A resident strung a clothesline across our shared courtyard and leaves it up all week. Can we ask for limits without rejecting air-drying?

A clothesline now runs diagonally across the small courtyard behind our building.

One resident tied it between the railing and a tree so she can air-dry sheets. On laundry days, the fabric fills much of the open space. On other days, the empty line remains at shoulder height.

Air-drying is practical and uses no machine energy. The issue is that the line crosses the route residents use to reach the back gate and turns shared open space into one household's laundry area.

I caught my bag strap on it after dark. Another neighbor ducks underneath rather than complain. The installer added two bright ribbons after I mentioned visibility, which helps people see the line but does not restore the route.

She says taking it down between loads is inconvenient and the courtyard has no other purpose. Children sometimes play there, residents carry bicycles through it and people sit outside in warm weather. Unscheduled use can still be real use.

I would support a retractable line positioned along one edge, or limited drying hours when the route remains clear. I would not support a permanent cord across the courtyard even if laundry hangs from it only twice a week.

Management has not addressed clotheslines. I think the building should distinguish temporary use from permanent occupation and approve attachment points rather than let residents tie equipment to whichever railing or tree is convenient.

The installer hears objections as hostility to sustainable habits. I want the conversation to stay with placement and duration. A beneficial method still needs to fit the common space.

Would you ask for immediate removal, suggest a retractable edge-mounted line or request a building schedule? When does a temporary household activity become private infrastructure because its equipment never leaves?