Am I being unreasonable

[butterflywingss]

I don't own a car as I don't drive. However, I'm planning to get a car soon, once I learn.

I live in an apartment and recently discovered I have an assigned parking space which I have been paying for as part of my rent and had no idea as I was not told when I moved in, even after reaching out to see if I can pay for one. I have lived here for 5 years and seen people park in my spot and assumed it was someone else's.

However, now that I know it bothers me as my family comes to visit and never find parking because other residents visitors or workers in the area keep parking there.

I also plan to buy a car soon and I will need my spot just worried people will keep parking there.

AIBU to not let anyone there since I don't have a car or what would you do ?

I would rent the space out and earn cash from it while you learn to drive etc. Google parking rental companies in your area and you can do it all formally...

Does it have your flat number spray painted on?

Nope. It’s your property. You’re paying for it. If I was your neighbour and wanted to use it I’d expect to pay you a fee.

Put a come out on it so your guests have parking when ever they visit.

Do people know the spot belongs to your apartment? My ex husband doesn't drive and lets other people in the apartment use his and people are really grateful. A few times he's asked them not to if he's expecting visitors for a few days and again people respect this.

I'd let people use it until I had a car, and I'd want to know who is using it so they can move if my family need it. But realistically your family still won't have anywhere to park once you get your car.

It has a bay number but doesn't say it belongs to me but the residents know that parking is allocated to people who are paying for it but because the space has always been empty they just assume they can park there and no one will say anything. I have left notes on a few cars but I can't keep track of everyone as it's a big apartment complex and by the time I see they have either left or don't come out for ages. I have thought about charging people but again it's not realistically possible for where I am.

If people were to ask I am not an unreasonable person and would say yes for the time being but no one does. I am thinking of putting something there to say it's a paid space but I don't know what to put.

Penguin bollard.

I wouldn't do this personally, but if you want to OP look into legalities of it first, including subletting, if you need the landlord's permission and any bearing this may have in regards to insurance and public liability.

ETA: missed the bit about parking companies, my bad, sorry for that.

I've never heard of renting out parking spaces, that's not something I think people do around here so I've not heard of people making money from a space but don't be worried / concerned about other people parking in it when you get a car or whatever. Just park there. Spraypaint your house number in there if you like, you didn't know there was allocated parking so other people probably don't either.

I used to rent a flat and thought we could just park anywhere. Cars were regularly parked in different places so some people had their favourite spots but weren't all consistent and there were plenty of spaces. I didn't use my car that much at the time as I was able to walk to work, so my car had been in the car park for a few weeks and when I got to it, I saw that someone had slapped a really pissed off letter on my windscreen telling me to go check the noticeboard for the parking allocation. Really confused I looked around my building, nothing. But in the other block of flats that shared a carpark there was a noticeboard that had a car park allocation chart. (That looked suspiciously random by the way! The numbers had no coherent order in the car park, so there was no way of guessing!)
There was also a few signs pinned on there featuring a photo of my car, angrily telling me to move it by whatever date, (although there were some older ones that I obviously hadnt seen at the time). They had also been around and stuck this new one onto everyone's front doors.
I just wrote one back over the top of theirs saying that I had never been made aware that there was allocated slots, none of the spaces had any markings whatsoever and that the other block of flats didn't have ANY sort of noticeboard or signage, we didnt even know there WAS a noticeboard so there was no need to be so nasty and aggressive about what was an obvious mistake. Then I said they could go back around the building and pick up all of their little notes, and next time a polite notice where everyone could actually see it would be far more sensible and effective than getting increasingly nasty to a select few of the residents.

Wow... I went a little off topic there, sorry OP 😂 Either way, you get me. You didn't know about the space so others might not either. Just, when you want it, make a firm but polite notice to all 😉

There may be arcane rules about who can park where. I would check with whoever manages the space before letting family / plumber etc park there and definitely before considering charging .At my DC's flat the rules changed when a new management company took over so I am a bit wary and may be o er cautious.

The space is 100% mine but I don't know how restricted I am to spray paint my number on there as people don't look , they just park. I only got the idea of renting it from my neighbour who was angry and said I should charge them £5 a car but I don't think I would even be allowed. Family and friends are allowed to park in my space only as I am paying for it but can't park in other people's lanes. In my apartment complex I am certain they know it belongs to someone but because it's always empty they just take advantage and park there.

Is the space mentioned in your tenancy as some landlords rent spaces separately to flats and that could be why you weren’t told about it.

I personally think its a bit pointless trying to stop people parking there if you don't have a car yet! Once you do have a car then leave a note and if that doesn't work, block people in.

I had a flat with a parking space that someone else was using. I left a note saying 'I notice you've been using my parking space, which was fine as I hadn't moved in. But now I have, I need access to my space'. They stopped. Not sure it is always that easy! But i think people are more likely to take notice of a note along the same lines once you have a car. Trying to make them stop just so you can have an empty space seems fairly mean-spirited. And you are just going to become obsessed with it and be constantly annoyed that someone is in it.