Can my Neighbour park in front of my house?

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Let's discuss the law

In some cases, you may be able to stop your neighbour from parking in front of your house by using the law. For example, if they’re blocking your driveway on multiple occasions, you can contact the local council or the police. However in a lot of cases, if it’s a public bridleway, your neighbours have every right to park there so long as they’re not causing an obstruction. If your neighbour insists on using your parking spaces in front of your home, there isn’t much you can do about it.

In an ideal world, it’s a fair assumption to make that your neighbour will have both respect and courtesy in the matter if you ask them politely not to park in front of your house, however, this is not always the case. If you find yourself in a situation where your neighbour’s parking is causing you problems, there are a few things you can do to try and stop it.

Is it legal for me to post a No Parking sign in front of my home?

Yes and no… You are allowed to post a No Parking sign in front of your home as long as it is within the boundaries of your property. This can stop your neighbour from parking there without any consequence. Just make sure that when you’re posting the sign, you’re not obstructing the pavement or other areas that people need to use.

Keep in mind that regardless of how much you desire to preserve that parking space, you have no authority over the street in front of your home. You can’t claim that roadway as yours, so anyone may park there lawfully. Only the police or local council has the power to put up signs. In other words, if you place a sign on your street, including the public bridleway, then this sign is considered illegitimate and is not legally binding.

You don’t have any unique rights to the street, therefore you can’t just post a no parking sign. Check with your local government to see if it’s legal in case there are different regulations in various regions.

What Can I Do If My Neighbour Still Continually parks in front of my house?

If your neighbour parking in front of your home is not considered illegal but you cannot install a “No Parking” sign, what else can you do? How can you prevent your neighbour from using that space?

While there are several methods to handle the problem, one thing you should keep in mind is that you should never undertake it on your own. It’s all too easy to get irritated when you return home or awake to see a neighbour’s car in that same spot outside.

It sounds obvious, but don’t resort to damaging your neighbour’s car or property. This will only lead to resentment and problems with the police… don’t be a criminal, you’re better than that! Remember the old saying, “you get more flies with honey than with vinegar”

Talk to your neighbour about them parking in front of your house

Be polite yet firm when talking to your neighbour. It’s very likely that they are not even aware of the issue and would be happy to cooperate with you. If they’re street parking in front of your home on a regular basis, ask them if they could park elsewhere or if they can time it so that their car isn’t occupying the space when you need it.

Diplomacy nine times out of ten does the trick and sometimes it can help the situation more if you yourself understand the reasons why they are parking there in the first place. Perhaps your neighbour has a logical reason for why he or she parks outside of your home. Give your neighbour the opportunity to express his or her thoughts. A lot of the time you’ll find a solution that everyone can live with.

Let’s have a think about these below points if communication isn’t going the way you had anticipated. It’s useful to know that these points won’t always produce the outcomes you’re looking for:

• You have the choice of calling the police and reporting your neighbour’s behaviour as anti-social. This, however, is only applicable to people who own cars that are in poor condition, which can indicate that it’s either a stolen or abandoned vehicle. This may be a slow process as police don’t always put this at the top of their priority list.

• You can also make a complaint about the duration of time this vehicle has been parked outside of your own house, in this case, you can contact the local council. The law on this issue differs from place to place, but in general, if a car is parked outside of your home for more than two weeks, you can contact the council who will then arrange to have it removed.

• Another alternative is to file a legal claim for nuisance because your neighbour prevents you from using your own private property when they park outside your home. This might be an effective strategy, but it would be difficult to persuade the court in favour of you.

Some other ways you can stop your neighbour from parking in front of your house

Let’s have a think about some other useful ways we can stop your neighbours from parking in front of your house:

Call the police

If you believe a car has been parked outside your home for an extended period of time, blocking your own driveway or obstructing other drivers and pedestrians, it’s a good idea to get the police’s help in attempting to contact the owner. It is also feasible for the automobile to be towed.

Residents- only parking 

This is a system that some larger developments have in place, where only people who live on the premises are allowed to park their vehicles in certain areas. You can talk to your homeowner’s association or management company about this possibility if you live in an apartment complex or gated community.

Leave A Note

A passive-aggressive but still polite way of handling this problem is to leave a note on your neighbour’s car. It doesn’t have to be anything too long, just a simple statement that says “I’m not comfortable with you parking in front of my house, please don’t do it”.

Perhaps it’s not your neighbour

There are some instances where it may not be your neighbour that is parking in front of your house, but rather someone who is visiting them. In this case, speaking to the neighbour will do nothing and you’ll need to find out who the driver of the offending car belongs to. Try checking security footage or asking other neighbours if they know who the car belongs to.

Accept It 

At the end of the day, although it can be extremely annoying, you may have to accept the fact that your neighbour is going to park in front of your house from time to time. If you’ve tried all of the above methods and nothing has worked, then it might be best to just let it go. After all, it’s not worth losing a good relationship over something like people parking in front of your house.

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