A clear, practical answer
Who Owns a Parking Space in an Apartment Block?
Unless the space is written into your title or lease, a residential car park is shared property and no resident owns a particular bay. Allocation comes from the building's rules or a decision of the owners. When someone takes your space, go to the building manager first; a court or tribunal is the last step.
CarQR · Last updated: 1 October 2026
Bu rehberi Türkçe okuFirst check: allocated or shared?
In some buildings each bay is part of a flat's title or lease. That bay belongs with the flat and nobody else may use it.
In many others the car park is common property. Every owner has a right to use it, and parking in the same bay for years, or painting a registration on the ground, creates no right by itself.
The title, the lease and the building's rules tell you which applies. The manager can give you a copy of the rules.
How spaces are shared out
Where the rules set out a scheme, that is followed. Where they do not, the owners decide at a meeting: one bay per flat, numbered bays, a draw or a rota are the usual answers.
If there are more cars than bays, nobody is entitled to hold a second one permanently. A tenant uses the owner's right and is bound by the same rules.
When someone parks in your space
Reach the driver first. Knock, or ask the manager to; most problems end there.
If it keeps happening, tell the manager in writing and ask for it to go on the agenda of the next owners' meeting. The written note is your record if it goes further.
If management cannot resolve it, the route is civil: a court or tribunal can order a resident to comply with the building's rules.
A private car park is rarely a police matter. Do not arrange a tow or block the car in; both put you in the wrong.
Visitors and second cars
Visitor bays and second cars cause most of the arguments. If there is no written rule, the owners need to make one; habits do not bind someone who has just moved in.
A car with no connection to the building is still the manager's to deal with. If it blocks an exit or a fire route, call the police.
Keeping it neighbourly
Most parking disputes grow because the driver cannot be reached at that moment. The manager rings round, doors get knocked, tempers rise.
With a QR code on each windscreen, a neighbour scans it and sends a prepared alert, the driver gets a notification, and nobody's phone number is passed around a list.
Want to be reachable without writing your number on the car? Create your free vehicle QR code; it takes two minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Does every flat get a parking space?
Only where the title, lease or building rules say so. Otherwise the car park is shared.
Can a tenant use the car park?
Yes. A tenant exercises the owner's right to the common parts and must follow the same rules.
Who do I complain to about a neighbour in my space?
The building manager first, in writing; then the owners' meeting; a court or tribunal if that fails.
Can I put a post or chain on my bay?
Not on common property without the owners' agreement. If the bay is in your title, check the building rules first.
This guide is general information, not legal, insurance or technical advice. Laws, penalty amounts, time limits and how authorities apply them change, and vary by place and by case. Not everything here has been confirmed against official sources. Before acting, check the current position with the relevant authority, your insurer or a lawyer. CarQR accepts no liability for the consequences of actions taken on the basis of this content.