Do you have a spare garage or a vacant driveway? If you do, you could be making some money. We all know that parking in Lane Cove is difficult. Spare a thought for the people who work in Lane Cove. There is no place for them to park all day. There is also an issue for parents with children at local schools. Previously there were two long term car parks in Lane Cove. Parents would drop their children off at school and then park in the long term car park so they could catch a bus into the city.
Rent Out Your Garage or Driveway
A company called Parking Made Easy allows drivers to list their spare garages/driveways for rent. The site connects drivers with people with unused spaces.
The brainchild behind Parking Made Easy is Daniel Battaglia. Daniel became frustrated by the lack of parking spaces in Sydney. His lightbulb moment came when he drove past rows of empty driveways. According to recent media reports, homeowners can make between $200 to $400 per month. The fees for this service start at $15.00 per month (if you take out an annual subscription the price is lower). You can read more about Daniel here.
Is this a Solution for the Lack of Parking in Lane Cove?
So do you think Lane Cove will embrace this idea? In the Cove checked out the site. There were seven current listings for Lane Cove.
Is it permitted by Lane Cove Council?
The Brisbane City Council is of the view that renting out your garage space is a business and you need a development application. How is this different from renting out a room on Airbnb? The sharing economy is taking off and councils have to keep up. In fact, when ITC asked the Lane Cove Council what their view was on Airbnb – this was the response:
Airbnb, as you would be aware, whether it be taxis or accommodation, alternate providers to those under regulation can give rise to issues such as land use, insurance, security, OH&S, taxes and regulations that may include standards of service. More importantly for councils is the adverse impact that the operations can have on adjoining neighbours and nearby residents. The Lane Cove LEP permits bed and breakfast accommodation in a R2 Zone (dwelling houses) but not hotels. This raises the question of whether an Airbnb is classified as a hotel or a bed and breakfast? It may not be either depending on the interpretation of the definition of these operations in the LEP. It certainly is difficult to monitor and regulate the issue and Council is not aware of any case law on this issue.”
So you can see it is a grey area.
Would you do think? Is this a good idea?
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