Can I park my van at home? The 7 things you need to consider

Whilst you might love your van, you could be shocked to learn that others might not. It’s hard to imagine, but your neighbours for example, could see it as an eyesore and an unattractive metal can that impedes their exciting view from their front room.

So, if you have been parking your van outside your house or you’ve been thinking about doing it, you might want to consider these 7 things.

1.     First things first, does your company allow you to park at home? There are countless policies around company van tax, so it is worth checking with your superiors before you create any unnecessary issues.

2.     This point is usually fine for sole trader but can be difficult to get around if you’re driving a van that is owned by a company. Check if your street or car park has any restrictions, especially ones that enforce parking permits because they are usually fine for cars but exclude commercial vehicles. It is worth checking on this before you take your van home with you.

3.     This point you could probably skip as it only applies to vehicles that have a maximum laden weight of 7.5 tonnes or more, which is technically a truck. These vehicles face heavy measures and the law states that you are unable to park them on a verge, pavement, or any land situated between carriageways. If your street doesn’t boast several different parking opportunities, it could be worth leaving the truck in work and catching a lift.

4.     Something you might not be aware of; if your van weighs more than 2500kg and it parked on a street between sunrise and sunset, it must be left with its lights on.

5.     Now something a little more detailed for you to think about. When parking your van, it must be further than 10m from a junction. It should also be parked close to the kerb with the nearside against it.

6.     You can pretty much ignore all of the points above if you park or planning to park your van on a driveway or in a garage. However, before you start stockpiling all of the boys vans outside, it is worth checking the property deeds to ensure that there is no clause that prevents you from parking a trade vehicle outside a residential property.

7.     Thanks to the age of complaints that we currently live in, many councils are sick and tired or receiving reports from local residents so many are now saying “this is going against the enjoyment of the property”. As a result, they consider it to be a ‘material change’ and you will have to apply for written permission.

That’s not all, if you do then have to apply for permission to park your own vehicle on your own drive, you must then provide the council with the information they require. Some factors that they look at are; the size and the number of vans at the property, how close your van is to other properties, its effect on the appearance of the local area and how long you leave it on your driveway for.

Always check with your local council first to avoid issues later on with your neighbours. If you are in thinking of getting you or your business a new commercial vehicle, consider van leasing and speak to a member of our team to see how much you could save.