As you search for rentals, you might come across the term “tandem parking” and wonder what that means, exactly. Basically, it means two cars occupy the same parking space with one car in front and the other behind. It's also referred to as shared parking.
If you’ve ever been to a house party where everyone tried to park in the same driveway, you have a basic understanding of how tandem parking works. But let’s take this subject for a test drive.
Why Tandem Parking?
In densely populated cities where space is at a premium, tandem parking provides a solution to limited parking spaces, such as in downtown apartment communities and in shared homes like townhomes and duplexes. Tandem parking is gaining momentum because it allows property developers to maximize the number of vehicles that can be accommodated on a given piece of land.
In cities where real estate is very expensive or limited, this is often considered a cost-saving alternative to other parking options. Tandem parking provides more available spaces for residents and helps reduce street parking and congestion. Essentially, it doubles the capacity of a parking space.
You may also find tandem parking in college towns, particularly in rentals catering to students.
What a Tandem Parking Space Might Look Like
Tandem parking could be a long, narrow parking space or carport. It could also be a tandem garage. The garage is long and narrow so two cars can pull in, with the first car in front of the second car. While the width and height of a tandem garage is the same as a regular garage, the depth is usually 36 to 40 feet (for comparison, the average car length is 13 to 20 feet).
There are three basic designs to tandem parking spaces:
- Double vehicle parking pad — an extra-long parking space that accommodates two vehicles
- Double vehicle tandem garage — an extra-long garage that allows both cars to park inside
- Single vehicle garage with parking pad — one car can fit in the single-car garage, while the parking pad in front of the garage is long enough to allow a second car to park outside of the garage
How to Deal with Tandem Parking
If the tandem parking space is by unit (for example, every apartment has a tandem space), then you will be sharing the space with your roommate or significant other. This makes scheduling a little easier. Devise a plan with your roommates based on your schedules. For example, if your roommate has an early morning class but yours doesn’t start until later, be sure your roommate is parked behind you the night before. If it helps, plan a calendar with everyone’s schedules listed and who will park where on what day and what time.
While you and your roommates might come up with the perfect parking plan based on school and work schedules, there will be times when things go off course. A canceled class, a sick roommate, a change in a work schedule — these things happen. Make sure you have a plan in place to account for these bumps in the road. Will you call? Text? Email? Decide how to contact each other to make sure everyone stays in the parking loop.
If you are sharing a tandem parking spot with someone you trust, consider making spare keys for each other for those times when you need to move a car to get out. If you are on each other’s insurance, consider driving whichever car is accessible, rather than having a “yours” and “mine” situation. Just make sure, if you share cars with your significant other, that they’re able to drive your car (for example, don’t get a manual transmission if they can only operate an automatic).
Tandem Parking with Neighbors
Perhaps you share a tandem parking spot with your neighbor and not your roommate. This will make the situation a little more difficult, especially if you don’t really know your neighbor. Before you end up calling a ride-sharing service because you’re blocked in, talk to your neighbor and come up with a schedule. Ask what the best way to reach them would be and offer to share your contact information with them as well.
In some cases, the apartment community will provide you with the information you need on the person you share a space with. This should make it easier to get in touch with the individual and make arrangements.
Hopefully, you and your neighbor will come up with a parking plan that works for both of you. If you encounter repeated parking issues or your neighbor is uncooperative, contact your landlord and explain the situation. There might be limited single-car spaces available to rent, or your landlord may be able to help you resolve the issue another way.
Alternatives to Shared Parking
If you discover the ideal rental with the space you need in the location you desire — and the price is right to boot — you might not want to pass it up just because it has tandem parking. If there is no way to share the space with your roommate or neighbor due to odd work hours or other considerations, there are some things you could try instead.
Street parking
First, make sure you are able park on the street as some municipalities don’t allow it. Street parking could be limited to certain times of the day, so check for signs. If you park on the street in a place that restricts street parking, you could end up getting towed.
After you check your local ordinances, you’ll want to ask your landlord if this is an acceptable alternative to the tandem parking spot. Parking in an undesignated area could be a violation of your lease agreement, so be sure to check before parking your vehicle on the street. As a rule, don’t park in any undesignated area or you could face fines, towing fees, and maybe even eviction.
City-owned or private garages
If street parking is not allowed or it is too difficult to find a parking space on a congested street, consider utilizing a nearby city-owned or private parking lot or garage. Your car would be safer off the street and you won’t have to try and parallel park every day after work.
In most cases, these parking areas come with a fee attached, so be aware that you’ll pay for the convenience. Talk to the owner of the lot to see if they offer a flat monthly fee rather than having to pay the daily metered rate. They might also be willing to assign you a spot so you won’t have to search for an open one. Depending on the location of the parking area, you might also have to travel a distance to and from the lot or garage.
Other transportation methods
Is it possible to forgo your car completely and take public transportation, ride share, walk, or ride a bike? If you still want a car for occasional use, consider parking your car in the front space, freeing up the back space for your neighbor or roommate to use.
Tandem Parking vs. Stacked Parking
Another space-saving parking method you might come across is stacked parking. Stacked parking places more than one car in a single parking space by utilizing the area above. The first car is put on a lift and hoisted off the ground, allowing another car to park directly below it.
Unlike tandem parking, which you can manage on your own, a parking attendant is required to operate the lift. The lift must undergo rigorous safety tests, including being able to hold up to 12,000 pounds (or two sport utility vehicles). You’ll find stacked parking in cities like Manhattan where parking is at a premium.
While tandem parking isn’t common in most places, it could be a trade-off for living in the heart of a major city or close to your college campus. As long as you work with your neighbor or roommate to devise some space-sharing rules of the road, you should be able to navigate tandem parking with ease.
