Imagine renting an apartment that includes two reserved parking spots, but you don’t have a car. Would you be okay with letting a neighbor park there for free?

In today’s story, one person is in this exact situation, and they were okay with letting the neighbor park there for awhile.

Now, they want things to change.

Let’s read the whole story.

AITA if I charge neighbor for parking spot?

I might be a jerk.

I live in a small apartment building. My apartment is the largest in the building and came with two parking spots included in the rent instead of one.

These were used by my roommate, until she moved out in the fall.

I decided to keep the apartment and just live alone. I know all my neighbors and it’s generally a very friendly building.

Now, there’s a situation with the parking spots.

Here’s where I may be a jerk: I don’t have a vehicle and don’t use my two parking spots, other than when friends come over.

Then in November I started noticing a strange car in one of the spots. Like all the time.

Turns out one of the neighbors had started renting out one of her bedrooms. My neighbor uses the spot allocated for her apartment, so her tenant just started parking in my spot since it was always empty.

Tenant was only supposed to be there till the end of December, so I didn’t make a big deal of it: it was short term, and I had her number if I ever needed that spot.

And, as tenant told me “it was just sitting empty anyway!”

The tenant didn’t leave in December.

Only now we’re into January and tenant is still here.

And as winter has set in and snow has made the parking lot even smaller, she often parks in such a way that she’s in both of my spots at once, meaning any guests of mine have no where to park at all.

I pay more in rent than they do, which includes parking.

She’s thinking about asking her neighbor a question, but she doesn’t want to be a jerk.

I was toying with seeing if someone who worked nearby wanted to rent it (totally common in my city, which has a lack of parking in that area), but it feels mean to kick out someone who lives in the building when there is no street parking nearby.

I can afford it, but am I a jerk if I asked her to pay even a little each month to use the spot?

Even if I’m not using it? After she’s gotten in the habit of using it for free?

I’m not sure of her financial situation, everyone’s hurting these days, but I have a solid job and don’t *technically* need the money, it’s more the principle of the thing for me (and having a visitor spot!)

SO: AITA if I tell my neighbor to pay to use my parking spot?

They’re her parking spots. She can charge her neighbor if she wants. She can rent them to someone who works nearby.

The choice is up to her, but she does not have to let her neighbor use the parking spots for free.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

This person suggests talking to the landlord.

Here’s another vote for discussing the situation with the landlord.

This person says a tow truck is always an option.

This is a good point.

Nobody has the right to park in someone else’s reserved parking spot.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.