How to rent out your driveway for event parking

Parking demand can change dramatically between an ordinary weekday and a major football match or concert. A driveway may be useful to a driver who wants to plan ahead, but listing does not guarantee bookings or income. The best first step is to make sure your space is suitable and you are entitled to offer it.

1. Check that you are allowed to offer the space

Check the title, tenancy or lease, mortgage terms and any estate rules relevant to your property. If someone else owns or controls the land, seek their agreement before advertising it. Check whether your insurance covers a visitor parking on your property and whether additional cover is needed.

Planning permission is not automatically required simply because you rent a parking space, but restrictions, changes in use and neighbourhood impacts matter. England's planning guidance explains that decisions are fact-specific: GOV.UK: when is permission required?. If you are unsure, ask your local planning authority.

Parking income may need to be reported for tax purposes. HMRC's income checker includes income from a driveway.

2. Make the space genuinely usable

Before creating your listing, walk through the arrival experience. Can a driver enter and leave without mounting a pavement or blocking other users? Is there sufficient width, depth and headroom for the vehicles you intend to accept? Are gates, bollards, low branches or steep slopes a concern? If access is shared, check that you have the right to authorise it.

Use recent photographs of the actual space, not an image of a nearby stadium. Identify any restrictions on large vehicles, overnight parking, EV charging, keys or permits. Give drivers clear arrival instructions and an emergency contact route using the platform's permitted processes.

3. Choose availability around events

You do not have to make your space available every day. Consider whether evenings, weekends or selected event dates work best for your household. Allow enough time for a driver to arrive and for crowds to disperse after an event. Do not promise a walking time unless you have checked the actual pedestrian route, which may differ from a straight-line distance.

A useful listing tells visitors what happens when they arrive, whether they can come and go during the booking, and whether the host needs to meet them.

4. Set a price without making unrealistic income claims

Think about the distance to the venue, your space's physical constraints, nearby legitimate alternatives and how much availability you can reliably offer. PrePark lets hosts set their advertised price and availability. Listing is free, with no PrePark host commission; the host keeps the parking price they set. There may still be obligations or costs outside the platform, such as tax or insurance.

As a simple illustration rather than a forecast, a £12 parking booking would mean a £12 host parking price before any external obligations. That is not a prediction of demand or earnings.

5. Publish a clear, accurate listing

Start with Rent out your driveway or go directly to List Your Space. Add the actual space, capacity, availability and booking instructions. PrePark reviews new listings before they go live.

Common questions

Do I have to accept every request? PrePark's request-to-book process gives hosts a way to review incoming requests. Check the current host terms for applicable response deadlines.

Can I list a space on a public road? Only offer a parking place you are authorised to control. Public highway parking and permit bays are not yours to let.

Will I get bookings immediately? No. Demand depends on location, events, drivers and platform activity. Start with an accurate listing and realistic expectations.

Useful next read: A driver's event-day parking checklist.