‘My neighbour is constantly making a cheeky request about my driveway’

Would you allow your neighbour to park on your drive if it was spacious enough and they asked politely?

A woman was left puzzled after her neighbour kept making the same request about her driveway, simply because she was fortunate enough to possess one.

The woman revealed that she resided on a street where “parking is a pain in the a**” but she’s fortunate enough to have a large driveway.

“Not for me because I have a big driveway, but I would not have bought a house on the road without one, as it is near the town centre, so a lot of people park here,” she revealed.

Nevertheless, she disclosed that her neighbour kept making a cheeky request, and she wasn’t sure whether to continue agreeing, as it would become a regular occurrence.

On Mumsnet, she wrote: “Neighbour has no parking and constantly asks if she can use my drive – am I being unreasonable to say no?”

“Don’t really need all the space unless I have visitors, which tends to just be at weekends, but also don’t want it to become a thing!”

People maintained that the woman wouldn’t be unreasonable for wanting her driveway free of neighbours’ cars.

Someone wrote: “You are not being unreasonable – and keep saying no because it will become a thing; it will become an expectation on her part, and on those days when you do need all of your drive, she will resent you for withdrawing the facility.

“Seriously, she should have gone to the expense of buying a house with a drive (just like you did) if she values having her own guaranteed parking space”.

One person suggested: “If her parking there doesn’t obstruct your car, you could come to an agreement with her that Monday – Friday (or Thursday) she can use your drive for a fee when you are unlikely to have guests.

“Putting a fee in place means it is a formalised arrangement (get it in writing) which can be ended at any time.

“Consider the fee as payment for wear and tear on your drive. Or just say no. Full stop”.

A Mumsnet user shared: “How many cars can you fit on your drive? Tbh, even if you can fit 2 or 3, I don’t think this is something I’d want to get in the habit of.

“Next thing you know, she’s parking there without asking. Just say you’d rather not, as you never know when you’ll need it for friends and family”.

Another individual stated they would only be doing this “for friends” and that she should “say no” if she’s “not comfortable” with the set-up, because it will only cause high expectations from the neighbour.

“You give an inch and people take a mile. You’ll have her guests on there as well, and it will drive you nuts,” a woman cautioned.