Parking issues and abandoned vehicles

Neighbours parking in your space or across your driveway, and people abandoning vehicles on the street can seem like a matter for the police. However, the first point of contact is very often your local authority.

Here you can learn more about what constitutes nuisance parking and what to do if it’s affecting you.

Common types of parking issues

Abandoned vehicles

An abandoned vehicle is one which has not been moved or attended to for a long time. There may be visible damage to suggest a crash or signs the vehicle has been stolen, such as:

• significant damage
• it's run-down or unroadworthy, including being rusted
• missing or suspicious number plates
• broken windows, flat tyres
• has a lot of rubbish inside it
• broken or loose ignition
• broken steering column

Abandoned vehicles can cause a nuisance by obstructing roads, traffic and pedestrians. The sight of a damaged or slowly rusting car can also be an eyesore in your community, so it’s understandable you might want it to be removed.

What you can do about abandoned vehicles

If you know the vehicle owner, our first advice would be to ask them politely to move it. After all, they may not be aware they’re causing a problem.

However, do not take the law into your own hands by intervening, such as making physical threats or attempting to move the vehicle yourself. You may make the situation worse and even risk committing an offence yourself.

If you find one, please report an abandoned vehicle.

Parking disputes

If a parking space is available on a public road, even if it’s directly outside your house, anyone is allowed to park in it. We appreciate this can be frustrating, especially if spaces are hard to come by on your street.

Designated parking spaces

If someone has parked in your designated parking space without your permission, our first advice is always to try and resolve the issue peacefully yourself. If you can’t find the driver to speak to them, try leaving a polite note on their windscreen.

If you lease a property with a parking space, please contact whoever is responsible for your building, such as the freeholder, council or managing agent. 

If the issue continues, you can report antisocial behaviour using our online service.

Someone parking on your driveway

If someone parks their vehicle on your driveway without your permission, this is trespassing. This is a civil dispute and not something we can help you with. If it happens repeatedly with the same person / vehicle you might want to seek advice from Citizens Advice or a solicitor, but we would always recommend having a polite word with the driver first, as there may have been a simple misunderstanding.

Someone blocking your driveway

If someone has blocked your driveway so you can’t drive in, we appreciate this can be very frustrating.

If you can find the owner of the vehicle, we’d first recommend asking them politely to move it. If you can’t find them, try leaving a note on their windscreen. After all, they may not realise they have caused a problem.

If this doesn’t work, please contact your local council.

If a person has blocked your driveway and is preventing you from getting your own vehicle out, we may be able to help. You can report antisocial behaviour online.

Illegal parking

If the vehicle is parked:

• on zig zag lines
• dangerously
• in a way that would prevent emergency vehicles from accessing

You can report these to us online

If the vehicle is parked:

• over a dropped kerb
• on a pedestrian crossing (including the area marked by the zig-zag lines)
• in spaces reserved for Blue Badge holders, residents or motorbikes (unless entitled to do so)
• in marked taxi bays, cycle lanes or red lines
• near a school entrance, bus or tram stop

Please report it to your local council.

Parking outside schools

Find out about parking restrictions and road safety outside schools