What to Do with Your Car
Off Street vs. On Street Parking in Boston
Off Street vs. On Street Parking in Boston
Never should you let parking determine your housing search. I've had clients turn down seemingly all around perfect housing opportunities because off-street parking wasn't available at that location. In every case this happened, I learned afterward that while they did find a place with parking the apartment was inferior in quality to the one they could have rented without a spot. If your housing search is equivalent to a sucking chest wound, then your parking spot search is like a hang nail or a knee scrape. Dress the parking wound AFTER you secure appropriate housing.
Off-Street Parking
The difficulty level of finding an apartment that offers off-street parking approaches the difficulty level of finding a dog friendly apartment. Because off-street parking is rare, and because the demand for it is high, if you are going to get a parking spot it will surely cost you extra money. Even if the parking spot "comes with the apartment" the extra value is built into the monthly rent. This is true for all apartments with the exception of apartments located more than a 20 minute walk from a train line.
Off-Street Parking
The difficulty level of finding an apartment that offers off-street parking approaches the difficulty level of finding a dog friendly apartment. Because off-street parking is rare, and because the demand for it is high, if you are going to get a parking spot it will surely cost you extra money. Even if the parking spot "comes with the apartment" the extra value is built into the monthly rent. This is true for all apartments with the exception of apartments located more than a 20 minute walk from a train line.
The going rate for an open air parking spot in the Back Bay ranges from $175-$250/month. Garage parking in that location ranges from $200-$350. Most other locations will charge $100-200. I know of a few landlords in Mission Hill who charge as low as $50/month for their parking, but that too is very rare.
Tandem parking is a way to save money and still have off-street parking. Tandem parking is where you share a parking row with one or two "tandem mates"--other car owners. Usually you establish a schedule or you have a key exchange you work out. In my opinion though, tandem parking seems like more trouble than its worth.
There are major benefits for having your own parking spot, of course. You save time each day by not having to scour and scout out an on-street spot. You can earn a break on your insurance rate for having off-street parking. You can keep your out of state insurance. And, if you have garage parking, you will not have to worry about shoveling snow in the winter. Even if you are parking "off-street, open-air", you shovel once and don't have to worry about someone taking your spot and mooching off your back-breaking labor.
On-Street Parking
The City of Boston offers a "free" on-street parking permit. If you have a car and are not renting a parking spot you should definitely do what it takes to secure a permit. You will save money in tickets and time by having more spots available to you if you have a parking permit for your area. Here is a link to the City of Boston website that tells you how to go about obtaining a Free On-Street Parking Permit:
Tandem parking is a way to save money and still have off-street parking. Tandem parking is where you share a parking row with one or two "tandem mates"--other car owners. Usually you establish a schedule or you have a key exchange you work out. In my opinion though, tandem parking seems like more trouble than its worth.
There are major benefits for having your own parking spot, of course. You save time each day by not having to scour and scout out an on-street spot. You can earn a break on your insurance rate for having off-street parking. You can keep your out of state insurance. And, if you have garage parking, you will not have to worry about shoveling snow in the winter. Even if you are parking "off-street, open-air", you shovel once and don't have to worry about someone taking your spot and mooching off your back-breaking labor.
On-Street Parking
The City of Boston offers a "free" on-street parking permit. If you have a car and are not renting a parking spot you should definitely do what it takes to secure a permit. You will save money in tickets and time by having more spots available to you if you have a parking permit for your area. Here is a link to the City of Boston website that tells you how to go about obtaining a Free On-Street Parking Permit:
The parking permit is free and allows you to park in a broad areas of the city without worrying about parking fines. You do have to register your car in Massachusetts, and that does mean you will have to change your insurance and pay the Boston rates. I have had many clients tell me they were unwilling to do this because the cost was so high. However, when you break down the cost of a Free Permit plus Boston Car Insurance rates, you will discover that it is ALWAYS the cheaper option than to pay monthly for an off-street spot AND the car insurance rates from wherever you previously lived.
This article is From the How To Find An Apartment In Boston series.
Other Articles:
Size, Location, Price - The Three Principle Factors That Will Govern Your Apartment Search
Do it Yourself or Get a Real Estate Agent? - Where to Start Looking for Apartment
Super Agent Man or Super Waste of Your Time? - How to Tell if the RE Agent is Worth the Cost of a Phone Call
Real Estate Agent Fees Explained - An Explanation of No Fee, Half Fee and Full Fee Apartment
Looking for an Apartment With Roommates? - Get Your Ducks In a Row
Cats and Dogs and Snakes- Pet Friendly Apartment Searching
What to Do with Your Car - Off Street vs. On Street Parking in Boston
Boston Rental Market Timing - Know when to Start Looking
Preparing for an Appointment - What You Need on the Day of Showing
Upfront Costs and Lease Addenda - Make Sure Your Lease is Kosher
If you have any further questions about housing search matters that are not answered here, please feel free to contact me through my Housing Needs Analysis Form.
This article is From the How To Find An Apartment In Boston series.
Other Articles:
Size, Location, Price - The Three Principle Factors That Will Govern Your Apartment Search
Do it Yourself or Get a Real Estate Agent? - Where to Start Looking for Apartment
Super Agent Man or Super Waste of Your Time? - How to Tell if the RE Agent is Worth the Cost of a Phone Call
Real Estate Agent Fees Explained - An Explanation of No Fee, Half Fee and Full Fee Apartment
Looking for an Apartment With Roommates? - Get Your Ducks In a Row
Cats and Dogs and Snakes- Pet Friendly Apartment Searching
What to Do with Your Car - Off Street vs. On Street Parking in Boston
Boston Rental Market Timing - Know when to Start Looking
Preparing for an Appointment - What You Need on the Day of Showing
Upfront Costs and Lease Addenda - Make Sure Your Lease is Kosher
If you have any further questions about housing search matters that are not answered here, please feel free to contact me through my Housing Needs Analysis Form.
Have a great day!
-Robert Ortiz
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