Pram in the stairwell: what is allowed with bikes and buggies – and why

Carrying the baby and the shopping up three floors, then lugging the heavy pram up as well? No wonder so many families leave the pram in the stairwell. For neighbours, the caretaker and the cleaning team, though, it is not always a given – and from spring onwards bikes, scooters and balance bikes join in.

In Switzerland there is no general right to park a pram in the stairwell, but no general ban either. What counts are fire safety, your lease, the house rules and what is agreed in the building. This guide covers the essentials in five steps. It is not legal advice.

Why prams and bikes in the stairwell cause problems

In everyday life it is rarely about principle, but about very practical consequences:

• Escape route: in a fire, the stairwell is often the only way out. Smoke takes away visibility and every obstacle becomes a trip hazard – for the fire brigade climbing up with equipment, too.
• Fire load: prams, buggies and pannier bags are largely made of fabric, foam and plastic. Whatever burns in the stairwell fills the whole escape route with smoke.
• Cleaning: whoever cleans has to work around parked items. Sand, leaves and water marks stay behind under and beside the pram.
• Neighbours: narrow landings, dirt from wheels and awkward squeezes with shopping bags quickly lead to friction.

Not all items are judged the same way:

1. Keep the escape route clear: what fire safety says

The Swiss fire prevention advice centre BFB/CIPI states that entrances, stairwells and corridors must be kept free and gives a passage width of 1.20 metres with no combustible materials. The exact rules for your building follow from the cantonal fire safety regulations and your property management.

In practice this means a pram must not narrow the stairs or landing, block a door or stand in front of the building entrance or the lift. Even a small model can be too much on a narrow spiral staircase.

2. Pram in the stairwell: check your lease and the house rules

Whether a pram may stay in the stairwell is often set out in the house rules. The German-speaking Swiss tenants' association (Mieterinnen- und Mieterverband) points out that house rules are only binding if they were made part of the lease. They also tell you who cleans the stairwell and what applies to items left there.

Many house rules allow prams in one specific place, such as the ground-floor entrance hall, and ban bikes and other items on the upper floors. If nothing specific is written down, ask property management. In a condominium (Stockwerkeigentum), the regulations and the owners' meeting decide.

3. Find a solution with neighbours and property management

Most disputes can be settled by talking, before a notice on the board or a letter from property management arrives:

1. Raise it early: tell your neighbours you are looking for a place for the pram – ideally before it first appears in the stairwell.
2. Suggest a fixed spot: a recess on the ground floor where it is in nobody's way is usually well accepted.
3. Involve property management: ask for a short written confirmation of where the pram may stand. That gives everyone clarity.
4. Listen to criticism: if space gets tight, look for another solution together rather than insisting on the old spot.

4. Alternatives: bike room, cellar and compact models

There are often better places in the building than the stairwell:

• Bike room: with a little order, bikes, trailers and often a pram fit in. Tips in our guide to the bike room in an apartment building.
• Cellar or storage room: ideal for a second pram, the carrycot in winter or the balance bike.
• Buy compact: a buggy that folds with one hand fits into the lift or the wardrobe.
• Hang it up: wall hooks in the cellar or bike room free up floor space – fit them only with property management's consent.

5. Park it cleanly: wheels, wet weather and cleaning

If the pram is allowed to stay in the stairwell, a few habits keep things clean:

• Knock or wipe the wheels off outside the entrance in rain, snow or grit.
• Put a washable mat or tray under the pram.
• On cleaning day, move or fold the pram so the floor underneath can be cleaned too.
• Do not leave bags, toys or rain covers lying next to it.

Wet boots outside the door raise similar questions – see our guide shoes in the stairwell. How to clean the frame, fabric and wheels thoroughly is explained in pushchair cleaning.

Common mistakes

• "Everyone else does it": a cluttered stairwell is not a free pass, just a bigger risk.
• Bikes on the landing: unlike an everyday pram, bikes belong in the bike room.
• Charging in the hallway: never charge e-bike batteries in the stairwell or corridor.
• Silent resentment: anonymous notes harden positions – a direct conversation usually helps more.
• Wet wheels: sand and meltwater leave marks and make the floor slippery.

Priority Clean editorial teamOur cleaning team from Alberswil, Canton of Lucerne, shares hands-on experience from move-out, house, office and window cleaning across Central and Northwestern Switzerland.