I moved in to a new apartment after taking over the lease and it turns out my next door neighbour is using his apartment as a psychology office.
They have set up chairs in the landing area in front of the lift using the space as a waiting room for his patients. It's only our two apartments on this level and it's a small building with very few apartments.
What is the best way to approach this?
People still say it. It's become a bit old hat at this point due to overuse in most forum posts where the OP has a problem
I remember getting shot down for saying "can it run Crysis"
That's just bringing back the classics. Unfortunately some people don't appreciate the vintage
Just chat to the neighbour and tell him this isn’t acceptable. I suspect there are a bunch of rules he is transgressing by setting it up this way. Frankly it is an insult to his patients to leave them out there as a waiting room. Keep the whole thing civil but tell him he needs to turn part of his own apartment into the waiting room.
tell him this isn’t acceptable.
How long have you been having these thoughts ?
I fantasise about a just world. I suppose that is why I’m considered crazy.
Are you sure it's a psychology office? Might be another type of service.
Could be a fortune teller
start taking your share of the clients into your treatment rooms.
charge them up front. 300 for the hour.
more if they are ugly.
Are the chairs left there 24/7 and do chairs in the landing area contravene fire regulations.
Tell him you're going to operate a brothel from your apartment so they'll have to share the waiting area.
I like this idea best. Especially if the neighbour has any patients who struggle with sex addiction.
2 for 1 deal
The psych could say to his patients "Look, I think you just need to get laid. Oh, hey, I know a place!"
Cross-promotion :)
Just imagine the chats that'd occur in the new multi use waiting room lmao
Hey baby I hear the blues a-callin
Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs
But maybe I seem a bit confused
Maybe, but I got you pegged
But I don’t know what to do with those Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs
They’re calling again
I'm guessing the unit concerned aint anything like Frasers pad.
I'm thinking more like outside Jack's apartment in 'Will and Grace'.
His neighbour is offering pegging as a service? Not sure that's covered by Medicare.
Tossing salads. Pegging. Scrambling eggs. What was Frasier up to?
If you're leasing the apartment, turn it over to the landlord. Why should it be your problem?
How's your relationship with the neighbour? Is it close enough to have him over for a meal?
Personally, I would see this situation in a similar vein to dealing with my housemates with shared areas. If there's something that's a concern for me or them, regardless of how slight it may be, it is still a concern since we're all paying for that shared space and a compromise needs to be sought.
To start with, my suggestion is actually to have him over for a meal (displays goodwill). Getting to know him and eventually steering the conversation to how he came to the decision to make his practice home-based would then allow for a more cordial conversation around these matters. Showing him that you want what's best for him then opens the conversation for you to express your discomfort over the current setup and hopefully find a middle ground. As a psychologist, I would expect him to have 'some' disposition of understanding.
This will remove any ill-willed perceptions from his end if you were to go straight to corporate or council. If he refuses or says yes but doesn't follow through, then you should go to corp/council and let them handle him.
have him over for a meal?
A succulent mushroom dish? That's a bit dark but I like your thinking.
Or perhaps a nice dish of liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti
Ahhh yes, I see you know your memes well - good, one.
What's the charge? feeding him a meal? a poisoness mushroom meal?
And you, sir, are you waiting to receive my limp mushroom?
How dare you
Request a cut of the income or you'll report it. Win win.
That’s extortion.
That's an opportunity. Fixed it for you.
How do you know it's only psych consults, that he is qualified or that he is running a legit tax paying business?
Maybe he's churning out fake passports.
Best way to approach this?
A male psychologist providing a discreet space for people who need to make some sense of this crazy world that doesn't have psychologist emblazoned on the signage? Buy him a beer, put some magazines on a small table in the foyer.
Magazines that are usually gun related?
Not discreet mate. Literally in my way. Definitely has signage. Helping is questionable. And for a fee. You buy him the beer if you want.
You could always take the chairs and stack them in your apartment. It's a sure way to start a dialogue…
negotiate for free lifetime consulation.
On a serious note, how wide is the shared space? Does the chairs make it inconvenient to walk by? I think my concern would be more about fire safety concerns, I though that generally it should be clear of any items in the case of fires etc.
That's a weird situation to be exiting your apartment into a patient waiting room. I wouldn't want to live like that either.
It seems like your neighbour should have already expected how this would make you feel but clearly not so you might have to let them know.
But he is a psychologist. It's not like understanding other people's feelings and the importance of boundaries is his business.
OP is taking over a lease. Clearly the previous tenant didn’t disclose this. We don’t know if the neighbour discussed with previous occupants or not.
Everybody wants mixed use developments until it’s on their landing.
As Kanye West once said: we live in a society. As Jesus Christ said: love your neighbour as yourself.
In your original post you haven’t actually described how what he’s doing is a problem, although the post itself suggests that you don’t like the situation. If that’s the case I think it’s reasonable to discuss the issue with him directly (discuss not “confront”).
Set up a portable table and Do all your cooking using one of those portable butane burner, think onions, garlic, seafood
I’m not OK with this. I’d be raising to the body corp as well as pursuing the council option.
I would worry that it puts the body corporate at risk, should one of those clients slip or fall on common property. I am not sure the insurance would extend to someone running a business within the scheme.
Of course it could all be above board, approved by the committee at some point and appropriately insured.
take advantage and set up a coffee cart outside your door = profit
Wow surely there are privacy/confidentiality issues here, id be reporting them to AHPRA
My first thought.
I'm not saying people who see psychologists are psychopaths (heck, i've seen one myself when i was struggling to deal with pressure) but there are people who see these kinds of specialists when they are genuinely unwell and potentially dangerous.
Dangerous patients visiting the psychologist? Sounds like you might have a Sixth Sense.
He should be getting them to wait outside and only buzzed up when ready. Not waiting on the landing potentially impacting your use of that area. If your building does not have a seating area in the lobby/entrance then they should be waiting outside and how they do that is then up to them.
Hes likely an owner, and your a tenant so Strata likely to side with the owner.
I think you will find its already approved.
why would you assume this?
Are the chairs and/or patients causing an impediment to exiting the building in the event of fire?
Investigate the appropriate fire codes for the area concerned as this may be a contravention.
Sounds like the council would love to know about a business being run out of a residence…
Definitely dob in and see how it goes.
obvious answer is to open a phub tab and play on random. connect to some speakers and let it snow. make sure you keep your door open for maximum effect
Install a Ring Doorbell on your door, with a sign "Live Streaming RIGHT NOW".
Let's see how his patients hold up to the lack of privacy.
Shoe on the other foot.
How did you not notice this before moving in? Are you sure they are a psychologist, did you check ahpra?
Some interesting info here, may be useful: https://www.smallbusiness.nsw.gov.au/help/common-questions/g…
I'd hope the psychology board would have something to say about having a waiting room set up in a common area. I'm sure he's breaking some ethical standard they have regarding privacy with how he's operating. Make a complaint to AHPRA and see if they'll do something about it if no one else will help you.
Please send him the link to this OzBargain forum post. I'd like to get his opinions on the comments and outcome suggestions.
Better than the clinical psychologist that decided to run their practice from their flat in our block of 6. She didn't have a waiting room so basically people would just walk up and buzz the intercom and if they weren't answering for a reason, they'd still buzzing everyone else in the building.
The worst bits was when ex patients would turn up and demand to be seen and they'd have a loud argument over the intercom. Sometimes the ex patients would also go a bit troppo outside and they did nothing but ignore them.
Start taking his / her patients.
Start a dog minding business so you too can financially benefit from sharing the common area.
A tarantula minding service in the common area. I’m sure that won’t stress out the patients waiting there.
Send your concern to strata, as it has been mentioned here already, it’s common area, and cannot be solely used to benefit 1 tenant over others. This includes unsightly shoe racks outside your own door, bikes or other things tenants don’t want to put in their own unit.
If a practioner can’t afford to rent appropriate space for their practice, i would question their credibility and credentials.
you have your customers waiting in the front of your office now, be a doctor and grab them straight away
Book in for regular psychology appointments and discuss the trauma this is causing you.
Accidentally spill some miner oil in the waiting area and then wait for the strata's insurance to deal with it.
Stand in the entry way with a clipboard and tell everybody you'll check them in - you just need to take a photo of them and a copy of their drivers licence
The last apartment I was in has a similar set up - common foyer per 2 apartments. When I suggested the carpets be replaced, I unintentionally kicked off much discussion about who was keeping what in their foyer, and enforcement of the strata by-laws.
Find the resident who cares about these things, there's always at least one per strata. Tell them about it and wait for the problem to be resolved.
Get an appointment at this psychology practice. You’ll find your need to be heard is an underlying trauma from your childhood which is also holding you back in other areas of your life.
Open the door, be half naked, and if there aren't many repeat clients, he'll get bored fast. Make him pay, hit him where it really hurts
Tell me about your mother
OP seems to be in VIC - if the complex is strata there is likely a by-law against using a residential unit for business - and using common property for private purposes would very likely be a breach.
Your rental agent probably doesn't care - unless you kick up a stink and ask them to advise the strata manager - or at least ask the contact details so you can yourself.
Contact the building manager if there is one, and strata manager, strata committee to advise them of the breach that they should take steps to rectify.
First easy step should be to remove the chairs and not treat the landing as a waiting area.
It is so hard to find mental health practitioners that the patients obviously don't care… but perhaps they are actually there for the John Malkovitch experience…?
How has society lost so much common sense?
As others have pointed out, this isn't an authorised use of common property.
Love Peep Show but for a second I was worried you were doxxing someone
Come out with a pad and a bogus petition form. ask everyone waiting if they want to join the class action against the psyc. make up something if they ask for details…. Just take the chairs outside and leave them there…or spray them with ammonia…pile them up against his door….send him a bill for using what is {partly} your space
I'm perplexed by all these naive suggestions of 'buy your neighbour dinner/beer and talk it out'.
The neighbour fully understands renting out a commercial space would cost at a minimum several hundred dollars a week. They aren't going to do that simply because you bought them a beer and made them aware they aren't allowed to use the common space of a residential building for their business. They will likely gasslight you and seek retaliatory ways to make your life difficult. That's what inconsiderate entitled people do.
Charge for parking
Start up your own “business” and have “client” also sit in the waiting room. See how long it takes for him to say something. Even better if it’s noisy.
Don't know whether this issue is true or not, some of the comments are crazy. Is it commercial property? Don't know anywhere around here that has such a shared space format for business+residential. It's usually the whole floor of a complex that is dedicated to business or residential. An associate who works for a big insurance company let me know they wouldn't provide contents insurance for a residential property in this setting because of the high risk of burglary.
Talk and level with them and if they are not flexible dob them in. I have had unruly neighbors, if they behave like a c##t, they most likely are a c##t. You essentially paying for them to run his business since it's a shared area, so f**k him/her.
Get a lawn chair and sit naked on the landing area to assert your dominance.
Put superglue on his chairs and spread bad rumors about him online
Strata will usually force him to remove the items from common area.
Council will usually have issue with a business in residential zoning. It is not a home office.
Your neighbour is being unprofessional. I’m wondering why - are they actually fully registered? I doubt an experienced psych would do this. It would not be hard for him to arrange appointments so they do not overlap, ie. no need for a client to wait. A professional does not run overtime, sessions should finish on time. He needs to make notes and do his paperwork while HE waits for his next scheduled appt.
It’s not hard to find consulting rooms you can book casually by the hour in most cities. The costs of that are considered in the recommended fees. The days of seeing people at your home are long gone.
He sounds like a very inexperienced practitioner who missed much of his training and learnt nothing on his placements or during supervised practice (which every psych has to do). Is he a member of a professional association - eg APS? I’d be asking them for advice on how to handle this.
Unless they are being open about running this business,( inc advertising it with a license number etc) ring the ATO and dob them in.
Or you could drop an ad on the FB community news socials saying the famous sex influencer is back and looking to shag 2000 men ,using said neighbours abode as the venue.
You reckon there are mental health patients paying cash in hand to their psychs and not using their medicare card or health insurance?
The whole thing is suss.But let's all find out.
OP can take pictures of the 'waiting room, when it's chokka. Then upload the images,(inc neighbours numbered front door) to the local FB community page advertising the 'local psychological service' and see whether the 'practice' grows or folds. I'm riding the latter train.
Maybe you could ask strata if you can put some vending machines in the foyer for "the psychology patients in the waiting room". That way strata finds out but you didn't technically dob him in.
This is actually genius, but I don't think there's strata on op's building
Hardly genius. It skirts around the issue. The matter should be addressed directly.
Maybe just ignore it, does it really impact you in a significant way?
Creates public liability issues for the Owners Corporation and seems to be impacting the OP's peace and enjoyment of their property and surrounds.
Easy. Start placing your stuff in the lift landing area, like your shoes, maybe a small recycling trash bin.
If the area is permanently used by them, you can also permanently use it the way you want. Soon they'll realise it's hurting their business and will find another solution.
Apart from possibly breaching fire safety regulations, chairs and people waiting in a common lift landing area pose a trip hazard. Strata have WHS responsibilities and liabilities. Inform strata of the hazard in writing. Ask them to confirm in writing they are fullfilling their WHS responsibilities by allowing the common area to be used as it is.
Get a psychology degree and steal his clients
Sick of people like this. Take it as far as you can and f them up. They have no respect for anyone.
Bikies
or we don't say that anymore?