what IS the market rate for a driveway, anyway?

[edenfalling]

I will have custody of my parents' spare car from August 4 (give or take a couple days) through mid-October, during which time I will naturally be using my own driveway. But after that, I have no use for it.

Diagonal Neighbor P has asked if she can rent it from me. I have tentatively said yes (and she is using it through the end of July gratis, because I didn't have any reasonable price estimates at the time), but I'm not sure how much to charge her. The only parking rental market information I can find for Ithaca is all Collegetown-based, and Collegetown is not remotely representative of the parking situation in the city at large. (I mean, some of those spaces go for $150 a month or more. There are some that are over $2,000 a year. It's nuts.)

I am currently thinking $25 a month (which is $300 a year) might be a reasonable starting point for negotiation. If Diagonal Neighbor P agrees, that would be awesome. I am willing to be negotiated down to $20 a month, but no further.

On the other hand, maybe I should make an opening offer of $30 a month and see what happens? Or would that come off as asking too much?

Does anyone have any advice?

Comments

[edenfalling]

$30/month is a dollar a day, isn't it? Yeah, that's a good logic for a first move in a negotiation.

If I get the Camry again next summer, I will tell her the time span during which I need the driveway and we can figure out a per diem for any partial months. That's why I want to sublet it as a monthly thing rather than a blanket "per year" thing. It's easier to adjust when necessary.

[aishuu.livejournal.com]

Just make sure it's very clear, and that you will provide her as much notice as possible. I would also have the Itacha parking rates available to show her you are being more than reasonable.

I know some people who offer daytime parking at 20 a day, so 30 a month is a steal.

[edenfalling]

I am now thinking of opening with an offer of $35 a month, which is still not much more than a dollar a day, but will cover the entirety of my internet bill. And I think, if I had a car, I might be willing to pay that much for the convenience of a guaranteed spot right next to my house, plus not having to move the car every 24 hours, which you have to do when using street parking. Then again, I am a very lazy person. *shrug*