How often do we hear other people talking that there is nowhere to leave their private or rental car? Even more often, we see situations when a person has problems with leaving the car for a long time. After all, when going abroad, we rarely can take our car with us. It is much more convenient to rent a car in another country. For instance, when using the car rental services to rent a car in Florida under 21.
So, now you decided to open your own parking lot. Everything is thought out, but you have to be prepared for different suddenness. Let us take a closer look at them.
There are different types of car storage and, accordingly, different responsibilities for leasing the place for parking and providing parking services.
A “car stacker” is an innovative solution designed to maximize parking space efficiency, especially in urban areas where parking is at a premium. It works by stacking vehicles vertically, often using hydraulic or mechanical lifts, allowing multiple cars to be parked in the footprint of one. This technology is a game-changer for residential and commercial buildings, offering a space-saving alternative to traditional parking lots. Car stackers not only optimize space but also add a level of security for the vehicles. They are becoming increasingly popular in modern construction projects, car dealerships, and high-density living areas, where the efficient use of space is crucial.
Parking lots could be of several types:
- Parking in a building. It can be built-in, attached, underground, multi-level, detached, and mechanized.
- Open parking. Such a ground area has fences and an adjacent point for entry and exit. Here a security point, cameras, primary fire extinguishing equipment are installed. The record of parking time is kept there as well.
- Car park (closed). It consists of pre-fabricated structures or, at least, it has a canopy to protect from rain and snow. Since such a parking lot is more expensive for the owner, it becomes more expensive for the client as well.
It is easier, faster and cheapest for a beginner entrepreneur to open a regular open parking lot.
Also check: Car space storage
Service rules
First of all, you need to study the main regulatory act between the consumers of the service and the car park. The court bases its decision in a disputable situation on this document.
The following basic norms of this document are: all information about the owner of the car park, the price list, the provision of services’ rules and the working schedule. A written storage agreement is concluded between the service provider and the customer, which, among other things, specifies the brand, number plate of the car and the price of the car as agreed by the parties. The client gets a pass for a long time. The owner of the car park is obliged to compensate the car theft or damage within 10 days. The consumer of the service has the right to demand full compensation for the value of the property.
Fire safety and sanitary standards
There are only several restrictions for open car parks:
- minimal distance from the gate to the street is 20 m, to the stop- 30 m, to the crossroads- 50 m;
- there should be fences and equipped entrances (exits);
- the width of the passage for placing cars should be more than 7 m;
- for a car park with a capacity of 50 cars or more there should be a checkpoint;
- fire extinguisher, garbage container.
For open areas, the arrangement of ventilation and smoke removal systems is not required. However, you must make an equipped place for fire extinguishers and SZI.
Do you need any negotiation before the opening?
You are obliged to have the technical documentation for the construction of capital object. This way, when leasing state land, you may be asked to have a project. Parking services are included in the classifier section “Auxiliary transport activities and warehouse management”. In the first or the second month after your opening, the fire safety and sanitation authorities will come to the car park to monitor the conditions of the area.
Responsibility and risks of the car park
The main risks in this business are short-term lease agreements and the possibility of somebody’s car damage. You can get into a situation when it is refused in the extension of lease before the business becomes profitable and starts to pay off.
Talking about the responsibility, the car park must compensate the damage to the client in any occasion of damage to the car left for storage. Do not try to claim that you provide just parking space, not parking services. In any case, when it comes to court, usually the owner of the car wins.
Before thinking about your own parking, you may want to read about the experience of other countries. For example, did you know that for parking on the streets of Seattle you need a special parking permit? There are many other USA parking peculiarities, described in this blog.
Nevertheless, when starting your own business in any scope of action, all you have to do is to stay self-collected and attentive.
