A very good example of why a phone call is not worth the paper it isn't written on!
Do you have to pay the "tickets"? No, you don't. When you mention your "landlord", are you referring to the person who owns the property or their managing agent?
Your Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) grants you the right to park in the space without reference to any permit scheme. That right, being contractually agreed between tenant and landlord, overrides any subsequent signage or scheme introduced by the managing agent or a private parking company (as confirmed in Jopson v Homeguard [2016] and similar cases).
There’s no mention in your tenancy agreement that a permit must be displayed or that failure to do so incurs penalties. Therefore, you haven’t agreed to such terms, and you’re not bound by them.
Private parking companies rely on a driver accepting their terms by entering a contract through clear signage. But you, as a tenant with an allocated space, have not entered any new contract. Signs cannot unilaterally override your tenancy.
You have a legal right to “quiet enjoyment” of the property, which includes the parking space. Interference by third parties without lawful authority may be seen as a breach of that right.
Whilst you may have appealed each PCN individually, I advise you to send the following as formal complaint to the parking operator and to CC in your landlord/managing agent and also CC in yourself:
Subject: Formal complaint – unlawful PCNs and misuse of DVLA data
Dear Sirs,
This is a formal complaint regarding multiple Parking Charge Notices issued by your company between 30 April 2025 and 12 May 2025 to vehicle registration [YOUR REG] at Merve Apartments, Kent. I can confirm that I am the Registered Keeper of the vehicle.
I am the lawful tenant of [full address], with an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement dated 30 April 2025 which includes an allocated parking space as part of the tenancy. That contractual right to park cannot be overridden by signage or any third-party scheme.
On the day I moved in, I contacted the landlord’s assistant and asked if anything needed to be done regarding parking. On 6 May 2025 I was asked to provide my vehicle registration number, which I did promptly. This was done purely as a courtesy and not because I was legally required to obtain permission to park in my own space.
Despite this, your company issued seven PCNs for the use of a parking space to which I have a legal right under contract. These PCNs are entirely without foundation. There has been no contravention. Your company has no lawful authority to impose terms or restrictions on a tenant’s demised premises. There is no contract between us.
Worse still, you have obtained my keeper data from the DVLA despite having no reasonable cause to do so. This is a clear breach of the KADOE agreement and the UK GDPR. A formal complaint has already been submitted to the DVLA and further action is under consideration. I reserve the right to bring a claim under Article 82 UK GDPR for unlawful use of my data.
Whoever contracted your company to operate at this location is jointly and severally liable for your actions. That includes the unlawful acquisition of my DVLA data, the misuse of that data, and any interference with rights granted under my tenancy agreement. No party had the authority to alter the terms of any tenancy or lease relating to demised parking without full compliance with the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, in particular section 37(5).
You are now formally required to do the following:
• Cancel all Parking Charge Notices issued to [YOUR REG]
• Confirm in writing that my personal data has been erased under Article 17 UK GDPR
• Confirm that no further action will be taken
You have 14 days to resolve this complaint in full. If you fail to comply, this matter will be escalated to the Information Commissioner’s Office and any other relevant authority without further notice.
Yours faithfully,
[Your name]
You should also file a formal complaint with the DVLA which I will provide the template for shortly.