Renting out your parking space on Mobypark - the story of Elisa, a car park owner in Paris

Even though Paris is known for its wide avenues and elegantly designed buildings, it is also a city where it can be quite difficult to park! Fortunately, there are people who offer to help by sharing their unoccupied parking spaces.

By sharing their parking space, car park owners can earn a little extra while drivers have to spend less time on the busy French roads finding a spot. This means less CO2 pollution and a healthier city environment! While at the same time helping people out who are new to the city.

Mobypark went to Paris to meet these car park owners and interview them about their experience as Mobypark car park owners. Perhaps you are thinking about renting out your parking on Mobypark or perhaps you are simply curious how it is to rent out your car park in Paris, Nice, Amsterdam, Berlin or another European city?

In the coming three weeks, you will be able to read about a different Paris owner each week. This first week's owner: Elisa!

Be a parking owner on Mobypark

Jessie from Mobypark : You have been a Mobypark parking lot owner for five years now. If you had to sum up your experience as such in a few words, what would you say? How does it feel?

Elisa, parking owner : Since I started to rent out my parking on the website, I noticed that I improved my english. However, if the conversation is not about my parking, it is difficult for me to understand the renters. But I am still learning!

When I accept booking requests, I always send pictures and videos of the parking through Whatsapp to renters so it can be easier for them to find my parking spot, especially if they are foreigners.

I often receive booking requests from people who have a storage case on top of the car because they are travelling. Even if the size of the parking space is mentioned in the description on the website, with the videos and pictures, they can tell if their car will fit or not. I think it is useful because they can double-check

Advantages of being a car park owner on Mobypark

Jessie : Beyond the fact that you earn money by renting out your unused parking space, what benefit do you get from being a parking owner on Mobypark?

Elisa : Over time, some of my renters have become regular renters. And I think it is nice to see people you start to “know”. I noticed that renters are always booking for the same periods : week-ends, during school breaks, or long week-ends.

The fact that my parkings are more or less one next to each other, allows me to recommend another one of them, if I have a booking request for one that is already booked. I think it is great! In that way you don’t lose a client!

However, one thing I don’t like is, sometimes, I receive booking requests only 10 or 15 minutes before the arrival of the renter. They don’t always book in advance, and if you don’t want to lose a booking, you always have to be available. But unfortunately, it is not always possible to be.

Also when I am on holiday or travelling, it is hard for me to manage my parkings and to hand over the keys because I have nobody to do it for me when I am gone. Luckily, last summer I experienced the “key pick up point” way. The renters could collect the key to the parking lot even when I was away. It worked well because the restaurant had wide opening hours. But it closed for at least 3 hours in the middle of the day. I think I will try to find another one.

Clients coming from all around Europe !

Jessie: Where do your clients come from?

Elisa: I had clients from the Netherlands, from Poland, from Belgium, from Germany. Most of them are tourists, they are coming with their family to visit the city. I also have french, but most of them are coming for professional reasons.

Some memorable experiences...

Jessie : In five years of renting your parking space on the platform, is there one experience that stands out more than the others that you would like to share?

Elisa : Yes! Once, I had a customer with an British car with the steering wheel on the right side. I thought it was funny because it is so not common here in France.

Once he parked his car he gave the key back to me! And I told myself “How is he going to exit the parking lot without the key" It was so funny because he did not realize that he needed it to exit. It made us both laugh a lot.

You want to rent one of Elisa's parking's in the 12th arrondissement ? If you're planning to visit France, don't miss our latest blog on the 5 ways to travel in France on a Budget !

Do you want to rent your own car park in France? Or maybe even in another country? It's easy to do it on Mobypark.

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