A Landlord’s Guide to Creating a Muti-Unit Housing Parking Plan
As a housing complex property manager, you put in a lot of work to provide your tenants with a comfortable place to live. Your tenants pay to be able to live on your property and in turn, you provide them with certain conveniences. One of the most important amenities at multi-unit housing complexes is parking. However, residents at multi-unit properties often experience difficulties with the parking situation. Overcrowding and a lack of parking space cause challenges for your tenants and you.
If you guarantee parking as part of your lease agreement, your tenants have a right to expect usable, accessible parking on your premises. Developing a parking plan can help you avoid parking problems on your property and satisfy your tenants. Check out these tips for creating an effective parking plan and implementing your apartment parking laws.
Why You Need a Parking Plan for Your Multi-Unit Property
A parking plan is a section of your lease agreement that outlines the parking rules and rights for the tenants in your multi-unit property. Creating and enforcing an effective parking plan can help you eliminate potential parking issues. Here are a few of the benefits of implementing a parking plan at your housing property:
1. It Keeps Your Tenants Happy
Your tenants want to be able to use the parking on your premises with as little headache as possible. When your tenants can access the parking they need and avoid hassles, they will be more satisfied with your housing complex. You can improve your tenants’ happiness with the parking situation by creating a parking plan that:
- Ensures tenants always have a parking space.
- Prevents guests from taking the tenants’ spots.
- Improves parking space accessibility.
2. It Prevents Conflicts Between Neighbors
As a landlord, you also want to reduce conflicts between your tenants. Creating comprehensive apartment parking space rules can help tenants understand your property’s parking expectations. When everyone understands and abides by the parking rules, disagreements decrease. An effective parking plan can help you keep the peace by:
- Reducing instances where tenants take each other’s parking spaces.
- Eliminating miscommunication about parking assignments.
- Keeping guests away from resident parking.
3. It Prevents Tenants From Moving Out Due to Parking Issues
Parking issues can cause more trouble than just making tenants frustrated with each other and you. If a tenant feels the parking situation is too difficult to navigate, they might decide to move out of your housing unit. Resolving parking issues swiftly and effectively can help you retain tenants.
4. It Ensures Both Parties Honor the Lease Agreement
Figuring out how to manage tenant parking is challenging enough on its own without adding legal complications. It all comes down to the details of your lease agreement and what rights and amenities you guarantee your tenants. If your lease agreement specifies that your tenants have a right to a certain number of parking spaces, you must provide them. Honoring the specific wording of your lease agreement protects you from legal action and from instances where your tenants fail to follow the parking rules.
Tips for Creating a Parking Policy for Your Apartment Complex
A parking policy for apartments should be thorough to eliminate as much confusion as possible. Your parking plan should also be unique to your housing complex situation. Consider these tips as you create a parking plan for your property:
1. Include Detailed Rules in the Lease Agreement
Your lease agreement provides your tenants with the necessary details for living at your multi-unit apartment complex. Include a comprehensive section dedicated to your parking plan, so tenants know your parking rules upfront. A parking plan also outlines tenant parking rights and addresses common difficulties that could emerge. Remember to tailor the language of your lease agreement to reflect your particular property and reduce conflicts.
Here are some of the top parking rules to include in your lease agreement:
- Designate the no-parking zones: Your city or municipality likely has rules about parking on the streets at certain times. Post signs about these regulations and check about other parking violations that could apply to your property. Specify where tenants should avoid parking to ensure they respect fire codes and emergency vehicle access areas. Include rules about tenants not parking on lawns, in front of dumpsters or in shared community spaces.
- Specify parking violation consequences: An effective parking plan should be enforceable. Outline the consequences of parking violations and provide tenants with your procedure for handling such violations. For instance, let tenants know how many warnings to expect before you have a vehicle towed and be specific about who is responsible for the cost of towing.
- Outline your rules for different vehicles: Some tenants might try to squeeze a motorcycle into the same parking space as their car or double park their cars. Simplify parking and reduce disputes by requiring one vehicle per parking spot. Include limits on vehicle size to keep non-standard automobiles like recreational vehicles out of your parking lot.
2. Assign Specific Parking Spaces to Each Tenant
An excellent way to reduce parking conflicts is to assign each housing unit to specific parking spaces in your lot. When tenants have assigned parking, it simplifies the process and helps ensure that there is always adequate parking space available. Whether your lot has angled or straight parking spaces, creating parking assignments saves time and eases traffic through your lot.
When a tenant signs your lease agreement, you should determine the number of vehicles they own to verify how many parking spaces they need. Then assign them to their parking spaces by number or letter. Some landlords paint numbers in parking spaces or create identification stickers for tenants to display in their vehicle’s window.
3. Create a Designated Spot for Guest Parking
When tenants invite guests to their apartment, your parking lot receives an influx of vehicles. Creating parking spaces specifically for guests can significantly reduce parking complications. Having guest parking separates guests from tenant parking and prevents guests from parking in your tenants’ designated parking spaces.
Some landlords have a separate lot for guests, while others create guest spots close to the tenant parking. Mark those spaces with signage and alert tenants of their location. It’s also essential to notify tenants and guests of your rules regarding guest parking, like when you’ll tow any vehicles parked in guest spaces.
4. Accommodate Residents With Disabilities
Some of your residents may have physical disabilities or mobility challenges that require special parking accommodations. Learn about ways to make your parking lot more accessible to provide better parking for tenants with disabilities.
Parking spaces for those with disabilities might be larger to accommodate a wheelchair or be closer to the resident’s unit. If a tenant submits a request for more accessible parking accommodations, you must comply with their request.
5. Ensure There Are Enough Spaces for Your Tenants’ Vehicles
Maximizing your multi-unit housing complex’s parking space is essential for making your parking lot tenant-friendly. Whether your apartment complex has a small parking lot or has access to a different parking structure, it’s vital to ensure you can accommodate your tenants’ vehicles. Your lease agreement should clarify how many parking spaces each tenant can access. Only guarantee the number of parking spaces you can reasonably provide based on your parking lot size.
If landlords need to increase their property’s parking space, they often work with professionals to create additional parking lots.
Contact ToriTom Services for Your Commercial Parking Lot Installation
Creating a comprehensive parking plan is a significant step in improving the parking situation at your apartment complex. A parking plan provides many benefits, from increasing tenant satisfaction to ensuring both parties honor the lease agreement.
When you need to maximize the parking at your Florida multi-unit housing complex, contact ToriTom Services. We offer dependable and timely parking lot installation services to help you optimize your current space or add to it. We’ll work with you at every step and prioritize your satisfaction.
The experienced team at ToriTom Services can help you create a durable parking space that meets the needs of your property and tenants. Contact us today to learn more!
