Do you offer onsite parking to guests?

[Liv]

Hey everyone,

Some Hosts say that offering a sought after amenity can help increase the number of bookings. On the other hand, I'm guessing that some amenities may not be worth the effort for everyone. After all every listing is unique and what works for one Host, won't necessarily work for the other. 

With this in mind, I'm curious to hear your take on one particular amenity: parking. 

Do you offer parking to guests? Do you think that has had any positive impact in the number of bookings? 

It would also be great to hear about any tips or insights from when you hosted guests that drove their car to the property 🙂

Thanks,

Liv

[Sarah977]

@Liv   I don't understand your topic question.

If hosts have a place for guests to park, they do not normally charge guests for that. If there are parking costs involved because of the location of the rental, why would hosts pay for that out of their own pocket? They would either have to charge extra for those who require parking, or include that expense in their nightly fee if the majority of their guests have cars.

[Liv]

Hey @Sarah977,

Thanks for pointing that out!

You're right, it didn't make sense. I wanted to ask about parking in general, I agree that Hosts shouldn't pay for it out of their own pocket. 

I edited my question, hopefully now it makes more sense.

Thanks,

Liv

[Lorna170]

@Liv   My properties are stand alone, whole house rentals.  The parking is in the driveway of the property and is therefore free.  It certainly attracts guests to my listing.

If I were renting an apartment in a city building with a designated space in a parking garage that I pay a fee for, the parking cost for the guest would be included in the rate charged for each night.   Free, safe parking in a city would be a perk that would attract guests.

If I rent my vacation property in a community that requires registering the cars of guests and purchasing tags or permits, then the guest would be charged for those tags and permits, especially to discourage the guest from bringing more vehicles and guests than permitted into the community.

If I am renting a room on a residential street that has free parking, the guest would not be charged a fee to park.  

If I rent a room on a residential street that has parking by decal/permit/registered tag only, and there is a fee associated with obtaining a decal/permit/tag, then the guest would be charged that fee or it would be rolled into the nightly rate for the first vehicle only.  

Realistically, free parking is relevant to the property and location ... I am sure that there are (city) hosts who advertise free parking, but it may be available several blocks away and may also be difficult to obtain ... but it is free!

[Debra300]

@Liv,

We offer free parking with all of our listings.  Note that none of them are located in an area where parking is difficult or has a cost.

[Loni56]

@Lorna170. nos temos garagem uma vaga para cada apartamento 

e deixo 

claro no anuncio e uma vaga

e gratuita

estacionar na rua também e gratuito

e de fácil acesso

eu acho importante esta comodidade!!

Abraço!!

[Laura2592]

@Liv we offer onsite parking because we have a big lot and a big long driveway. There is also no public transportation nearby so guests will have extremely limited options for food or entertainment without a car. Its hard to even have reliable Uber or Lyft at our space. 

Our neighbors in New Orleans do ABB. They do not offer parking. New Orleans is the WORST city to have a car in, especially if you are just a tourist for a weekend or week. The streets are narrow, the location the space is in,  quite walkable (95 walk score), the French Quarter (big tourist draw) has few parking options and is only a few blocks away, Lyft and Uber are quite reliable, and car break ins are rampant. My neighbor tells guests not to bring cars but some still insist and then complain about the issues listed above. If I was hosting my space there I would not offer parking, and probably would not allow guests who insisted on bringing a car for a brief stay (unless it was some kind of accommodation for decreased mobility, etc). 

I think a better question to ask instead of  if hosts offer parking, is if guests NEED parking at their space. Not to beat an environmental drum but people sometimes foolishly drive when there is no need.  Many cities were not originally built for cars and have infrastructure to move people around. Biking, walking and ridesharing are more appropriate than bringing an automobile. Savvy guests will check walk scores and map out locations before even booking. 

[Helen427]

Thanks for asking @Liv 

Yes  I do offer parking both on and off street.

I tend to ask my Guests if they are bringing a vehicle for the Car Rego, Make and Colour so as to know who will be parking on the property.

It also helps knowing if they will be able to drive down the drive as the property was designed and built in era prior to SUPERSIZE vehicles.

As @Laura2592 has pointed out, some places don't have wide streets, or parking.

Streets in many areas were designed for Horse and Carriages, and previously known as Carriageways, and when cars came along they were small Model T FORDS, Citroens, Bambinos and VW Beetles.

These days they are redesigning Towns and Cities for a mixture of Vehicles and pedestrians in the same Laneways and removing street parking in many Residential areas and plonking Huge Pot Plant Tubs on the actual street.

Sadly no one has thought of the 'consequences' of this as oft Emergency services and Drumroll, Modern EV's which are generally larger simply can't always squeeze through - they also take up much more road parking space.

Did you do any travel in the trusty ole Kombi Van as in the photo fellow CC readers?

I bet if you did you have lots of fun stories to share.

They used to be either Red or White when they came out and now they are all manner of colours.

[John5097]

@Liv Our city requires one private parking place for short term rentals on the property such as a driveway plus the required parking spaces for the rest of the dwelling. Locally we call this "off street parking" as the term originated in the city. Parking is a huge deal in the city. I also include info and options for parking info in the city, beach and all of the places I mention in the guest guide, as well as Uber and public transportation. Most of my guest have a car or rent one but a good many just Uber, or combo of both. I also promote alternative transportation but that is very slow going. If guest are looking to be within walking distance I suggest staying in the city, although most guest are very savvy about what their transpiration options are so kind of weigh things out.  

Anyway, this is the driveway I created for guest. I actually use it now and let guest use the driveway directly in front of of the rental unit. The drive also serves to improve drainage and good for the environment as the water drains down and can plant grass or gravel. I did this a year before making the listing, as parking is the most important feature to get a permit. 



  

[Sarah977]

@John5097  Nice work. Thank you for doing that in an environmentally sound way.  We can't keep paving the surface of the earth with solid concrete. The green stuff produces the oxygen we breathe and an ever-growing planetary population with less oxygen is something we and future generations will all pay for eventually if people don't smarten up. 

I've read some articles that point out that the earth actually has depleted levels of oxygen, compared to what it used to be, and that facilitates the proliferation of viruses and bacteria which can't survive in a high oxygen environment. 

[John5097]

Thanks @Sarah977 , not sure if anyone is checking but we do have building codes that include width of driveway that can be paved. In my situation it keeps it from shooting down my neighbor's drive way and into the marsh. Its all the run off from paved road, even houses, so that it doesn't have a chance to filter though the ground and changes the salinity as well a other oil and such from cars. One day I may extend it so can install car charger on the house and may just use gavel.  

[Heather133]

@John5097 what a beautiful and responsible way to create parking! Thanks for sharing your photos! 

Our listing is in an area where most guests bring cars and we have plenty of space in our driveway for them. We do ask guests to let us know if they will be bringing more than one vehicle so that we can work out where they should put them when the snow plows come. When I know it's going to snow I often lift the windshield wipers on guests cars to make it easier for them to clear off before they head to the ski slopes.

I do appreciate when other hosts make it clear in their listing if parking in a neighborhood is a challenge so that I can think through my plans.

[John5097]

@Heather133 thanks Heather! They are essentially permeable pavers, meaning the water can drain down though them. That is an issue here with all the development. These are also used in commercial applications and can hold 5x the weight of 4 inch slab of concrete. Some buildings use them around the perimeter so it looks like grass but a fire truck can drive around it with ladder trucks or whatever. 

That's so considerate of you to keep up with your guest parking. They must appreciate the great communication. Mine is just one bedroom so I state only one car and it has to kept in the drive way. Thankfully no one has tried to invite a bunch of friends over. 

[Elaine701]

@Liv 

We have a lot of land, and yes, lots of parking. 30 cars, easily (depending on time of year, it can be muddy in the rainy season) 

We're in the country, so all guests need a car, but we also host "events" (sometimes booked on Airbnb), so parking is fundamentally important for that.

But I'd agree with others that if a host has parking available on premises, then they have parking. It certainly can't be a downside. If they don't have parking, obviously it certainly could be seen as a downside, unless the property is in the middle of a busy resort, where guests don't need a car. 

[Renato324]

As our property is in the country, we have plenty of parking space. For ease of our guests knowing where to park in front of the house, we have placed a small “guest parking” sign.