Did you know that an average person in New York spends 107 hours per year looking for parking? It’s 85 hours in Los Angeles, 65 in Washington DC, and 17 in the whole US, according to Inrix. The numbers are scary: you could get so much done in this time. What if you don’t want to waste so much time? You can choose buses or bikes or scooters, of course. You can also rent a parking space. Learn why it is good and how to do it.
Advantages of reserving a parking spot
As we said before, looking for parking takes lots of time, especially in busy cities. And time is money. It is often the primary reason why people reserve parking spots. You can also choose where to park. Because of this you won’t have to walk 20 minutes to your destination after parking. You can rent a parking spot closer.
Renting a parking space can also be safer. You can rent garages, not just spots in open space. Garages will protect your car from both accidental scratching and poor weather conditions.
Finally, it’s affordable and allows you to manage your budget better. If you try finding parking yourself every day, you might only find an expensive place. Also, if you are paying for parking often, the hourly fees can add up to a large amount. Renting a spot for long periods can often be more cost-effective.
If you are a small business owner, you might also want to rent parking spaces for your employees. This way you can ensure that they always come on time: or at least that they cannot use the excuse of trouble finding parking when coming in late. It will also be very much appreciated by your employees and make them more loyal to your company.
Apps to rent a parking spot
There are many various parking apps. The choice often depends on your location because many apps only work in certain cities. We will overview a few of the apps and websites where you could reserve your parking spot.
SpotHero: there is both a website and an app where you can reserve parking spots. It is best if you are looking to park in a garage since there are lots of spots in garages offered. You can reserve parking spaces for 50% of the drive-up rate.
ParkMe is also focused on garages and lots, but you can find on-street parking spots too. It boasts of having 240,000 locations in 16,000 cities: the database is one of the largest. You can rent a parking space up to 2 weeks in advance.
Parker is also worth checking out if you want to park on-street. However, it does not allow you to pay for the spot. It only shows the likelihood of being able to park there.
ParkWhiz both shows you locations of the parking spots and allows you to reserve and pre-pay for those spots. You can also compare the prices. They also promise to help save more than the others: 60% of the drive-up rate. ParkWhiz also owns BestParking, which lets you find parking spaces in many cities and airports in lots in garages. However, you cannot reserve a parking spot with this app.
XRental is also planning to offer parking spots for rent soon. You will be able to rent from owners: we will provide reliability and safety.
Tips when looking for parking
If you are an inexperienced driver, choose a larger parking space. It will be easier to park, and the probability of scratching other cars is way lower. The likelihood of someone scratching your car is also lower. Also, people usually want to park as close to the entrance of the building they need to reach. However, your car can get scratched easier this way because many people and vehicles pass by. Finally, if you are looking to save, rent for longer periods instead of shorter ones.
Perhaps you own a parking space yourself? Check out our article on renting out parking spaces.