Parking on residential property

FMCA believes municipalities should not have the right to regulate parking on private property unless the parked vehicle threatens the public safety, health or welfare.

Some municipalities have allowed motorhome owners to park within the building lines on a platted lot. That is to say, where a municipality allows an improvement to a property, the owner is allowed to park a motorhome within that area.

But parking regulations vary, and often change. Contact your city clerk, township manager or neighborhood association to find out about the regulations specific to your area.

Here are suggested guidelines for parking on a residential lot:

• When possible, park on the side of the home, behind the front building line, at a reasonable distance from your neighbor's property.
   
• If the aforementioned requirement cannot be met, park as far from the street as possible to reduce sight obstructions or intrusions into the scenery of the neighborhood.
   
• It’s preferred that the motorhome be parked on a solid surface, or at least on crushed stone with a weed repellant applied underneath.
   
• Screen the motorhome with fencing or landscaping.
   
• Garages constructed to “hide” the motorhome can become more of an intrusion in the neighborhood than parking the coach outside. A garage also can be expensive to build.
   
• Older towns, especially those along coastal fronts, might not have sufficient space on platted lots for parking an RV. In these instances, park the motorhome on the street, if permitted by law, or on your land in the least intrusive manner possible.

RVers' Good Neighbor Policy: Overnight parking etiquette (PDF 405K)

FMCA Parking Rights Manual & Guide
www.fmca.com/governance/documents