Ein Obdachloser schläft an unserem Gebäudeeingang und hinterlässt Urin, Kot und einen starken Gestank. Kinder müssen durch die Garage verlassen, während er spät aufwacht und sich eine Stunde braucht, um sich zu bewegen. Täglich ist Reinigung erforderlich. Wir haben die Polizei mehrmals angerufen, aber nichts ändert sich. Irgendwelche Ratschläge, um dies zu lösen?

What does your building management say? They’re not able to lock the front door?

Put a lock at the main entrance? An electronic one with a card or a fob.

We encounter a similar situation. This is soul-wrenching, because at one point you start hating someone who is in need (even if in this case the person seems to refuse any help).

The only way to make him stop coming is to make the entrance a bad place — or a worse one than your neighbours‘. One idea that floated was to add a speaker that emits a high-pitched sound at low volume 24/7. It’s a bit annoying when you enter the building, but really unbearable if you want to stay there at longer intervals.

But again, soul-wrenching.

Damn, that’s in Steinfort, right? So the issue is spreading to villages.

The only thing you can do is to keep calling the police and get the guy removed until sleeping in your entrance is not worth it anymore.

With co-owners consider if moving out the letterboxes (and doorbells) in front of the building and then locking the front door would be acceptable. If not, constant light turned on in the entrance may solve it. If this fails, (i.e. he can sleep with light on), perhaps some furniture/or blockage of the part of the entrance to make space less inviting and comfortable (again agreed with the co-owners). It is very unfortunate that you cannot rely on public services to do their work.

The most effective solution is to install a lock and security camera in the entrance area, similar to other buildings near the Gare. A two-week temporary lock can prevent unauthorized sleeping in the entrance and ultimately encourage the individual to seek alternative accommodation. This method is highly effective, though it requires the building owners to bear the associated costs and provide their approval.

Pressuring Building Owners

To motivate the owners, consider the following strategy:
– Threaten to publicize the situation by contacting local media outlets like l’Essentiel and RTL
– Prepare to share photographs and identify the building management company or property owners
– Utilize social media platforms like Facebook to increase public awareness

Alternative Approach: Negotiation

An alternative strategy is to negotiate directly with the individual:
– Offer conditional permission to remain in the area
– Request that he maintain the space’s clean
– Ask him to prevent other unauthorized individuals from using the entrance
– Assign a sense of responsibility, which may positively influence his behavior

It’s important to note that an antagonistic approach is likely to provoke more negative consequences. Providing a constructive solution and maintaining a respectful dialogue may yield better results.