Owning a parking lot space can be a wonderful asset for a business. It allows you to potentially welcome further logistics such as deliveries privately or at volume, it may provide your customers a place to park, or it may offer your staff a place to park. In some cases, for example with businesses that run their own logistics, having that fleet parked outside of your premises is useful.
That being said, while a parking lot might not look like the most intensive piece of real estate to maintain, appearances can be deceiving. After all, parking areas take a great deal of traffic (literally) each day, and the amount of cars present can sometimes attract the wrong kind of attention.
If you’re moving into a premises with a large parking lot, are extending your own, or perhaps purchasing space from another business for private use, we’d like to forewarn you of three issues to stay aware of ahead of time:
Improper Lighting
A poorly lit parking lot can create blind spots where people don’t feel safe walking to and from their cars, especially in the darker winter months or at night. For staff leaving work late or customers visiting after hours, dim lighting doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, so it’s best to resolve that or deal with broken lamp bulbs as soon as possible. That’s because it opens the door to accidents, like someone tripping on uneven ground, or even theft, as it’s much easier for people to hide in dark corners or even mug your visitors if they’re concealed. In some cases, you can even suffer lawsuits if a victim can prove your negligence contributed to the harm they found.
Managing Security, Access & Suspicion
Parking lots often become magnets for problems if access isn’t carefully managed. Cars parked overnight, people loitering, or even theft can quickly turn a useful asset into a headache where your car space gains a reputation. If the lot isn’t clearly marked as private or business-only, it can attract the wrong attention, especially if cameras aren’t present and obvious. Moreover, drivers may think of using it as a free space to park, or worse, abandoned cars can clutter up the area and waste your space. Security gates are worth the investment if you can justify the cost, but make sure you also have security patrols or checks. At the very least, a reporting system is important to implement.
Floor Inspections
Looking over a floor might not be too exciting but it can help you notice issues. Cracks in the asphalt, potholes, or pooling water might not seem urgent at first, but they can quickly become a bigger problem, cause property damage, or even be a sign of a sinkhole which is very dangerous. However, you might also notice issues such as oil drippings which can imply the oil pan gasket of your logistics van or car will need to be replaced. As such, ensuring this is part of your building maintenance and management is key.
With this advice, we hope you can avoid the main causes of concern to address in your business parking lot.
