MrWilliamston

why do most airport long term parking lots have 30-day limit?

just wondering... saw it again yesterday and figured I might as well find out the answer?

tentseller

Local permitted land use by-laws and ordinances?

writerguyfl

I just checked my nearest major airports online. Fort Lauderdale (FLL) doesn't list any limit. Miami International (MIA) shows 60 days. Tampa (TPA) says 45 days. And Orlando (MCO) is 60 days in the garage and 120 days in their economy lot.

If no one here knows, you might try contacting one or more airports and asking directly. If you're really curious, you might do that anyway. Primary sources are usually best.

CPRich

I suspect they need to define some cutoff so they can declare a vehicle as abandoned and have it removed. They may figure no one would accrue parking charges for over 30 days, or whatever they define as the limit.

MSPeconomist

In some jurisdictions, people renting, for example B&B rooms or even hotel rooms, have tenant type protections (for example, against eviction without "due process" or rent control regulations) after 30 days. Perhaps parking a car in a rental spot over 30 days invokes some similar regulations.

roberino

What about pre-booked parking?

pinniped

If you're going to be gone longer than that, wouldn't you find somewhere else to store the car and just Uber to the airport?

Lots of storage places have 1-car garages and most will do pay-as-you-go (monthly) on a credit card. Whatever your city's cost per square foot of storage space is, I bet this is cheaper than 30 days in a long-term airport lot. Plus your car is inside and secure, not outside getting door-dinged by months of inconsiderate dbags parking next to you.

Dweeb007

I recall seeing a facebook article on revenge once of a guy buying a cheap car registering it in the ex's name, then parking it at the airport long term parking...the story being she was eventually chased down for massive parking fees...probably an urban legend or wishful thinking lol but maybe there's an example of such a thing that leads to those kind of rules....or a b grade crime show scenario of the body in the trunk left hidden in plain sight

G702TT

Las Vegas (LAS) has a maximum of 30 days. If one needs to park for a longer period, they just need to make arrangements with the parking office by phone.

writerguyfl

I donated my last junky car to charity. Many months later, I got notified that it had been impounded. Turns out neither the charity nor the buyer they found had filed the appropriate paperwork.

Fortunately, I had filed my own notice of change of ownership with the state. I did that even though the charity told me it wasn't necessary. If I hadn't I'd probably just would have been able to give up the car. There weren't any outstanding fees. But, who knows what might have happened if it had been someplace like a airport parking lot.

maurene

DIA and IAD, at least, will let you park your car for longer AS LONG AS you let them know that you'll be parking there longer than their posted "limit." Dulles doesn't have a max limit but says vehicles left longer than 45 days will be declared "abandoned" and removed at owners expense. But if you register your car with their parking office, they won't declare your car abandoned.

So think most airports just assume (perhaps correctly) that any vehicles left over 30 or 45 days are abandoned and they don't want them taking up space.

MSPeconomist

In this case, I'd want to get some sort of written "proof" that the office had been notified.

Rebelyell

Back when parking at CVG was $2 a day -- 20 years ago -- I along with various family members would leave an old work car for months at a time.

84fiero

Except in areas where that isn't really an option. I used to live in a rural area where it was almost 100 miles to the nearest commercial airport, and the smaller city where the airport was located didn't have anywhere you could store cars in that manner.* If you needed to travel by air for a very long trip your alternatives were (a) find a good friend or relative to pay to drive you to and from the airport or (b) pay the airport parking fees. IME most people used the (a) but not everyone could. (Greyhound used to stop in the rural town many years ago but no longer did so.)

There are similar areas of the country where you face quite a haul to the nearest commercial airport and even that isn't necessarily in a city with a lot of options.

* There are of course storage facilities in that city, usually locker type places with a bit of space for cars, RVs, etc. as well. But my parents live there now and based on my father's experience getting a spot to store his antique car, there can be a long wait list just for space to open up, so planning on that for an occasional long trip wouldn't be realistic.