Every apartment building manager must face the challenge of assigned and enforced parking spaces. Especially when it comes to guest parking. Not only do you have to deal with the usual politics of resident parking, but there is also the added security concerns and unknown variables that guests bring with them. As the holiday season approaches, the issue of guest parking looms even larger, as many of your residents will have family and friends over during the seasonal celebrations. Some guests will stay for a few hours, some will stay for a week or more. And they all need a place to park.
While you are preparing to jump through the usual hoops to keep holiday guest parking under control, it helps to be able to predict how many guests, exactly who will be arriving, and how they will access the appropriate parking. Today, the parking experts here at ParqEx are here to help with 5 holiday guest parking best practices.
1) Have Guest Spaces Set Aside
First, naturally you must have parking spaces available for guests. This sounds like a no-brainer, but you might be surprised how many busy apartment buildings don’t have any guest parking set aside. And even more important than simply knowing there are spaces available is clearly marking where guests are supposed to park.
Clear signs directing visitors to guest parking and clearly reserved guest spaces can help you to prevent the biggest guest parking problem: Spot theft. Avoid angry residents and confused guests by designating specific parking spots for guest parking.
2) Know How Many Guest Cars to Expect
Next, it is very useful to know exactly how many guest cars you are expecting. Remember, this is different from knowing how many actual guests will be expecting to stay or visit your apartment building this holiday. Four adults could come in one car or four, and the difference is vital when planning for parking spaces.
Ask your residents to RSVP for their guests, letting you know how many vehicles will need to be accommodated in the parking garage. They don’t need to solidify their plans immediately, just know how many cars and approximately what days they are expected.
3) A Convenient Method for Guest Parking Access
You also want to make sure guests can actually get inside your parking garage before they arrive. If you want to be a superstar of parking management, figure out a way that does not involve waiting by the gate to be allowed in by a resident or doorman. An ideal option, if your infrastructure supports it, is to provide guests and authorized mobile app that can serve as a convenient garage door opener. This way, you don’t have to buzz in guests or give them a valuable opener.
4) Have Guests Reserve the Space They Want
For many guests, there are two primary worries about guest parking. First, they want to know there will be a parking space for them upon arrival. And second, they may care deeply about how close that space is to doors, stairs, and elevators. Consider allowing your guests to reserve the specific guest parking space they want. This is not only good for guest peace of mind, it’s also great for your security and parking management.
Ideally, guests or residents will be able to reserve a guest spot before anyone even gets on the road.
5) Keep Track of Who is Parked in Guest Spaces
Speaking of security, no doubt this is a real concern for any building manager with a residents-only parking situation. You need to know that guests parked in your guest spots are approved by residents, expected, and in the spot they reserved. The best way to do this is to know exactly which cars you expect to see in specific spots.
This will allow you to keep track of whether A) unauthorized people are parking in guest spots or B) If an expected guest parked in the wrong slot by accident.
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As a dedicated building manager, naturally you want your residents’ guests to feel welcome in your community and parking garage. While these best practices may seem advanced for traditional methods, precise guest parking management is a piece of cake with the help of the ParqEx Guest Park solution. For more information about how ParqEx can transform the way you manage both resident and guest parking, contact us today!
