Parking spaces come few and far between, especially ones close to campus.

But area apartment complexes said they have plenty of room to handle their residents’ parking needs.

“We have ample parking spaces available to our residents,” said Paige Everly, director of marketing and sales at University Plaza, 900 Crane Drive. “We never run out of parking spaces. There is an abundance of parking spaces available to our residents.”

Most apartment complexes have parking permits and spaces available for their residents, and on very rare occasions, they have spaces available for non-residents as well.

“We had some permits available in the past to non-residents, but we always give our residents first chance,” Everly said. “We normally sell permits to former residents after a certain period in the semester passes by.”

Apartment complexes would normally offer permits to lease-holding residents on a first-come, first-serve basis.

“Permits are often sold to about everyone who owns a lease,” said Jim Mason, owner of Mason Properties. “If there were five people who owned a lease, then we allow for them five permits.”

People who live at Star Properties normally sign contracts and are expected to abide by the rules once they receive their permits.

Both Mason and Everly said there are no complaints about parking spaces for their tenants.

“We have sticker parking here because it eliminates drug dealers [who would] come in and take up spaces,” Mason said.

However, some complaints are generally due to lack of space for their guests.

The main concerns about parking are not related to the amount of spaces for residents – they are related to the extra spaces for their guests, said Ina Walk, office manager for the College Housing Group.

“The biggest complaints that we receive are the lack of spaces that are available for their guests, boyfriends and girlfriends,” she said.

Brent Foster, a sophomore public administration major, and a tenant with Mason Properties, agrees.

“It’s not the issue about parking my car that is the problem,” he said. “It’s the fact that guests are not allowed to park in the street and park in a remote lot. I would like to see if they would be able to allow guests to park in the street where it’s much more convenient for themselves and their cars.”