How to Manage Tenant Parking Problems

As a commercial property manager, you work hard to provide your tenants with quality housing. From helping with maintenance requests to answering questions about leases, you help residents with various issues each day. In turn, you create a safe and amenable living space for each of your tenants.

One of the most complicated aspects of multifamily properties is parking availability. While parking spots are typically offered at every apartment complex, residents sometimes face difficulties when trying to park their vehicles. You want to ensure every tenant has a reliable place to park, but sometimes overcrowding or lack of availability make this goal challenging.

Here is an overview of how to fix car parking issues in apartments and other commercial property units.

What Kind of Tenant Parking Problems Should You Expect?

Many apartment leases include parking. If this is the case at your property, every tenant can expect and should receive a parking space for the duration of their lease. However, problems with parking often arise, especially in places like college towns or busy cities. And the increase in car usage and bigger vehicle sizes can make parking all the more difficult.

A resident might run into several parking issues, such as:

• Not enough parking: Sometimes, the number of tenants outnumbers the number of available parking spaces. This lack is more widespread in multifamily properties where units have three or more bedrooms. These properties often have more drivers per unit, and providing sufficient parking availability becomes complicated. Tenants might have to park down the street or away from the complex due to a lack of availability.
• No parking near the building: Another common problem occurs when a complex provides parking far away from the actual property. The spaces might have high availability but be so distant that they offer no convenience for tenants. When your residents need to carry groceries or other items to their apartments, the parking situation is a hassle.
• Guests taking up tenant parking: Lastly, residents might also lose their parking spots to guests. Tenants enjoy inviting guests over, but this can create issues for parking. If too many visitors use tenant parking spaces, they limit the availability for residents.

When residents don’t have access to parking, they might have to park their vehicles far away from their apartments. Other tenants might try to park in an area that would create unsafe conditions, such as in a fire lane or reserved accessible parking spots. These scenarios could cause more problems or even car accidents, so providing sufficient parking availability is extremely important.

How to Resolve and Prevent Apartment Parking Issues

Luckily, property managers can solve these parking problems several different ways. All tenants deserve a fair and stress-free parking experience, and residential managers can try many new strategies to create a more favorable environment. In response, your property’s reputation could improve. More potential residents might hear about your services and become interested in living there.

These are some ideas for resolving apartment parking issues:

• Assigning parking spots to tenants: One popular strategy is assigning particular spaces to residents. First, label each parking spot with a letter or number. When a resident signs a lease and indicates they will need parking along with their unit, you can designate a specific parking spot for them. With assigned parking in apartment complexes, all tenants have a space that only they can use. Because every resident uses their guaranteed space, this reduces the potential for parking disputes or other issues.
• Creating parking restrictions: You can also establish restrictions on parking for your property. If you notice your complex has too many guests and this causes parking issues, you could create limitations for guests. Limit tenants to only one guest vehicle at a time, and make it clear that any more won’t have parking available to them. Or require tenants to park only in front of their designated building. These apartment parking space rules can reduce confusion about parking and make it easier for all users.
• Towing cars that don’t have parking permits: Another way to decrease parking problems is the requirement of a parking permit for residents. Use decals or rearview mirror hangers to indicate that the car belongs to a resident. If you require these across your property, it becomes easier to spot visitors or those without guaranteed parking. To enforce the permits, tow cars without them. Once you make it clear that you won’t tolerate cars without permits, fewer people will try to use the lot.
• Building a guest parking lot: With a guest parking lot, you can create a clear separation between residents and guests. This division restricts guests from taking resident parking spaces. You can explain in residents’ leases that guests can only park in the visitor parking lot and enforce it by checking parking permits in the resident lot. You should also post signs that clearly designate which lot is for visitors and which is for tenants.
• Repainting parking lines: A creative way to help with parking problems is by rearranging your lot. By repainting parking lines, you can often create more availability for residents and guests. It’s a cost-effective strategy if physically expanding the lot is out of your price range. Try implementing angled parking spots. These can create more spaces than straight lines and make for a smoother parking experience.
• Expanding the parking lot: Finally, if you experience high demand for more spaces and other strategies aren’t helping, you can also expand your entire parking lot. Adding more spaces or rows for residents could be the best solution for your property. An abundance of parking availability makes parking much easier for tenants and decreases the possibility of accidents.

When you try any of these approaches, you could reduce common parking issues your residents face. And a more efficient parking process enhances a tenant’s entire residency.

Expand Your Parking Lot With ToriTom Services

An attractive and high-quality parking lot is an essential component of a residential property. Providing your residents with accessible and convenient parking is a great way to build rapport and show your concern for your residents.

If you’re a Florida property manager looking to expand or maintain your parking lot, look no further than ToriTom Services. Our wide range of lot services will ensure your area stays clean, safe and attractive. Whether you need an update on striping, asphalt repair services or anything in between, ToriTom can help you create an optimized parking lot.

For more information, contact ToriTom Services today.