From Towing to Tech: What 9 Years in Multifamily Parking Taught Me
Hey BiggerPockets community 👋
My name’s Hart, and I’ve spent the last 9+ years in parking enforcement working directly with multifamily properties, leasing offices, and property managers.
Over the years, I’ve seen something interesting:
Parking issues seem small — until they’re not.
A simple typo in a plate number…
A resident misunderstanding the rules…
A guest parking in the wrong spot…
Next thing you know, a vehicle gets flagged, a tow happens, and management is stuck dealing with an upset resident and a preventable conflict.
It made me realize how much time leasing offices spend managing parking problems that could be avoided with better systems in place.
That led me to build ParkVault — a parking management platform focused specifically on multifamily operators. The goal isn't just enforcement — it's reducing human error, cutting down disputes, and protecting NOI by making parking simpler and more transparent.
I’m here to:
• Learn from experienced investors and operators
• Better understand the operational pain points owners face
• Share insights from the parking/enforcement side of multifamily
For those managing 50+ units — how are you currently handling parking registration and enforcement at your properties?
Looking forward to connecting and learning from you all.
— Hart
Most Popular Reply
We provide numbered stickers to our residents to put in their car windshield. They get one sticker per adult. We have designated areas for guest parking. The towing company checks periodically and tows cars that are 1) parked illegally 2) parked in resident parking without a resident sticker or 3) appear to be abandoned because they have not moved in several weeks.
Are their problems occasionally? Yes. On the other hand, towing cars helps us keep unauthorized occupants in check. It keeps the lazy from parking in locations that are clearly not parking spots, but they don't want to walk 10 more yards. It keeps guests from parking in the most convenient spots, the ones designed for our residents.
Our towing company towed 5 cars off our properties in the past 24 hours. Four didn't have stickers but were parked in resident parking. One parked in a place that wasn't a legal spot.