{"id":106172,"date":"2021-06-28T07:00:44","date_gmt":"2021-06-28T05:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/?p=106172"},"modified":"2022-02-28T10:47:29","modified_gmt":"2022-02-28T09:47:29","slug":"leaving-personal-items-in-communal-spaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/leaving-personal-items-in-communal-spaces\/","title":{"rendered":"What You Can and Can&#8217;t Do When Leaving Personal Items in Communal Spaces"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">You have probably considered <strong>leaving personal items in communal spaces <\/strong>of your apartment building regularly, because obviously being able to park your bicycle in the entry hall is so much easier than having to bring it into your apartment.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Doing this, however, is not something you can do freely. As <strong>property owner or tenant of an apartment<\/strong> you should be aware of <strong>when you may (or may not) leave your items in communal areas<\/strong> and under what conditions this is allowed.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>ShBarcelona<\/strong> is an experienced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/\"><strong>real estate agency<\/strong><\/a>, and therefore we know every little detail of what you can and can\u2019t do. You can read all about it in this article.<\/p>\n<div id=\"metaslider-id-104529\" style=\"max-width: 850px; margin: 0 auto;\" class=\"ml-slider-3-20-3 metaslider metaslider-responsive metaslider-104529 ml-slider\">\n    <div id=\"metaslider_container_104529\">\n        <ul id='metaslider_104529' class='rslides'>\n            <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/owners-services\/yearly-rental\" target=\"_self\"><img width=\"850\" height=\"182\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/38.png\" class=\"slider-104529 slide-104530\" alt=\"management of long duration flats barcelona\" rel=\"\" title=\"Banner medio larga estancia propietarios\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/leaving-personal-items-in-communal-spaces\/#First_of_all_What_are_communal_zones_in_a_building_exactly\" title=\"First of all: What are communal zones in a building exactly?\">First of all: What are communal zones in a building exactly?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/leaving-personal-items-in-communal-spaces\/#Who_is_the_owner_of_communal_zones_in_a_building\" title=\"Who is the owner of communal zones in a building?\">Who is the owner of communal zones in a building?<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/leaving-personal-items-in-communal-spaces\/#How_to_use_part_of_a_communal_area_privately\" title=\"How to use (part of a) communal area privately\">How to use (part of a) communal area privately<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/leaving-personal-items-in-communal-spaces\/#Rules_and_regulations_when_using_communal_spaces_inside_an_apartment_building\" title=\"Rules and regulations when using communal spaces inside an apartment building\">Rules and regulations when using communal spaces inside an apartment building<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/leaving-personal-items-in-communal-spaces\/#Rights_of_the_owner_using_a_communal_space\" title=\"Rights of the owner using a communal space\">Rights of the owner using a communal space<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/leaving-personal-items-in-communal-spaces\/#Obligations_of_the_owner_using_a_communal_space\" title=\"Obligations of the owner using a communal space\">Obligations of the owner using a communal space<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/leaving-personal-items-in-communal-spaces\/#Problems_when_leaving_personal_items_in_communal_spaces\" title=\"Problems when leaving personal items in communal spaces\">Problems when leaving personal items in communal spaces<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"First_of_all_What_are_communal_zones_in_a_building_exactly\"><\/span>First of all: What are communal zones in a building exactly?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Communal zones<\/strong> are all those structural elements of a building that you may use and to which all property owners have access, like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Floors<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Facades and walls<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Terraces and balconies<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Clotheslines<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Windows<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Entrance hall, corridors and stairs<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lifts<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Patios, parks and other green zones<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Swimming pools and recreational zones<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Installation rooms and room with meters<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pits and wells<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Garages and storage rooms<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Basements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_106177\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-106177\" class=\"size-full wp-image-106177\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/peyne-francois-wLqxo9gzCWA-unsplash-1.jpg\" alt=\"inside apartment building\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-106177\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo via Unsplash<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"fasc-button fasc-size-large fasc-type-flat fasc-rounded-medium ico-fa fasc-ico-before fa-chevron-circle-right broken_link\" style=\"background-color: #850909; color: #ffffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/owners-services\" rel=\"nofollow\">Enjoy ShBarcelona&#8217;s owner services<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_is_the_owner_of_communal_zones_in_a_building\"><\/span>Who is the owner of communal zones in a building?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Now that you have learned what <strong>communal zones<\/strong> are, you will of course understand that these areas in a building <strong>belong to everyone<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Does that mean, however, that you can use them freely? Not at all. If you, or any of the other residents, wants to <strong>use<\/strong> the (part of a) <strong>communal space<\/strong>, then this must be requested in writing by addressing the homeowners\u2019 association.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Related article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/rules-communal-terrace\/\">What Are the Rules When Using a Communal Terrace in My Apartment Building?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_use_part_of_a_communal_area_privately\"><\/span>How to use (part of a) communal area privately<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Once you have send your written request for the <strong>private use of a communal zone<\/strong>, this will be brought to the attention of all others residents in your building.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If no one objects to you using it for your specific purpose, and if it doesn\u2019t go against what is mentioned in <strong>community statutes<\/strong>, then your request will be on the agenda of the next <strong>homeowners\u2019 association meeting<\/strong>. This is where the rights of use and responsibilities that come with it will be discussed.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_106174\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-106174\" class=\"size-full wp-image-106174\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/pexels-alexander-suhorucov-6457521-1.jpg\" alt=\"paperwork and laptops\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-106174\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo via Pexels<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Once you have been granted permission to leave objects in a communal zone, you must be aware of the consequences. You must always <strong>respect other residents living in your building<\/strong>, and your items may <strong>never obstruct the entry or exit<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"fasc-button fasc-size-large fasc-type-flat fasc-rounded-medium ico-fa fasc-ico-before fa-chevron-circle-right broken_link\" style=\"background-color: #850909; color: #ffffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/owners-services\" rel=\"nofollow\">Check out our services<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rules_and_regulations_when_using_communal_spaces_inside_an_apartment_building\"><\/span>Rules and regulations when using communal spaces inside an apartment building<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">As already mentioned before, there are certain <strong>rights and obligations<\/strong> for the person who has been granted permission to use (a part of a) communal zone for private purpose.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Related article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/tasks-property-management-services\/\">The 6 + 1 Tasks of Property Management Services in Barcelona<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rights_of_the_owner_using_a_communal_space\"><\/span>Rights of the owner using a communal space<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Use the <strong>requested space<\/strong> and share it with other residents<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Request <strong>maintenance and repairs<\/strong> to be carried out<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Give consent for <strong>renovation works<\/strong> that will benefit other residents<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Request the installation or removal of a <strong>general service<\/strong> (for example: lift, concierge, security). You need consent of 3\/5 of the property owners.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Request the installation of <strong>general equipment<\/strong> (for energy or telecommunication)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Obligations_of_the_owner_using_a_communal_space\"><\/span>Obligations of the owner using a communal space<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Always respect the building\u2019s facilities and <strong>avoid causing any damage<\/strong><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Make <strong>use<\/strong> of the facilities <strong>optimally<\/strong><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Be responsible for <strong>expenses<\/strong> that occur when using the area<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_106173\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-106173\" class=\"size-full wp-image-106173\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/djvibe-studiox-hTuZpMuNjOA-unsplash-1.jpg\" alt=\"bicycles in storage\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-106173\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo via Unsplash<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Problems_when_leaving_personal_items_in_communal_spaces\"><\/span>Problems when leaving personal items in communal spaces<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">After reading all the information mentioned above, it is also interesting to know what problems may occur after being allowed to leave objects in (a part of) a communal space:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">It can cause inconvenience to other residents who need to move through the zone with a <strong>stroller<\/strong> <strong>or wheelchair<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">It may cause obstructions when <strong>cleaning<\/strong> the space, or make it entirely impossible to do so.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">It may cause people to <strong>trip and hurt<\/strong> themselves when items are placed incorrectly.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">It may pose a risk to residents in case of a fire, because corridors, stairways and doorways are main points of evacuation. These places inside a building may therefore never be obstructed by objects in any way that they can <strong>slow down the evacuation process<\/strong> of a building.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div id=\"attachment_106176\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-106176\" class=\"size-full wp-image-106176\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/pexels-monicore-134065-1.jpg\" alt=\"evacuation sign\" width=\"640\" height=\"336\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-106176\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo via Pexels<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If you have <strong>bought a property in Barcelona<\/strong>, you are already aware of the conditions for <strong>leaving items in communal zones in your building<\/strong>. If residents get along well and the atmosphere is good, you should always discuss decisions with each other during a meeting and establish what is and is not allowed when using communal space for private use.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This is, after all, the quickest and easiest option, but if you want to go through the legal process instead, just make sure you know how much time this will take.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Do you have any more questions about leaving personal items in communal zones?<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>Send us your questions via the comment section below!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sources:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/micomuniweb.com\/trastos-enseres-ocupacion-las-zonas-comunes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">https:\/\/micomuniweb.com\/trastos-enseres-ocupacion-las-zonas-comunes\/<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"display: none;\"\n    class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-valign-bottom kksr-align-left \"\n    data-id=\"106172\"\n    data-slug=\"\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 150px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-legend\">\n            <strong class=\"kksr-score\">5<\/strong>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">\/<\/span>\n        <strong>5<\/strong>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">(<\/span>\n        <strong class=\"kksr-count\">2<\/strong>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">\n            votes        <\/span>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">)<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You have probably considered leaving personal items in communal spaces of your apartment building regularly, because obviously being able to park your bicycle in the entry hall is so much easier than having to bring it into your apartment. Doing this, however, is not something you can do freely. As property owner or tenant of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":143,"featured_media":106175,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4494],"tags":[9818,9817,9816],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106172"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/143"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106172"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106172\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110061,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106172\/revisions\/110061"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/106175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}