What Can I Do About a Car Parked in Front of My House?

Brisbane is growing fast, and parking is becoming a serious issue, even out in the suburbs. Most households now own two or more cars, which can be a parking nightmare if you’re forced to leave your vehicle on the street.

With streets shrinking, drivers are pushing the limits on when and where they can park their cars. That can be a huge inconvenience if someone ends up blocking your property. 

Dealing with a car that’s blocking your driveway or yard can be tricky. While you always have a right to say who can and can’t park on your property, you can’t prevent people from parking in the street. In this article we’re going to look at when people can park outside your house, and what you can do if someone is parked illegally.

Help, There’s a Car Parked in Front of My House!

We’ve all been there. You get home to discover your “usual” spot in front of your house is taken up by someone else’s car. In the worst case scenario, there might not be enough parking for you to go anywhere else. So, what can you do?

The answer is tricky. Roads are a public space, and motorists are typically allowed to park on the side of the road, as long as they are obeying traffic laws and parking regulations. Simply parking a car in front of your house isn’t illegal, and there isn’t much you can do beyond asking the driver to move the vehicle.

If a car that’s parked in front of your house is blocking your driveway, or if they’re parked illegally or contrary to official signs, you can contact the Council to have the vehicle towed away.

Where You Can Legally Park in Queensland

The Queensland parking laws make a clear difference between legal and illegal parking spots. Most suburban streets are considered unregulated parking areas. That means they’re subject to normal road rules and parking restrictions, and that parking isn’t subject to requirements such as time limits.

In unregulated parking areas within Queensland, drivers can park their cars:

• In designated parking spots (within the line markings)
• In accordance with official signage
• On the left-hand side of the road, as close to the curb as safely possible

When parking on suburban roads, you are legally required to leave 3 metres of clear roadway between your vehicle and other vehicles, dividing strips, traffic islands and unbroken lane markings. This allows large vehicles (such as garbage trucks) to pass between parked cars without causing damage.

Public vs. private property explained

Roads and footpaths in Queensland are public property, even the ones right in front of your house. Local governments control street parking spaces. Some areas might look private, but they’re legally road-related areas. This applies to footpaths next to roads and public parking areas. The same public parking rules apply here too.

What counts as your property and what doesn’t

Your property ends at your boundary line – not at the street or nature strip in front of your house. The part of your driveway beyond your property line becomes public property. The footpath, nature strip, and kerb area in front of your house are all public land under Queensland law. Anyone can park there if they follow Queensland road rules and there aren’t any signs or line markings saying otherwise.

Can you park in front of your own driveway?

Queensland road rules don’t allow parking across any driveway—even your own. This rule helps emergency access and makes enforcement easier.

You can stop briefly to pick up or drop off passengers near a driveway, unless there’s a ‘No Stopping’ sign. If someone blocks your driveway and you can’t access your property, call your local council right away. 

Where You Can’t Park in Suburban Streets

Queensland has strict rules about where you can legally park your car on public streets. These rules help you determine if a car parked in front of your house breaks the law.

Blocking a driveway or footpath

Street parking is usually fine, but cars must never block access to driveways or property entrances. The law prohibits parking on or across driveways or pedestrian footpath ramps that block vehicle or pedestrian access. This rule applies to your own driveway too. 

Cars on footpaths create dangerous situations, especially when you have people with disabilities, mobility scooter users, and parents pushing prams who end up walking on the road. Parking here can also damage underground utilities that weren’t built to handle a car’s weight.

Parking on nature strips or too close to intersections

The law prohibits parking on nature strips next to roads in built-up Queensland areas. This applies whether you put just one wheel or all wheels on the nature strip.

You also need to keep your distance from intersections to make sure everyone on the road has a clear view. The rules state no parking within 10m of intersections without traffic lights or 20m of those with traffic lights, unless signs say otherwise. 

Overstaying time limits or permit zones

Breaking time limits in restricted parking zones will cost you more as penalties increase. Always take note of signage and zones when you park to make sure you don’t overstay. 

Can I Have a Car Towed Off My Property?

If you’re an owner/occupier:

You may be able to have a car towed off your property if you are the owner/occupier and if the car is parked illegally. While it’s a pain to come home and find someone parked on your property, we always recommend contacting Police Link or Brisbane City Council and letting them handle the issue.

Towing cars off private property is highly regulated and should always be done through the proper channels. This not only prevents damage to the towed cars, it allows the owner of the car to easily retrieve the vehicle (which can save you the headache of dealing with them yourself).

If you’re a business owner:

As a business owner, as long as your car park includes official signage stating that unauthorised cars will be towed away, you have the right to remove cars that are trespassing. You must engage an accredited towing operator to remove unwanted vehicles from your property, and you will be required to meet other obligations, such as posting signage. You can find out more about private property towing on the Department of Main Roads website.

How to Handle Long-Term or Repeat Parking

Parking problems that keep happening need a different approach compared to one-time incidents.

Signs a vehicle may be abandoned

Brisbane’s regulations call a vehicle abandoned when it stays more than 24 hours in a time-limited parking bay or more than seven days in unrestricted parking areas. A vehicle without visible licence plates that sits unmoved for 14 days can also be abandoned. You might spot other signs like a run-down appearance, flat tyres, or debris piling up around the vehicle.

How councils break down long-term parking

Council officers usually check the vehicle within 10 working days after getting a report. They watch registered vehicles for 60 days before taking any action. Unregistered vehicles get faster attention—the owner typically receives a warning sticker with seven days to move it. The council can tow the vehicle to an impound yard once this time runs out. 

Talking to neighbours before escalating

Direct conversation works best as a first step for recurring parking issues. Anonymous notes rarely fix problems. A respectful chat with your neighbours often leads to better outcomes. Explaining how their parking affects your access can build mutual understanding without outside help.

Manage Who’s Parking On Your Property with Harvey’s Towing!

It can be a serious hassle to deal with cars that are parked where they shouldn’t be. Even more frustrating, towing away cars that are parked illegally can be something of a minefield, especially when towing from your own house. 

If you find yourself dealing with this issue regularly, we recommend working with the accredited operators at Harvey’s Towing!

Harvey’s Towing provides private property towing services throughout Brisbane, the Gold Coast and South East Queensland. We work with private property owners to ensure car parks are used responsibly, and we are licensed to remove unwanted cars from your land. 

If you want to have a car removed from your property then give us a call – we can assess the situation and let you know whether the vehicle can be towed at the owner’s expense. Contact us to find out more, or call us on 07 3297 0911 to book a Harvey’s tow truck.

It can be a serious hassle to deal with cars that are parked where they shouldn’t be. Even more frustrating, towing away cars that are parked illegally can be something of a minefield, especially when towing from your own house. If you find yourself dealing with this issue regularly, we recommend working with the accredited operators at Harvey’s Towing!

Harvey’s Towing provides private property tow truck Brisbane, Gold Coast and South East Queensland services. We work with private property owners to ensure car parks are used responsibly, and we are licensed to remove unwanted cars from your land. If you want to have a car removed from your property then give us a call – we can assess the situation and let you know whether the vehicle can be towed at the owner’s expense. Contact us to find out more, or call us on 07 3297 0911 to book a Harvey’s tow truck.