What is stilt parking? How stilt parking works?

Piramal Realty takes pleasure in helping home buyers get clarity on various subjects or issues that they consider worthy of discussion before buying a residential property. Thus, if you too have any doubts regarding the rules and regulations of stilt parking, we got you covered in this blog.

Stilt parking meaning

Stilt parking is a parking arrangement where vehicles are parked on a raised platform above the ground level, supported by columns or stilts. This arrangement is common in urban areas where space constraints are serious, and open parking or even covered parking are not the preferable options, at all. Stilt parking is a layout on the stilt floor of a construction, open from all sides for convenience and ease of parking, and just supported by pillars. Stilt parking allows for efficient use of the available land by maximizing vertical space. Open spaces in residential complexes can, thus, be saved and utilised for other purposes such as for development of gardens, open gyms, walking or jogging tracks, etc. Even commercial establishments in densely populated urban regions nowadays provide stilt parking spaces to their daily commuters and visitors, as it allows for hassle-free and convenient parking, saving them the trouble of searching for open parking spaces in the vicinity.

How stilt parking works?

• Entry and exit points:
  Stilt parking facilities, especially, in big residential projects essentially have separate entry and exit points for ease and convenience of access and movements to vehicles.
• Designated parking slots on the stilt parking floor:
  Every flat owner or resident of a building is assigned a fixed parking spot as per the building layout or by the society management for his/ her car and two-wheeler parking.

Advantages of stilt parking

• Convenient access to parking facility:
  Stilt area being open from all sides, makes it easy for all residents to access the parking slots without many complications in getting the positions right.
• Roof over cars:
  Even though the stilt car parking arrangement is open from the sides, it is covered from the top by the building structure itself. This provides protection to vehicles from weather adversaries such as rain, direct sunlight, extreme dust settling, as from bird droppings, or leaf and twig-shedding of trees, etc. This helps slow down the wear and tear of vehicles by scratches, damage to glaze and colour, rapid loss of air from tyres, and the like.
• Natural air circulation in stilt parking design:
  The stilt parking design allows for natural air circulation and cross ventilation in the parking area, thus preventing moisture and Vehicular exhaust emissions from building up in the stilt area, unlike in closed parking spaces like a separate or attached garage.
• No need to dig a basement:
  The hassle of digging the ground for the creation of a basement can be avoided by incorporating a stilt floor plan in the construction design. Stilt parking is cost-effective as well as time-saving for any developer and, therefore, is becoming the most preferred option among all car parking arrangements.
• Stilt level is generally well-lit:
  Stilt parking areas, being open from all sides, help residential societies save on the expenses of marker lights or position lights in a parking facility during the daytime. A stilt floor is generally well-lit during the day hours due to enough sunlight entering the parking space from all sides, yet protecting the vehicles from direct sunbeams from above unlike in open parking spaces.
• Efficient use of the premises:
  With a stilt parking plan incorporated in construction design, the ground level space of a residential establishment can be efficiently utilised, preventing the need to buy additional space for car parking outside the society premises, especially in cities and crowded suburbs where every square foot of land is dear.
• Stilt parking plan for reduced traffic congestion:
  Every modern residential or commercial establishment must have a well-designed Stilt parking plan in place with a view to avoid being a party to traffic congestion in already crowded regions. If residents of a society have to park these vehicles outside the residential premises, by the street sides, routes that are overcrowded during peak hours might become spots of heavy traffic chaos and loud honking.
• Stilt parking for apartment value appreciation:
  Today most home buyers and tenants look for societies that have stilt floors and a dedicated parking slot for each flat occupant. You may, therefore, conclude that if you were to sell your flat or rent it for monetary income, the stilt car parking facility would be one of the prime expectations of the prospective buyers or tenants.
• Aesthetic appeal with stilt floor parking:
  A construction that has the provision of stilt floor parking for its occupants has a better aesthetic appeal as compared to a residential society where vehicles are parked in open spaces available in the premises in an unorganised pattern, lending a shabby look to the property.
• Stilt parking for better security:
  Since the stilt parking area is below the main structure of the building, it provides better security to the parked vehicles as compared to automobiles parked in open spaces. This reduces the probabilities of theft, miscreants causing damage to cars, or stray animals dirtying the cars.

Rules for stilt parking

• Strict adherence to entry and exit routes:
  In order to prevent any freak accident due to mere negligence or non-adherence to parking norms, residents of a complex or housing society are expected to strictly adhere to rules set by the management for stilt parking.
• Following the norms of assigned parking spaces:
  In residential housing complexes, each flat occupant is allocated a designated parking slot in the stilt parking area. The resident abides by society's management rules to park the car in the same place each time. It is not in the discretion of the resident to park the vehicle in any slot of his / her choice. Such behaviour on the part of any flat occupant is not accepted by residential societies, as it leads to unpleasant situations.
• Parking boundaries:
  Each vehicle must be parked within the marked boundaries of its parking slot to avoid blocking other vehicles. Also, vehicle owners must be careful while parking their cars so that chances of cars dashing or brushing against each other stay minimal.
• Separate Guest parking allotment & visitor registration:
  To avoid inconvenience to the official residents of a building, guests must be provided with a separate stilt parking facility. Visitor registration must be made compulsory, and information about the expected guests should also be given to the society management.
• Speed limits:
  The speed limit is not something that is imposed on car drivers to give them unnecessary trouble; it is essential for the safety of every vehicle and its passengers in the stilt parking area. Hence, residents of a complex are expected to comply with the speed limits of stilt parking set by the management.
• Security measures in stilt parking area:
  To ensure safety in stilt parking zones, society management must take a few noteworthy measures. These measures include:
  • Installation of CCTVs at various points on the stilt floor area
  • Deputation of security personnel
  • Sufficient lighting in the stilt car parking area
  • Authorised entry and exit by way of issuing identity cards or passes to residents and security personnel, etc.
• Usage of stilt parking slot exclusively for car parking:
  Flat owners or tenants cannot use stilt parking slots assigned to them for any purpose other than car parking even if the slots are empty. Using a parking area for commercial use is strictly illegal, and using it (for personal reasons) as a warehouse or storage space is also generally not allowed by housing societies.
• Maintenance:
  Building management as well as all the individuals are responsible for maintenance of the stilt parking area of a building. A clean, well-maintained, and litter-free car park is desirable to everyone, and hence, it must also be seen as a collective responsibility.
• Two-wheeler stilt parking slots:
  In residential complexes, stilt parking plans must have designated stilt parking slots even for two-wheelers to ensure a tidy and organised look of the stilt floor.

Regulations for stilt car parking set by RERA (real estate regulatory authority)

RERA is a regulatory body created by the Indian government in 2016 as per The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 to regulate and oversee the real estate sector in India. The act is enacted at the state level, making government bodies responsible for regulating the sale and purchase of residential and commercial properties in their states. The primary purpose of RERA is to protect home buyers from fraudulent practices in the real-estate sector, increase real estate investments, and promote accountability, efficiency, and transparency in the real estate industry.

The regulations

• No separate sale of stilt area:
  Builders or developers cannot sell the stilt floor portions as individual units. They are considered as a part of the housing society or building, and handed over to the society members or the flat owners through a systematic conveyance deed. Charging home buyers separately for stilt parking areas is, thus, illegal.
• Stilt floor as a common area:
  A stilt parking floor is considered as a common space shared by residents or members of a society; the builder, therefore, cannot count it as a part of the saleable floor area. It is not included in the FSI.
• Stilt parking slots Allocation:
  Stilt parking slots must be allocated to residents of a society based on rules set by the building's management or by the co-operative society.
• Number of stilt car park slots:
  A developer or builder must specify the number of stilt parking slots and slopes available to each home buyer, in the real estate project layout for enhanced transparency.
• Minimum size of stilt car parking slot:
  As per the National Building Code, a parking space must be at least 13.75 square meters for a four-wheeler and at least 1.25 square meters for a two-wheeler. The provision of a bigger car parking space to each resident depends on the availability of space and on the rules set by society management.

We see that RERA has taken significant measures to ensure home buyers' protection from any malpractice in terms of stilt parking floor area. If an issue is not resolved even by RERA, home buyers can approach the Conciliation and Dispute Resolution Forum with their complaints. It is also advisable for home buyers to act as alert and aware citizens during the process of property purchase, and choose a reputed and trustworthy real estate developer like Piramal Realty who devises each aspect of a housing society project with meticulous care and attention. After all, every home buyer has the right to ask questions, get his/ her queries answered by the developer, and enjoy a safe and happy home-buying experience!

Disclaimer- The views expressed above are for informational purposes only based on industry reports and related news stories. Piramal Realty does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information and shall not be held responsible for any action taken based on the published information.