How many times have you come home and found that someone has parked in front of your house? And not just one car, but two or three! Now, we all know parking is at a premium these days.
Neighbors parking in front of my house can come at a cost and I’m sure you’ve experienced this frustration too. But what can you do about it when they’re sitting right in front of your own residence?
Read on for some suggestions on how to stop someone from parking in front of your house so you can prevent this nuisance from happening again.
6 Ways to Stop People From Parking in Front of Your House
Table of Contents
You may feel helpless when you see someone else’s car out front, but there are actually many things you can do to improve the situation.
Legally you can not stop people parking in front of your home. The most effective way to stop neighbors parking in front of your house is to talk to them. If that doesn’t work, you could park in the spot yourself, use cones or as a last resort, make a complaint to your local law enforcement agency.
Here are some of our top suggestions of how to stop someone from parking in front of your house:
1. Talk to Them (If You Know Who They Are)
First, you need to have a conversation with anyone who has parked in front of your house. Make sure to be friendly and let them know why you need them to stop parking in front of your house.
You could say something like, “Hey! I know it’s a tight squeeze for everyone now with all the cars here, but is there any chance you guys can park around the corner?”
They may not be aware they’re causing an inconvenience and will certainly appreciate being asked about their plans as opposed to being told. A short polite conversation may deterrents parking in front of house for good.
Not only does this take the pressure off of you, but it could also prevent future problems should they decide to park in front of someone else’s house or property as well.
2. Park Your Own Vehicle in The Spot
If you have a car or truck that’s similar in size to the vehicle(s) parking in front of your house, consider moving your own car and taking its place.
The downside to this option is that you’ll have to put your vehicle on the street, which may be less safe or leave your car more vulnerable to small accidents. If you live on a quiet street, this shouldn’t be much of a concern.
You probably won’t be able to leave your car there forever and prevent someone from coming back and parking, but this may let them know that this area isn’t a good spot for them and they may move on to parking in another area regularly.
3. Put a No Parking Sign Up
If people see a no parking sign, they are unlikely to take that spot, since it can be quite a headache to deal with tickets, boots, and towing.
The problem is, it isn’t legal to place no parking signs on public roads. And yes, the street right in front of your house is considered to be a public road.
One way you can go about this is by contacting the town or city and asking them to place a sign that states “no parking,” but it’s unlikely they will do this for one person unless there is an extreme situation going on.
Another option is that you can put the no parking sign in your own yard, directly on your private property. This is technically allowed by law.
Make sure you position it so that people can see it since you won’t be able to put it directly on the street.
4. Put a Note on the Cars
If you don’t know who is parking in front of your house but see the same car every day, you can try placing a note on their windows that says something to the effect of “Please do not park here. Thank you.”
If you’re experiencing many different people parking in front of your home, you may want to photocopy several notes that you can easily leave on a car rather than handwriting each one.
Make sure to be polite when writing these notes. Since people don’t have to respect your request, you should make sure you don’t come across as threatening or angry.
5. Put Down Cones
If you have cones or another type of marker, you can place them on the street behind your car so that people don’t park their cars in front of yours.
Put a cone or two right behind your own vehicle to let others know that they are not allowed to park there.
This will also make it easier for snowplows during the winter months.
6. Make a Complaint
If none of these options work, you can contact your local government and ask them to take care of the problem.
You will likely have to provide proof that this is a consistent issue and not just an isolated incident in order for them to be able to do anything about it.
Can You Stop Someone Parking Outside Your House?
Legally speaking, you can only tell your neighbors or visitors that they can’t park in front of your house if there is a specific permit meant for residents of the street.
You may also be able to stop them from parking in this area if they are causing an unsafe obstruction, such as blocking a fire hydrant or sidewalk.
However, if the vehicle isn’t doing any harm and it’s your neighbor that’s parking in front of your home without a permit or permission from you, there isn’t much you can do other than ask them nicely not to park there.
How Long Can a Car Be Parked in Front of My House?
If your neighbor is parking in front of your house without the proper permit, they could be fined for doing so.
While it is different in certain jurisdictions, cars can’t be abandoned on a public street for over 72 hours, or three days.
There may also be HOA regulations and rules that you need to follow, so be sure to check your neighborhood’s regulations before taking any action.
In certain areas, a law also states that you are not allowed to park somewhere if it’s considered “nuisance parking.”
This means that if your neighbor’s car is causing a problem, you can ask them to move their vehicle. If they don’t, it could result in a fine for doing so after the allotted time has passed.
Final Thoughts
It can be a pain to have someone park in front of your house, whether it’s done on purpose or simply because they don’t know any better. If you’re not able to stop the car from parking there, try one of these options and see if that helps!
Remember to be kind to your neighbor when dealing with this issue.
While you may feel that they are being inconsiderate, they may have more pressing issues at hand or may even be unaware that this upsets you at all.
If it’s something that you don’t feel like you can handle, ask your local government to help out.
Related: How to Get a Car Towed