Rental Report: Where To Park or Not to Park, that is the Question

Editor’s Note: This biweekly sponsored column is written by Rick Gersten, founder and CEO of Urban Igloo, a rental real estate firm that matches up renters with their ideal apartments, condos or houses. Please submit any questions in the comments section or via email.

Moving to the Metro area requires a lot of decisions. One of the bigger ones is whether or not to bring a car. The area has plenty of transportation options including Metro, buses, taxis and of course biking and walking. If you do decide to bring a car, where do you plan to keep it? Here are some details for parking in the Arlington area.

On-site Parking

If possible, the easiest option is to use your apartment or condo on-site parking. During your apartment search, be sure to ask about the parking fee. Some buildings only allow one space per unit, so be sure to find out if the building meets your requirements before entering in to a lease.

If your building doesn’t offer parking, or if you are living in a house or townhouse without off street parking, there are a few more options.

Permit Street Parking

In some areas of Arlington, residents are eligible to apply for permit parking. To find out if this is an option, go to the Arlington County website and enter your address, and it will tell you if you are eligible to apply for a permit. Your car needs to be registered in Virginia, with a few exceptions for military and students. The fee is $20 per year, and you will also get a FlexPass to use for guests. The permit process can take some time, so you can get a temporary permit while awaiting approval so you can still park in your local zone. Keep in mind, just because you are eligible to apply, it doesn’t mean you automatically receive a permit, as there is a limited amount per zone. Zones have certain time restrictions, and parking in a permit zone during restricted hours risks ticketing and towing.

Parking Garage

If you aren’t eligible for permit parking, monthly parking garages are another option. The website ParkMe can help you find area garages that offer monthly parking. Monthly parking garages are likely the most expensive option. Keep in mind, this may only be a temporary need while waiting for a space in your building or a permit in your neighborhood to become available.

Short Term Parking

In permit areas, residents can either use a FlexPass for their guests or request a short term parking permit with allows parking in zoned areas for three consecutive days.

Of course there’s also parking garages and metered parking available all over Arlington. Some garages are free on the weekends while others are not, so be sure to check before entering.

Check out the Arlington County website for more information on long and short term parking. Be sure to ask your employer and property manager for more information on parking at work and at home.

Have a rental-related question you’d like Rental Report to answer? Email it to [email protected].

The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.