if you don't keep the Hausordnung striktly, the penalties are quite high and the neighbours despise you I've heard of a case where the neighbour started kicking the front door and shouting all sorts of vulgar things to the lady because her baby didn't stop crying day&night. Or an elderly Herr who called the police every time when the little girl that lived above him was running around the apartment and playing.

 

The dusting off on the balcony annoys me just because our apartments are planned so that they have two balconies - a big one where you can have a table, chairs etc. and a tiny, small one that is on the side - I mean, she can use it instead, definately no one is using it as it is so narrow.

 

Anyway, I haven't taken any measures so far as today was blanket-free day. I will try out the shouting-in-English approach first and then go with the firm and polite note that sarabyrd was so kind and generous to provide.

[Beany 9]

Reviving an old topic but a very annoying one to say the least. 

 

I live on the ground floor and my neighbour on the third floor likes to pick her flowers and throw them over her balcony. We are talking a lot here. Not just one or two. It rains down. She also sweeps her balcony and that also gets thrown over. This is all landing on my terrace and sometimes on my washing. It is also bringing mice. The previous tenant had the same problem and spoke to them several times. It stops for a while and then starts again.

 

A few weeks ago, I caught her in the act and shouted up to her. I was ignored so I mustered up the courage, went up to her apartment and rang her doorbell and politely asked her to stop. I explained that everything lands on my terrace and it is unfair as my washing is there and I am constantly cleaning my terrace. I explained that I know she has flowers, that is fine but she does this on purpose and if she doesn't stop, I will have to talk to the Hausverwaltung. I called and they won't do anything...she tried to blame her husband and said she would talk to him. No apology, nothing. 

 

It did stop for a while but again today, it starts raining flowers and I called up to her and she stopped. I left a note in her letter box again politely asking to stop but I know she won't. 

 

I am very close to gathering up her dirt and dumping it in her letterbox but I wouldn't stoop so low. 

 

Anyone had the same issue and how to deal with it? Should I just send my landlord up to talk to them,(he already knows of the problem, but they had stopped in the meantime). 

 

Advice is very much appreciated.

 

 

[catjones 1,658]

be thankful she's not raising cattle