The Unique Challenge of Residential Parking Lot Striping
Striping a commercial parking lot is straightforward compared to apartment and HOA properties. Commercial lots empty out at night. Residential lots do the opposite — they fill up when residents come home and stay full until morning. That simple reality changes everything about how apartment parking lot striping projects are planned, scheduled, and executed.
If you manage an apartment complex, condominium, or HOA community in Oregon, this guide covers how to get your lot re-striped without turning your residents' lives upside down.
Why Residential Lots Need Different Planning
Cars Are Always There
A retail lot clears out by 9 PM. An apartment lot might have 90% occupancy from 6 PM to 7 AM, and still 40% to 60% occupancy during weekday business hours. There is no window where the lot is empty. Every striping project requires a phased approach.
Residents Need Advance Notice
Commercial tenants understand construction schedules. Residents are less forgiving when they come home from work to find their parking spot blocked off with wet paint. Oregon tenant law does not require specific notice periods for parking lot maintenance, but most property managers provide 7 to 14 days written notice to avoid complaints and ensure residents can make alternate arrangements.
Assigned and Reserved Spaces
Many apartment complexes and HOA properties assign specific spaces to units. Striping must preserve those assignments exactly, including numbered stall markings. A misnumbered space creates confusion and disputes between residents.
ADA Compliance Still Applies
Apartment complexes with public or common-area parking must meet ADA accessible parking requirements. HOA-governed properties with shared lots are also subject to ADA and the Fair Housing Act. The number of required accessible spaces follows the same federal table as commercial properties.
Phased Scheduling: The Only Way It Works
The key to successful apartment parking lot striping is phasing. You cannot stripe what you cannot access, and you cannot access what has a car parked on it.
Phase Approach for Apartment Complexes
Phase 1: Resident notification (7-14 days before)
- Post notices on all entry points, mailbox areas, and individual doors
- Specify exact dates, times, and which sections will be affected
- Provide alternate parking locations (street parking, overflow areas, neighboring lot agreements)
- Include a contact number for questions
Phase 2: Section-by-section striping
- Divide the lot into sections (typically by building or row)
- Cone off and barricade each section the morning of work
- Maintenance staff or a tow service moves vehicles that did not relocate
- Stripe the cleared section
- Allow 30 to 60 minutes dry time before reopening
- Move to the next section
Phase 3: Detail work
- Return for ADA markings, numbered stalls, fire lanes, and specialty stencils after main striping is complete
- Touch up any areas that were obstructed during phased work
Best Days and Times
For Oregon apartment complexes, the optimal striping window is:
- Tuesday through Thursday (avoids weekend resident activity and Monday/Friday move-in patterns)
- 9 AM to 3 PM (lowest residential lot occupancy)
- May through October (dry weather, temperatures above 50°F for proper paint adhesion)
Avoid scheduling near the first of the month when move-ins and move-outs spike.
HOA Parking Lot Striping: Board Approval and Budget
HOA and condo parking lot striping adds a governance layer. The property manager typically cannot authorize the work alone — it requires board approval, budget allocation from reserves, and often a competitive bid process.
Getting HOA Board Approval
Present the board with:
- Current condition documentation — photos of faded striping, ADA deficiencies, and safety concerns
- Compliance risks — ADA violations and fire lane non-compliance create liability for the HOA
- Cost estimates — see our guide to parking lot striping cost for budgeting
- Scheduling plan — demonstrate that resident disruption will be minimized
- Maintenance timeline — explain how long parking lot striping lasts and when the next re-stripe will be needed
Most HOA boards approve striping as a reserve maintenance item. Oregon HOA law (ORS Chapter 94 for condominiums, ORS Chapter 65 for planned communities) generally treats parking lot maintenance as a common-area expense funded by reserves or assessments.
Budget Planning
Condo parking lot striping costs align with commercial rates, typically $3 to $6 per stall for standard re-striping. A 100-unit complex with 150 parking spaces should budget $1,000 to $2,500 for a standard re-stripe, plus additional costs for ADA markings, fire lanes, and numbered stall stencils.
Common Layout Improvements During Re-Striping
A re-stripe is the perfect opportunity to improve your lot layout. Changes that apartment and HOA communities commonly request:
- Adding visitor parking near the leasing office or main entrance
- Converting underused spaces to compact stalls to increase capacity
- Adding EV charging station markings as electric vehicle adoption grows
- Improving traffic flow with directional arrows and one-way aisle markings
- Updating ADA spaces to current standards (many older complexes are under-count)
- Adding motorcycle or bicycle parking zones
Any layout change that affects assigned spaces requires resident notification and, for HOA properties, board approval.
ADA Requirements for Apartment and HOA Lots
Apartment complexes built after 1991 (when ADA took effect) should already have compliant accessible parking. Older properties face the ongoing "readily achievable" barrier removal obligation.
Key requirements:
- Accessible spaces positioned closest to the building entrance they serve
- At least 1 van-accessible space for every 6 accessible spaces
- Access aisles with diagonal hatching connecting to an accessible route
- Proper signage at each accessible space
For HOA-governed condominiums, the Fair Housing Act adds requirements beyond ADA, including reasonable accommodation for disabled residents who may need an accessible space reassigned closer to their unit.
Handling Resident Complaints
Even with perfect planning, some residents will be frustrated by the disruption. Property managers can minimize complaints by:
- Over-communicating — multiple notices through multiple channels (door hangers, email, posted signs, resident portal)
- Providing specific timelines — "Section B will be striped Tuesday 9 AM to 1 PM" is better than "parking lot work this week"
- Following through — if you say the work will be done by 3 PM, make sure it is done by 3 PM
- Making the improvement visible — residents tolerate disruption better when the result is obviously better than what they had before
Get Your Residential Lot Striped Right
Apartment parking lot striping and HOA parking lot striping require more coordination than commercial parking lot striping, but the process is manageable with proper phasing and communication. The result — a clean, well-organized, compliant lot — improves resident satisfaction, reduces liability, and protects property value.
Cojo provides residential parking lot striping for apartment complexes, condominiums, and HOA communities across Oregon. We handle phased scheduling, resident coordination support, and ADA compliance. Contact Cojo for a free assessment, or learn more about our striping services.