How to offer spare commercial car park spaces for event parking

A car park that is useful during business hours may sit empty in the evening or at weekends. Depending on where it is, an owner or authorised operator may be able to make some spaces available for visitors to nearby events. Commercial car parks are not automatically suitable for public event parking: operational safety and authority to use the site come first.

Is your organisation entitled to let the car park?

Confirm who owns or leases the land and who can approve third-party use. Check landlord consent, lease restrictions, existing reserved bays, rights of way and any obligation to keep spaces available for staff, customers, deliveries or tenants. Planning conditions or management agreements may limit the proposed use.

Review commercial property and public liability insurance with your broker. Think about whether the arrangement changes security, opening hours, lighting or the type and volume of traffic at the site.

Calculate safe capacity, not just painted bays

Your usable public capacity may be lower than the total number of marked spaces. Exclude disabled bays you are not entitled to repurpose, loading areas, fire access, areas reserved for customers or emergency vehicles and any bay where pedestrian movement creates a foreseeable risk.

Before opening, consider:

• Safe entry and exit routes, including visibility onto the public road.
• Barrier and gate opening times; who can help a driver who cannot enter.
• Separation of moving vehicles and pedestrians, particularly after dark.
• Staff working patterns, CCTV and lighting where applicable.
• Clearly communicated vehicle-height, weight or size limits.
• A documented approach to overstays, incidents and complaints.

For larger car parks, identify a person responsible for the operation on each event day and document any temporary traffic management arrangements.

Match availability to your actual operating hours

A restaurant might need its car park at mealtimes, while an office may be free after business hours. Give your regular users priority, then open only the remaining spaces and times. Build in a margin for late departures and congestion after matches or concerts.

Consider whether the business can safely support one-off event days before creating recurring availability. A single trial date can reveal practical issues without committing the whole site.

Present a listing drivers can understand

Use real photos and a clear description of the entrance. Explain whether the car park is barrier-controlled, whether tickets or permits are required and whether someone will be on site. Avoid claiming a specific stadium walking time until you have checked pedestrian routes.

Hosts set their advertised parking prices on PrePark and pay no PrePark host commission. PrePark does not guarantee a particular level of bookings. Any site staffing, insurance, tax or operating costs remain your responsibility to assess.

Ready to explore hosting?

Read Rent out commercial car park spaces, then List Your Space if you have authority to offer the site.

Questions commercial operators ask

Can we keep spaces for customers? Yes, but list only genuine spare capacity and prevent conflicting allocations.

Can we change prices for matchdays? PrePark supports host-controlled event-day pricing. Keep prices clear and accurate.

Who handles road traffic and site safety? The land operator should assess on-site arrangements and take professional advice when needed. PrePark is a booking marketplace, not a traffic-management service.