Save one bicycle in the garage It is a common solution for those who do not have enough space at home. However, when the parking lot belongs to a community of owners, a recurring question may arise: can a neighbor also use their space to leave bicycles or are they obliged to use it exclusively for cars?
The Horizontal Property Law It does not establish a general prohibition that prevents storing a bicycle inside a parking space for private use. The question depends, above all, on how that space is used and whether the bicycle creates inconvenience, risks or invades common elements.
Therefore, leaving a bicycle within the limits of the space itself may be possible, although this does not mean that the owner can use the garage without any restrictions.
What the Horizontal Property Law says about the use of the garage space
One of the articles that is relevant in these cases is the 7.2 of the Horizontal Property Law. The rule prevents carrying out activities in a home or premises that are prohibited in the statutes or that are harmful to the property, annoying, unhealthy, harmful, dangerous or illegal.
Applied to the garage, this means that the problem is not necessarily that the object is a bicycle, but in the consequences that its storage may cause.
If it remains within the limits of the square and does not hinder passage, it does not generate risks and does not cause harm to the rest of the owners, there is no automatic ban for simply keeping it there.
Community statutes can also set limits
The Horizontal Property Law is not the only element that must be taken into account. Each community can have statutes or internal rules that regulate the use of the garage and establish additional restrictions.
For example, there may be rules on the storage of objects other than vehicles or on those elements that protrude from spaces and may affect circulation or safety.
Therefore, before placing several bicycles, installing racks or using part of the square as a storage area, it is worth checking what the community rules establish.
The problem changes if the bicycle occupies a common area
The situation is different when the bicycle stops being inside the square and begins to occupy hallways, ramps, accesses or maneuvering areas.
These spaces are common elements and are intended for transit and access by vehicles and owners. Using them as a permanent place to store bicycles can affect the rest of the neighbors and generate conflicts.
Problems may also arise if the bicycles make access to other spaces, storage rooms or common facilities difficult, or if their location represents an obstacle to circulation within the garage.
A case in Vigo ended with the withdrawal of the bicycles
The courts have already had to rule on conflicts related to the storage of bicycles in community garages.
In a case that occurred in Vigoa neighbor installed a metal structure to store bicycles in a common passage area of the garage. The installation took up part of the space, reduced the area available for maneuvering and made access to nearby storage rooms difficult.
The matter ended up before the Provincial Court of Pontevedra. The court considered that the installation exceeded the reasonable use of the common elements and ordered the removal of bicycles.
The resolution serves to differentiate two situations. It is one thing to keep a bicycle within the limits of a private space and another to use common areas of the garage as storage space.
When can the community of owners intervene
The community can act when the use of the square exceeds its limits, fails to comply with the statutes or generates a situation that affects security and coexistence.
There may also be a conflict if the bicycles protrude from the square, make passage difficult, reduce visibility or create a risk for other vehicles or owners.
Therefore, the answer does not depend solely on whether it is allowed to store a bicycle. It matters where it is placed, how much space it takes up, and whether it affects the rest of the garage..
What to check before leaving the bike in the garage
Before using the bicycle storage space, it is best to check that they remain completely within its limits and review the bylaws or internal rules of the community.
If there is any doubt about additional supports, anchors or structures, it may also be advisable to raise this with the community beforehand to avoid a later conflict.
In short, The Horizontal Property Law does not generally prohibit storing a bicycle in a private garage spacebut this use is no longer peaceful when it affects common elements, fails to comply with the community rules or harms the rest of the owners.