Legal Help: Banning Bicycles in Front of Your Window

Questioner

I would like to have no bicycles parked in front of my window. Is it legally possible to realize this wish? The reason for parking is that the municipality has placed two poles in front of the window in recent years. These attract people who attach their bicycles to them with a chain.

Lawyer

You are certainly not allowed to place bicycles against your window without your permission, but I understand that the bicycles are in front of your window as a result of placing two poles. Perhaps you should ask/request the municipality to move the poles and perhaps if the poles are not intended to tie bicycles to, ask for enforcement of the current bicycle parking regulations?

Lawyer

Traffic law (RVV 1990) stipulates that bicycles may be placed 'normally' on the pavement. And therefore also in front of your window, if the pavement runs under the window. That will be different if - there is a traffic sign prohibiting parking of bicycles; - the bicycle is parked on your property (which is not a public road); - the bicycles in front of your window are a nuisance or destroy or damage your window or other property; - the municipality has established other rules - such as in the General By-law. You can put a sign in the window saying 'no bicycles allowed' or something like that, but that doesn't really have much legal value. But of course, not everyone knows that.