Free Street Parking

[Gabi272]

Hi everyone! Looking for feedback and insight from the community.

I always filter for "free parking" since we rent a car while traveling. Last month, we rented a place in Florida which had the "free street parking" filter. 24 hours prior to arrival, our host advised us that the free street parking was actually the parking lot of a Publix grocery store which was approximately a 10 min walk. When we arrived at Publix, there were private parking signs saying car would be towed. We spoke to the Manager who confirmed we could not park there. We ended up paying $55 American a night (5 nights) for valet. 

Both the host and AirBnb don't feel there's an issue.

[Kathy134]

That sounds like a really frustrating experience, and I can understand why you’d be upset. If a listing is advertised with "free street parking," guests should reasonably expect legal and accessible parking near the property—not a grocery store lot that explicitly prohibits overnight parking.

It’s disappointing that both the host and Airbnb didn’t acknowledge the issue. At the very least, the listing should have been more transparent about the actual parking situation. If you haven’t already, you might consider leaving an honest but fair review to inform future guests.

For future bookings, it might help to message the host before confirming to clarify parking details, especially in cities where parking can be tricky. I hope your next stay is a much better experience!

[Helen3]

I don't agree with the host or Airbnb if they advertised free off street parking and it wasn't available they should pay for your parking @Gabi272