{"id":15307,"date":"2020-03-31T13:31:16","date_gmt":"2020-03-31T20:31:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=15307"},"modified":"2026-03-27T07:00:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T14:00:24","slug":"selling-a-house-with-a-shared-driveway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/selling-a-house-with-a-shared-driveway\/","title":{"rendered":"Selling a House with a Shared Driveway: How to Clear the Roadblocks Ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"

We all learned how to share as children, but that concept tends to work easier with crayons and cookies rather than property.<\/p>\n

Take a shared driveway, for instance. This type of setup, where two or more people jointly own a driveway but negotiate maintenance and use<\/a>, can crop up in cities and suburbs alike. When the parties are agreeable, a shared driveway is just another quirk of your home. No one hogs the other\u2019s half or blocks the neighbor\u2019s access with bad parking. Everyone\u2019s a happy camper.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, that civility depends on how well you get along with your neighbors. Some residents have sued each other<\/a> over how to navigate a shared driveway. Others might have a pleasant arrangement until one of them moves, leaving the remaining homeowner to assert that the shared driveway is theirs alone because they\u2019ve used it longer, regardless of what a property survey says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe next buyer quite possibly walks into a quagmire,\u201d said Bryan Kasprisin<\/a>, a top real estate agent in Joliet, Illinois<\/a>, who has sold several properties with shared driveways. So how can a seller assure smooth sailing?<\/p>\n

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Source: (K Quinn Ferris \/ Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Talk about the positives<\/h2>\n

A shared driveway can be a single space as wide as a single-car driveway (roughly 9 to 12 feet<\/a>, although some can be smaller) or a double-car driveway (roughly 20 to 24 feet<\/a>). They also can take the shape of a \u201cY,\u201d a fish bone, or a flag on a pole<\/a>. The plusses of such an arrangement might not immediately leap to mind, but there are advantages to a shared driveway:<\/p>\n

Shared maintenance: <\/b>
\n<\/b>As long as a proper deed specifies equal ownership<\/a>, all owners can shoulder the costs and labor<\/a> of shoveling show, removing motor oil stains, or resealing the concrete or asphalt because of cracks.<\/p>\n

Coveted parking:<\/b>
\nIn metropolitan areas like Brooklyn, New York, where parking is at a premium, a shared driveway is a \u201ccoveted\u201d feature<\/a>, regardless of having to split it with someone else.<\/p>\n

Clearer, safer streets:<\/b>
\nStreets with housing close together can appear clearer and become safer by reducing \u201cvehicular access points<\/a>,\u201d such as driveways, said one steering committee about proposed road improvements in Washtenaw County, Michigan. \u201cSharing or joint use of a driveway<\/a> by two or more property owners should be encouraged,\u201d the committee\u2019s report said.<\/p>\n

Address typical buyer concerns over shared driveways<\/h2>\n

Some people refer to a shared driveway as a \u201ccommon driveway<\/a>,\u201d but it has a legal definition. Almost all shared driveways are \u201cappurtenant easements<\/a>,\u201d or rights to \u201cexercise a limited form of ownership or possession<\/a> of the property of another individual,\u201d real estate lawyers say. These rights attach to the ownership of the land and typically pass along to the new owner.<\/p>\n

An easement can specify<\/a> that each homeowner owns part of the driveway but has the legal right to use the full space to drive to and from the garage, according to Nolo.com, a leading legal website since 2011. Other times, one homeowner owns the entire driveway, and the easement grants the neighbor sharing the driveway the right to use part of it, such as parking to one side or for reaching the garage.<\/p>\n

Concerns that often arise<\/a> with shared driveways include:<\/p>\n