How to Resolve Common Parking Issues in Your HOA

January 12, 2021

Your homeowner’s association should be a place where owners can comfortably park their cars and have ample parking opportunities for their guests when company arises. However, without proper HOA managed rules and regulations in place, parking can easily become a hassle within an HOA community.

In order to prevent common parking issues like crowded streets and overflowing driveways, here are some regulations that association board members can implement if they aren’t already in place.

Regulate Where Owners can Park Cars

Most HOAs or condominium complexes have specific rules about where owners can park their cars. Most of the time, owners in an association use their driveways as designated parking spots, where condo owners usually have specific spots in their community’s parking lot.

When it comes to cars in the driveway, HOAs do have the ability to restrict the type of car that is parked in the driveway. Uniformity is essential, and if a car is in poor or inoperable condition, the board has every right to ask homeowners to park that vehicle inside of their garage.

HOAs that are gated communities have control over the streets within their communities. Therefore, there can be rules against how many cars can be parked on areas like curbsides. However, if your association includes public roads, your board doesn’t have jurisdiction over vehicles parked along that road and you should contact local authorities if there are any parking issues between owners, their guests, and the board.

Regulate Parking Duration

One of the most common questions homeowners may have is how long they can park their cars in designated parking before action is taken against their vehicles. When it comes to driveways, the answer is typically unlimited since the driveway is part of their property.

However, your HOA board can regulate how long owners can park along private roads near their property or in common parking spaces for the community. In some associations, homeowners can park in areas off of their property for up to 24-hours before association action is taken. Other associations have posted designated parking hours that leave a small window for parking use.

Some association owners may view parking duration regulations as an infringement of their independence in the community. However, this particular restriction is essential to keeping up the property value of the community by preventing owners from leaving abandoned cars within parking spaces throughout the neighborhood.

Prohibit Different Vehicle Types

Most associations have rules in place that prohibit certain vehicle types from being parked on an owner’s property. The main purpose of this rule is to prevent large, clunky vehicles from becoming an eyesore within the community.

Some of the most common prohibited vehicles include the following:

Boats
RVs
Commercial Vehicles
Trailers

Even if the vehicles are in pristine condition, it is still in the interest of your board to maintain the uniformity and the appeal of a community in order to continually increase property value throughout the association.

Why Do Parking Regulations Matter?

Aside from the curb appeal necessary to an association, there are several reasons why your board should consider implementing parking regulations throughout the community. Regulations and consequences that come with violations like fees and towing help prevent issues that include:

Illegal/inadequate handicap parking
Poor parking opportunities for guests
Residents parking in unauthorized areas
Inadequate resident parking

Create Helpful Parking Regulation with the Help of Goodwin & Company

If you and your homeowner’s association board are working on improving numerous regulations for your association in the new year, work with an association management team that can help push your decisions in the right direction.

Goodwin & Company is an experienced Dallas HOA and condo management team that can help your board get through the essentials of association management. From dues collection to regulatory compliance, we’re always ready to be your team behind the scenes that push your neighborhood forward.