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It’s a piece of valuable property that sits idle most of the day. But now a quick visit to a website lets you become a mini parking mogul.

On a post-college visit to San Francisco, Anthony Eskinazi was driving around before a Giants game, hunting for a parking spot in vain, when he jokingly asked a friend, “Wouldn’t it be great if I could knock on that lady’s door, give her $10, and park in her driveway?” It’s not an uncommon sentiment, but Eskinazi–who eventually returned to England–decided to run with the idea, creating ParkatmyHouse, a site that connects homeowners and businesses that have parking to spare with the desperate drivers who spend hours circling around the block.

ParkatmyHouse has operated in the U.K.–where it has over 150,000 customers–since 2006. Thanks to new backing by BMWi Ventures (BMW’s venture capital arm), the service is expanding to the U.S., starting with New York, Washington, D.C., and Boston. It’s an easy way to make a buck, and, according to Eskinazi, a security feature for many users since it gives the impression that someone is home. “Homeowners like the idea of a car parked outside their property,” he says.

There are already a number of parking listings in the U.S., even though the service just launched this month. Want a private garage in Harvard Square? That’ll be $200 a month. A private driveway in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn? That’s $15 per day.

Read the entire article at: Co.Exist.com

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