In this article 7 topics
- What parking management includes
- Parking maintenance: the inspections you must not miss
- Pumps and drainage: the fault that arrives with the first rain
- A barrier stuck at peak time
- Who is responsible for what in the parking facility
- A revenue-generating parking facility: how much does it really bring in
- Questions to ask a parking management company
Parking management in an office building or a retail complex is measured by three things: the parking facility is open, it is safe, and in a revenue-generating facility it is clear how much it brings in. The parking facility is usually the first place tenants and shoppers see, and often the last place the property owner checks. This article sets out what parking management includes, which inspections must not be missed, and who is responsible for what.
What parking management includes
Parking management combines day-to-day operations with the maintenance of safety systems. In practice it includes:
- Operating the access control and payment systems: barriers, license plate or card readers, payment stations.
- Parking policy: who parks where, arrangements for tenants and guests, and graduated enforcement agreed in advance.
- Cleaning and washing, lighting, markings and signage.
- Maintenance of the safety systems: ventilation and smoke extraction, fire suppression, emergency lighting, drainage and pumps.
- Handling faults through a service center, and a monthly report on service calls, recurring faults and costs.
Parking maintenance: the inspections you must not miss
In an underground parking facility, the safety systems are what keep it open. Ventilation and smoke extraction, fire suppression, emergency lighting, drainage and water pumps all require periodic servicing and inspection according to the standard and the fire authority's requirements.
The problem is not the inspection itself but the tracking. Each system is inspected on a different date by a different supplier, and when one date is missed nobody notices until the audit. A parking facility closed because of a lapsed inspection hurts the revenue and every tenant in the building.
That is why good parking maintenance starts with a list: every system, the date of the last inspection, who performed it, and when the next one is due. The next inspection is scheduled before the previous one lapses, and the documentation is ready for an audit at any moment.
Pumps and drainage: the fault that arrives with the first rain
An underground parking facility is the lowest point of the building, and water reaches it first. A pump that was not checked before winter can turn heavy rain into a flooded parking level, with damage to cars and systems. Checking the pumps and drainage before the rainy season is a fixed part of the maintenance plan, not a reaction to a fault.
A barrier stuck at peak time
A barrier stuck open is a day of free parking. A barrier stuck closed is a queue in the street and complaints that reach the property owner. A service call about a barrier or gate is handled as a priority, and the technician who arrives should know the equipment, because they are the one who maintains it throughout the year.
Who is responsible for what in the parking facility
The division is set in the lease agreements. As a rule, the parking systems and common areas are the property owner's responsibility, and the management company operates and maintains them on the owner's behalf. Spaces allocated to a tenant, and special arrangements such as charging stations, are defined in each tenant's lease.
When the division is written down and clear, arguments over who pays for what almost disappear. When it is not, every fault becomes a discussion.
A revenue-generating parking facility: how much does it really bring in
In a paid parking facility, without proper reporting it is hard to know the actual revenue and the operating cost against it. A good monthly report shows three things: the actual revenue, the operating costs, and the recurring faults. From these you can see whether the facility is profitable, and where money is leaking.
Questions to ask a parking management company
- Who maintains the control and payment systems, and who maintains the safety systems?
- How are the periodic inspection dates tracked, and what does the property owner see?
- What appears in the monthly report: service calls, recurring faults, revenue and costs?
- How does enforcement against unauthorized parking work, and was it agreed in advance?
- Is the proposal itemized, with the management fee on a separate line?
We manage the parking facilities in the office buildings, retail complexes and residential complexes under our management, as part of managing the building as a whole. For details on the service, see parking facility management and maintenance, or book a site visit.
