Of the many issues that could arise between landlord and tenant, parking is the one thing you want to avoid. Even more so when your tenants need to park more than one or two vehicles and your Galveston rental property only has limited space. To maintain order and avoid tenant frustration, be sure to include rules regarding vehicles and parking in your lease document and offer reasonable parking solutions to your tenant.
Parking by the Rules
Each rental property offers a unique challenge when it comes to the availability of parking space near or around your rental property. Always err on the side of caution and include parking clauses in your lease agreement with tenants even if your property is large enough to not have parking issues. The vast majority of leases impose a maximum number of vehicles a tenant can park around the property. Some leases specifically do not allow a tenant from parking oversized or recreational vehicles on the property, such as boats and RVs. But since every scenario presents a different set of circumstances, your lease can cover a lot more than what’s normal. The street may be used for parking in one neighborhood but not for others. Right from the start, tenants should be aware of the places that they cannot park such as in the yard, near dumpsters, or on an adjacent property. In order to avoid misunderstandings with your tenants, discuss the parking rules and expectations with them and get them on board.
Parking Solutions
From time to time, parking rules are not the cure-all solution for tenants. Oftentimes, when your rental property is in a highly urbanized area where parking space is in short supply. Even if your rental is not located in the city, your tenants can still have trouble finding a place to park their vehicles. Such difficult conditions will require clever solutions for you to improve your tenants’ parking options.
If your Galveston rental property is a house and ample land around it, then you have several options to consider. If there is no covered parking or no garage on your property, now may be the best time to install a carport near your house. Carports are very attractive to tenants and it easily drives them towards your rental home. It may make your resale value really look good as well. More often, renters are so interested in covered parking that they would consider a rental because of it. But before diving in with the construction project, make sure to check the zoning laws first.
If a carport does not fit or your rental property does not have a large enough driveway, you can still increase your parking by making an adjacent paved or gravel area for parking vehicles. This area could be anywhere near the property and you don’t need to go all out on this. But do not sacrifice curb appeal. If you turn your front yard into a parking lot, some tenants may get turned off by this. Look for other areas on your property instead.
For rental properties with small yards, small driveways, and narrow streets, you have to get your thinking caps on to get good parking solutions. One course of action might be to rent parking from a neighbor or a nearby parking garage. Lease a nearby property that is sitting idle and lease it for your tenant’s use. One more way to lessen the cars inside your property is to form an agreement with the tenants that they park their cars or less used cars somewhere else, and in return, you give them public transit passes.
As a property owner, is it too much of a hassle for you to be running around attending to your tenant’s needs? Real Property Management Prestige is a skilled and experienced professional who can offer solutions to your parking issues. Contact us for more ideas about how you can make your Galveston rental property more appealing to renters while still offering what they need to live in comfort.
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