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February 21, 2008
Renting a garden apt
I am considering renting a garden apt from friends who recently purchased a townhouse. They will occupy the parlor floor and renting out the top floor. My friends the landlords will have no access to the garden except through the common downstairs hallway through the basement. This seems like pretty close quarters for everyday but short of building a deck, there doesn't seem to be many options here...Any suggestions for more privacy? Thanks.
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If its the common hallway, it doesnt seem any different than living in a regular apartment building where other tenants walk by your door all the time. Provided they don't have to walk through your apartment, I don't think the access will the problem but rather the noise from them using the backyard while you are on the other side of the window.
Posted by: Mrs. Limestone at February 22, 2008 8:11 AM
I think the "common hallway" means it's the hallway inside your apartment, right OP?
That's not really acceptable for a market-rate apartment. If they are renting this apartment to you much cheaper than you'd normally pay in the neighborhood, then it's something you have to decide yourself if you can live with and if so at least the price makes it worth it. But if they are charging market rate, forget it. Rent an apartment with privacy instead. Otherwise it will feel like you're crashing in your parents basement. Trust me, you'll start to get resentful of their intrusions and it will strain the friendship.
They need to build a deck and door off the back parlor level into their garden if they want to use the garden level as a rental apartment. Period. Everyone else does that so they can do it too.
Posted by: guest at February 22, 2008 11:53 AM
You could also build stairs down without a deck. I've seen landings (fire escape landing size) with stairs leading down, instead of the "ladder". Depending on the size of the window out, they can build a few stairs up to the current opening, replace the window with a door, and build steps down and it probably wouldn't be inordinately expensive. And my guess (although I have no expertise on this) is that you wouldn't need the same building permit as you would for a deck.
Posted by: guest at February 22, 2008 12:42 PM
It is the hallway leading inside the apt, the doors of the apt can be locked but don't imagine they will be closed at all times. The staircase runs the length of the apt and lead up to the parlor floor. It doesn't seem common like in larger apt buildings, but each floor will be a rental unit so it is common. The garden feels less intrusive with more space, I do have access to the garden because I am friends with the landlords...they have said they would not allow access otherwise.
Posted by: WCS at February 22, 2008 2:01 PM
Now it sounds like you want to keep the doors to your apt. open and claim the common hallway as your own because yours is the only apt on that level. If so, you are wrong.
Posted by: guest at February 22, 2008 2:17 PM
For what its worth our situation sounds similar.
We bought a 2 Fam 4 story and we live on 2nd floor cutoff from the garden. When we were talking to prospective renters we let it be known up front we would like access thru their basement hallway to the garden.
Our current group ( 5 young adults who took the basement and 1st fl Parlor as a whole Duplex package) are lovely folks and seem totally cool with the arrangement. We also share the washer in that hallway -
Also the 3 bdrooms off the basement hall have doors with locks..
This type of thing probably wont work for everybody but we all like the 'communal" feel of the old house and respect each others space.. as long as everyone is clear going into the deal..
They are also getting what seems to be a great deal on the rent ..
In the future we thought we'd like to have a deck put in off 2nd floor (must be expensive- but I i havent researched it ) but after a year everyone seems so content that its not a pressing issue..
Posted by: guest at February 22, 2008 4:27 PM
4:27 are you saying that in your house, you can go through the basement apartment hallway, and there are bedrooms (with locks) off that hallway? Is there a bathroom down there?
From what you describe, it sounds like your tenants can't walk out of their bedroom to the bathroom without knowing whether their landlord is there doing laundry to going into the garden. Also, that means you could just walk right up the stairs into the kitchen and living space, too, right?
I guess it works because it sounds like the communal house I lived in in college and the kids renting it are young. When I was an older renter, however, I definitely would not have liked to live that way.
WCS, I can't tell if you are describing a similar set-up and mean the bedroom doors lock, or you don't like the thought of someone using the public hallway outside your apt but the inside of your apartment is still completely private. It sounds like the former, however, since generally in houses the access to the garden is inside the garden apartment and not through a public hallway. But if it is through a public hallway, you should certainly not be put off by your landlord's having use of it.
Posted by: guest at February 22, 2008 5:26 PM
Dude, your description is awful. Include a diagram.
Posted by: guest at February 22, 2008 7:46 PM
Just keep your apartment door closed. Your landlord friends can then go downstairs from their parlor level to your garden level, and through the common hallway, they can further go down to the basement, and then up the basement steps directly outside to their garden. We have this exact same setup (we own and live on the parlor floor) and my garden-level tenants don't mind it a bit. They keep their apartment door closed. It's very nice that your landlords let you share their garden, just be happy for that.
Posted by: elizabethJane at February 22, 2008 8:02 PM
I don't really see why using a common hallway is invasive of privacy. If you're talking about sharing the garden, that's a different story. I live on the parlor floor of the house I own, and you end up using the garden a lot less, because it's a pain to drag dishes, bbq stuff, food etc. through the halls to the garden, and then back to your apt. Also every time you have to use the bathroom, having to go through this rigamarole. The good news is that they probably won't use the garden that often. The bad news is that since they're your friends, when you are BOTH using it and they need to go to the bathroom there might be pressure to let them use yours!
Posted by: guest at February 23, 2008 11:52 AM
I agree with the person who pointed out a common hallway being shared means you exit your bedroom to go to the bathroom and your friend/landlord could be standing there. Or their kid, or their guests if they have people over for a cookout in the backyard.
It's such an unappealing situation. Why do it? Tell these people to pony up and build a darn stairs from their apartment to the garden because that's what they are living in, an apartment, even if they're the owners. If they want use of the whole house then they need to make it a one-family house.
Posted by: guest at February 23, 2008 1:29 PM
1.29 Luckily you are living in America and people can agree what they want. Sounds like the owners want the situation they are offering. Sounds like WCS may or may or may not want it ... nobody can tell anybody to pony up and the landlords may not have cash anyway (hard times you know).
Posted by: guest at February 23, 2008 4:54 PM
Yeah but 4:54, when people give their personal opinions about what the situation may end up being like once the OP is actually living with it, it could present scenarios the OP never thought about. I don't think this feedback is useless at all.
Posted by: guest at February 24, 2008 12:43 PM
Yes...very useful information indeed
thank you all
Posted by: WCS at February 24, 2008 1:58 PM
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