Case Study - www.parkatmyhouse.com

Website unites land owners and parkers

A free website puts residents with spare parking spaces and empty driveways in touch with drivers who need a place to park. The service might ease the high demand for parking with no extra cost to local authorities.

Anyone with a driveway, garage or other piece of land that isn’t in use all the time can log on to the site www.parkatmyhouse.com to offer their space to drivers.

Young entrepreneur Anthony Eskinazi founded the scheme in the UK and launched it together with Katie Harvey, Head of Marketing and Strategy, in October 2006. The team is constantly exploring green travel ideas.

Beneficial for councils

“By encouraging compact, off-road parking ParkatmyHouse.com will prevent parked vehicles from clogging up the streets and contributing to congestion. This in turn will make roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists and improve accessibility for public transport and emergency vehicles”, said Katie.

On a similar note, if property-owners use ParkatmyHouse.com to make spaces available and parking easy for drivers around major public transport hubs, the service will help promote so-called ‘integrated travel’. Thereby people use their car for one part of their journey before parking it and hopping on the bus, train or tube to reach their destination.

“If ParkatmyHouse.com can preserve land by reducing the need to concrete over green turf and build new parking facilities, we’d be very happy”, said Katie.

So far one council is set to support the scheme – South Somerset District Council sees it as a brilliant way of easing congestion. Furthermore, a number of Residents Associations have requested further details.

Founding the site

The idea for the parking project came to Anthony when he was on holiday in San Francisco but couldn’t find a parking space.
“We passed so many driveways where we could have parked but didn't have permission. I thought it would be useful to pay someone $10 to let me park at their house”, said Anthony.

Access to the website is free, but the plan is to make money through advertising and by charging local businesses for attracting shoppers who would otherwise be put off by a lack of parking.

Popular locations

The cost of a space depends on many different variables, including the distance to major transport links and proximity to major attractions or high streets. It also varies according to the facilities available, such as the space including lighting and CCTV security, or whether it is underground.

Depending on the location people letting out their spot in urban areas can expect to earn around £30 a week. The price is much dependent on the demand for parking in the area. Some spaces are earning over £3,000 a year and parking spaces around sports venues are going for £10 a day.

The site allows people to use a search bar and enter a postcode, city, place or keyword.

Resident permit holders

The website is only there to provide a means of communication between owners and parkers. Only people who have the legal right to decide how a piece of land is used can list it on the website. Landowners who are unsure about the status of their available space are advised to contact their local council before listing their space on the site.

If the space is provided by the council then it is unlikely that it would be legal to rent this out to other people. ParkatmyHouse.com does not encourage the sale or lease of residents’ permits since the land concerned is council property.

In the event that property-owners collect income through renting out their driveway to a third party, they must declare that income to HM Revenue and Customs on their tax return.

Parking your car in someone else's driveway does not affect your car insurance as long as the vehicle isn’t left at the alternative location for more than six months within the same year. So just like when parked at a standard commercial car park or on the main road, the car is left at the owner’s own risk and depending on car insurance.

Short-term or long-term

Using the calendar on the website, space owners advertise the selective times when their space is available. Space can be advertised for any length of time between thirty minutes and one year.

Motorists and cyclists can arrange to leave their vehicle in a driveway on a one-off or regular, short-term or long-term basis.

Listing available spaces on ParkatmyHouse.com is completely free and space owners are contacted directly through the site.

The website has tens of thousands of hits a day and has featured frequently in the national media since its launch.

Supporting local businesses

Town centres throughout the UK are generally well-serviced by public transport but that doesn’t stop motorists being put off visiting high streets by the difficulty of finding a parking place.

“The way we see it, if residents around town centres lend their support to the service, ParkatmyHouse.com will improve access to high streets, encouraging shoppers and visitors into the area and helping local businesses flourish”, said Katie.

For more information, please see www.parkatmyhouse.com