Traditionally January is the busiest time of the year for Self Storage.  Many people tend to spend time over Christmas tidying, sorting and preparing for the year ahead – so if YOU have a spare room, garage, shed, parking spot, office, hall, backyard, or even a paddock or barn that you are not using – it may be of use to someone else – and NOW is a perfect opportunity to turn it into some extra ongoing income.

As a special Christmas/New Year offer to SpaceOut members and visitors, we are giving you the chance to try out SpaceOut for free.  So if you’ve wondered whether renting out some of your unused space might be a good way to earn some extra cash, but didn’t want to commit to an upfront listing fee, now is your opportunity to try it out for absolutely nothing.

Limited Time Only

For a limited time (until the end of February 2012) you can create your Space for Rent Listing and get the first two months for FREE.

You will need to sign up for future payments, but can cancel any time you wish, so you could advertise and rent out your space within the first two months and pay nothing at all to get an ongoing residual income.

Automated Parking Infringement Sensors

The latest automatic parking sensors are being fitted to both free and paid car parking bays throughout Australia and NZ.  Theses sensors take a photo (including a timestamp) when your car arrives and if you stay longer than the maximum time (whether or not you have a valid parking ticket), will electronically notify the nearest parking patrol. Theses devices automatically take photos of offending vehicles with the time and date of the infringement recorded on the image.

The new system detects a vehicle’s presence in a designated area, recording its arrival and departure time – including vehicle overstays, through the use of sensors embedded in the parking bay. Information gathered is transmitted to the parking Officer’s PDA, when walking or driving near the parking space.  the parking officer can also be notified of nearby spaces that are close to reaching their limits.

Gone are the days of chalking tyres – parking Officers are now only needed to enter vehicle specific details -  with location and offence details automatically populated directly from the vehicle detection sensors in the ground.  It seems to me that a fully automated solution is not far off, so that days of parking officers may very well be numbered as well.  If I were a parking officer, I would be very concerned about how long my job was going to last for.

Council Parking Revenue

Unsurprisingly local councils are at pains to stress that this move is NOT a revenue raiser.  They “selflessly” claim that they are installing these devices simply to encourage people to limit their parking to  allotted times – resulting in greater sharing of the parking space and a fairer service to all motorists – yeah right.

Advertising materials for the product manufacturers clearly highlight the increased revenue benefits of installing their product – providing a case study citing figures for a potential increase in revenue of over 120% for a single parking area.

Sydney’s Lane Cove Council is the latest council to start using the technology, with 200 of the meter eyes about to be switched on.

550 parking sensors have been installed around Perth at a cost of $400,000, and they have already paid for themselves, whilst ramping up revenue 57%.

Devices of this type are already in use (or being tested) by councils all over Australia and NZ, including:

• ACT Ranger Services
• Adelaide City Council
• Auckland City Council
• Brisbane City Council
• City of Melbourne
• City of Perth
• City of Sydney
• North Sydney Council
• Waverley Council

Whilst the altruistic sentiment of “sharing” parking spaces seems reasonable, it’s hard to see this trend as anything but yet another thinly camouflaged money grabbing strategy by councils.

The best approach to parking, and the safest way to ensure you are not hit by hefty parking fees or exorbitant parking fines is still to secure your own private parking space.  SpaceOut, remains one of the easiest way for you to locate or rent out your own private car parking space, at a very reasonable price.

“Parking in Brisbane has become more than a headache, with some motorists slugged over $20 an hour for parking in the city”

As part of a nationwide investigation it has become clear that Brisbane parking rates are amongst the worst in Australia.  Brisbane drivers wishing to park in the city pay on average $45 a day (that’s over $200 a week).  Brisbane parking station fees are on a par with Melbourne (also $45 a day), and are more expensive than other Capital cities, except for Sydney where you can expect to pay up to $72 a day for parking.  Darwin, is the cheapest capital city to park, with fees as low as $2.40 per day at some inner city carparks.

The table below provides an overview of the parking fees for some of Brisbane’s largest commercial carparks (as of Sep 2010) :

Another big “money grab”  used by some of the commercial carpark operators is the policy of applying an extra fee if a motorist loses their ticket. In Brisbane you should expect to pay up to $66 for to park your car for the day if you can’t find your parking ticket.

Jim Kershaw a spokesman from the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ)  suggested that because of the high parking costs, many people parked outside the CBD and caught public transport, and said :

“In a perfect world there would be cheap parking for everyone”

SpaceOut – offers a cheap and convenient solution to motorists looking for alternatives to the high cost parking offered by commercial operators in city CBDs.  People can often find a much cheaper parking option by renting an unused private parking space or garage.  People living or working in (or near) the CBD, who have a parking space but no car, can also make a bit of extra cash by renting out their space .

The recently released Melbourne City Council budget has announced plans to extend the period of paid meter parking in the Melbourne CBD.  The council expects to raise additional revenue by extending the paid on-street parking hours in the city from the present 7.30am to 7.30pm to 7.30am to midnight.

Diners, revellers, shoppers and sports fans will will be asked to pay a flat rate of $4 from 7.30pm. The new charge, is expected to raise an extra $1.9 million, pushing the annual parking fee revenue to more than $38 million.

Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said that motorists should “factor in” the fee to their expenses, and also noted the $4 charge – applied to 3000 metered spots across the CBD – remained a much cheaper option than the city’s 30,000 private parking spaces.

Some CBD traders have expressed concerns that the increased parking fees will discourage people from travelling into the city.

SpaceOut provides a service for people looking for parking (or wanting to rent out their unused parking space) to find cheap and convenient Parking Spaces  for Rent in Melbourne.

Over the last few years Councils across Australia have been attempting to minimise traffic congestion by reducing the number of car parking spaces available in new developments.  As the number of parking spaces is dropping, the value of these spaces is soaring.  Car parking spaces in Sydney, once worth $5000 to $10,000, are now regularly selling for between $40,000 and $140,000 each.

Brisbane City Council has also tightened rules to reduce parking in buildings over recent years, and the number of available carpark spaces had been reduced by 50 per cent.

Business owners with spare parking spaces, and owners of inner city units without a car, have been using services like SpaceOut (www.spaceout.com.au) to rent out their unused parking spaces and cash in on council policy changes.

There is currently a proposal put forward by the City of Melbourne (which is yet to be approved), limiting a single car park space per dwelling for new developments at inner-suburban Carlton and Southbank, and in parts of the northwest and east of the city.

As inner city parking becomes increasingly scarce across CBDs throughout Australia, there will be more and more opportunities for the owners of Private and Business parking spaces to make some extra cash, by renting their unused space out.  Conversely, as the price of inner city parking fees increase there are fabulous opportunities for people looking for a parking space to make great savings by searching for cheap parking on SpaceOut.

Channel 9′s A Current Affair program has run a series of reports over the last few weeks about the methods Australian National Car Parks (ANCP) seem to be using to intimidate people into paying “fines” for failing to get a ticket at public Car Parks they manage.

It was alleged that ANCP take advantage of the fact that people are often unaware that they need to get a ticket – even though the car parks are clearly signed as “2 Hours Free Parking”.  It seems that if you fail to get a ticket (even if you stay for less than 2 hrs) ANCP staff have been issuing ‘liquidated damages’  demands for $66 – which quickly escalate to $88 and then $163 if you don’t pay in time – in some cases followed by a NOTICE OF INTENTION TO SUE.

However, as a private company, ANCP does not have legal authority to administer fines.

What the law says:

A DRIVER using a private car park enters into a contract with the operator to abide by the terms and conditions stated on signs (which must be prominently displayed).

Under contract law, parties are not entitled to impose penalties for breach of contract but can seek “liquidated damages” – which are defined as a reasonable estimate of the damage suffered as a result of the contract being breached. If a court finds the estimate is not reasonable it is defined as a penalty and becomes invalid.

If damages are sought by a private car-park operators but resisted by the driver the issue may end up in court, however, the company then has to demonstrate how the damage it suffered equals the damages it is seeking.

There is considerable doubt whether ANCP could justify the $66 damages they have been demanding.

But It’s all happened before :

This is certainly not the first time this type of practice has been reported.

In April 2007, The Age (Crackdown on car parking ‘bullies ) reported similar practices by Australian National Car Parks and highlighted that a number of Victorian Councils had banned (or were considering bans) on ANCP operating within their regions.

Moreland Council, which includes Brunswick, Coburg and Pascoe Vale, accused Australian National Car Parks of bullying behaviour, and Darebin Council, which includes Northcote and Preston, had asked the company to stop handing out tickets.

At the time ANCP was being investigated by the NSW Office of Fair Trading and had also been reported to Consumer Affairs Victoria.

In 2006, then NSW fair trading minister Diane Beamer urged drivers to “exercise extreme caution” in ANCP car parks because the company could have been engaging in “improper, misleading and deceptive conduct”.

In October 2008, the Herald Sun (Supermarket shoppers not legally obliged to pay parking fines ) reported that tens of thousands of Victorians had paid up for shopping centre parking fines that they were not legally obliged to pay.

On 10th October, Consumer Affairs Victoria issued a state-wide alert warning motorists that Care Park Pty Ltd had no power to issue fines or impose penalties at “free” supermarket car parks.  Also at that time Australian National Car Parks was at the centre of a case designed to test the legality of its demands, and a third company that issued demand notices – Parking Infringements Victoria – was under investigation by Consumer Affairs.

A Facebook group called The People vs Australian National Car Parks -  has been established with the aim of helping with information and advice.  There are also plenty of active forums discussing the issues, but consensus seems to be that if you do get issued with one of these demand notices – don’t panic and don’t lose sleep over it – simply throw the notice away.

Workers on park avenue

Fed-up city workers are ditching expensive CBD carparks for cheaper backyard spots.

Brisbane was ranked as the seventh moist expensive city in the world for parking in the most recent Colliers International Global CBD Parking Rate survey, with motorists having to pay a median monthly cost of $596 for parking.

The survey found Brisbanites were spending more on their parking than those living in Tokyo or New York.

But a local website is revolutionising city parking by matching desperate motorists with inner-city tenants who have room to spare in carparks backyards and garages.

SpaceOut.com.au advertises private car spaces for rent, and places ads for commuters hoping to find cheap car parks close to their work.

This morning the site offered an undercover parking space in South Brisbane for $50 a week or $160 a month

Meanwhile a space with double-swipe security protection at Spring Hill was being advertised for the bargain price of #240 a month.

Spaceout’s Andy Henderson said many private carpark providers were inner-city residents who lived and socialised in the city and chose not to have a car.

“We’re getting a lot more inner-city accommodation, and a lot of those, for example are being filled by foreign students who don’t have a car.” he said.

“They see this as an opportunity to subsidise their rent.“

Property owners in cities and towns throughout Australia, with unused garages, parking spots or even driveways are offering them up for rent as private parking – providing a great alternative for people who are fed up with paying high parking rates.  Some owners are charging as little as $150 a month for inner city parking – or even less for suburban spots. Using private parking could save you thousands of dollars a year. A recent study shows that Sydney CBD has a median parking rate of $730 per month.

A new type of online services like that offered at www.spaceout.com.au allows you to locate and get in touch with people who have lock up garages, undercover parking or private driveways that they are willing to rent out on an annual, monthly and even casual basis.

These days many people living in or near capital city CBDs have parking spaces included with their lease but don’t own a vehicle, and don’t need or use the parking spot.  Many of these people are happy to rent out the parking space at a fraction of the normal rate.  They get a regular extra income, and you can get bargain priced parking – it is a win, win situation where everyone benefits.

A spokesman for classified advertising and community website Gumtree said it had seen a “massive increase” in the number of parking spaces and garages for hire in recent months. It has now introduced a section for people looking to rent a garage or parking space.

Whether you need to park near the CBD, sporting arenas, shopping centers, hospitals, theatres or close to a railway station you are probably used to paying a fortune for parking. However space owners with driveways near the CBD, train stations and even major shopping centers are renting out private parking spaces for as little as $150 per month.

Damon Russell from SpaceOut says “we get new listings just about every day from people wanting to lease out their unused space.”   Right now SpaceOut has hundreds of cost effective parking space listings that are available for rent in capital city CBDs and suburban locations throughout Australia.

Steve and Craig from, Sydney currently “share” a garage in Redfern. Steve, “the home owner” leaves early to work at the Sydney airport and Matt parks his car there whilst he is at work from 8.30 -5pm. Steve makes $3000 per year and Craig is saving about $2000 per year on parking fees and is actually closer to his office.

“It works for both the parking space owner and the motorist wanting the space. Drivers typically save between 30 and 70 per cent off the cost of parking when they choose to use this method instead of a commercial car park.” Says Russell.

Some residents close to airports have even been offering lifts to the airport as well as their driveway to park your car.

Private parking space rental is a relatively new concept, but the idea of ”sharing” unused space actually ties in very nicely with societies increasing awareness of the benefits of recycling.  Why not give it a go, save yourself some money on parking fees (or make some extra cash if you are an owner) and do your little bit for a greener community.

If you have a finance related resolution this year, chances are that you can utilise SpaceOut to that end. Whether it’s to save money or add to your monthly income, SpaceOut is a great place to start.

Looking for: Office space, Storage space, a handy parking space, a place to park your boat or caravan or truck, a paddock or shed, then SpaceOut is the place where you can find the best deals that are not found anywhere else! Space Owners are regular people who offer their space for very reasonable rates, and you’re likely to find something that suits in the suburb you want it.

Of course if you own any of the above, clean it up and list it now – get in early and see how you can leverage previously unutilised space into cash income that is literally money out of thin air! We receive great feedback every day from people putting all kinds of space to great use, and love hearing from our members. Go ahead, add SpaceOut to your New Year Resolutions and tell your friends so they can benefit too.

We here at SpaceOut wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2010, and a big thank you to all our members who helped to make us what we are today.

Brisbane inner city suburbs including Herston, Kelvin Grove, Bowen Hills, Teneriffe and Newstead are to be targeted.  The overhaul would see the number of parking meters increase by 240% from 3750 to 9000.

The council’s Labor Opposition has labelled the expansion plan a “grab for cash”.  Labor’s Cr David Hinchliffe said :

“What is unstated is that this is about parking meter revenue and reducing the number of parking permits that will exempt residents from having to pay for meters. That is what it is all about“.

In the 2008-2009 financial year, 2900 Brisbane parking meters earned $7.5 million. Since July, about 800 more meters have been installed in the inner-city. About 5200 new meters would be added under the changes.

Residential Parking Permit  rules change

There is also expected to be a tightening of the current residential parking permit scheme, which gives exemptions to city fringe residents who do not have access to off-street parking.

Currently, about 19,000 parking permits are issued to residents, most of them in the suburbs of Woolloongabba, Dutton Park, West End, Bowen Hills, Fortitude Valley, Kangaroo Point and St Lucia.  Residents can apply for one residential parking permit and one additional permit.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said the current permit system – which allow residents to park on inner-city streets without having to pay parking meters or pay parking fines – was being abused, with some permits were being photocopied, given to neighbours and sold for up to $10 each.

The council is also facing pressure in a number of inner-city suburbs with commuters from outer suburbs driving into the inner-city before catching public transport to the CBD.

Under the suggested changes, residents of inner-city Brisbane will need to prove that they the homeowner or renter with a tenancy agreement of more than six  months. They will also have to provide a current vehicle registration certificate and  need to demonstrate that they do not have enough room to park off the street.

A Golden Opportunity for SpaceOut Members

The proposed increase in parking meters and changes to the rules for residential parking permits are certain to make it much more difficult to find parking spots close to Brisbane city.  This presents a fabulous opportunity for residents with a parking space that they are not using – to rent it out and turn their unused space into cash.