PENSIONERS living in a sheltered housing complex say they have been "treated like kids" by their council landlords.
The tenants in The Court, off Blanchmans Road in Warlingham, say restrictions, imposed by Tandridge District Council, are impairing their quality of life.
Betty Roberts, 66, said she was told by the council to remove a dozen pot plants and a barbecue from the communal grounds, adding: "I was upset because I was only trying to brighten up the place."
She said a ban on using the common room after 10pm daily was also frustrating. "How are we expected to see the New Year in?" she retorted.
Another tenant, Barry McDonald, 84, said: "With all this 'you can't do this, you can't do that' it feels like we are being treated like kids."
He said part of the outdoor area had become overgrown, with weeds on the once-pristine lawn.
Another elderly resident said she was told she could not sit outside her flat with a group of friends because of noise issues, although the council refuted this claim.
Council spokeswoman Giuseppina Valenza said: "We have not stopped residents at Blanchman's Road using barbecues, but we have asked them to remove them from the communal areas when they have finished and put them somewhere safe until they have cooled down.
"We also asked residents to move the pot plants to make sure they were not a trip hazard.
"Residents can still sit outside with friends and are free to use the communal areas as outlined in their conditions of tenancy.
"We have restricted the use of the common room to before 10pm as it is close to other residents' properties and they have a right to peace and quiet in their own homes."
East Surrey MP Sam Gyimah took the residents' grievance to the council earlier this year.
He said: "Weekly spot checks at The Court will continue until significant improvements are evidenced in the quality of the grounds maintenance."
