Garage
Happy New Year!
Short URL = https://lordessex.com/garage
Garage availability
Ask the Resident Managers. Availability changes semi-regularly, as people move out or if someone switches from a garage to an outdoor parking space.
Types of garages
There are single and tandem garages. A single garage can fit one vehicle. A tandem garage can fit two vehicles front to back.
Garage rent amount
Affiliated Management sets garage rent amounts. Ask the Resident Managers what the rent amount for a garage would be.
Number of garages
In addition to the assigned outdoor parking spaces, there are 30 garages
Garage numbers
Each garage is numbered 1 through 30. The number of the garage does not correspond with the number of your apartment. Make sure that delivery drivers know that they can only deliver packages to the apartment entrance doors at the front of each building, not to a garage door.
Garage outside keypad
Garage keypads use a 4-digit code and Enter to signal the garage door opener to raise or lower the garage door. It works wirelessly like the remote, but is attached to the garage door frame. Normally you would use the keypad when you are on foot arriving at the garage before you get in your vehicle, or when leaving the garage after you have left your vehicle.
Most garage door openers only require Enter being pressed once.
There are a few Craftsman garage door openers which may require pressing Enter twice.
Each keypad has a 9V battery in it. The Resident Managers will replace it when it becomes too old. They use "industrial/commercial" batteries that will work better than a random battery that you found in your junk drawer.
Batteries do not work as well when it is very cold outside. (this goes for all batteries, not only these) If it will be in the teens or less the next time that you need to open the garage door, you may want to bring the remote inside with you to be able to use the warm remote when you go to the garage.
This is an example of one of the keypads:
If you are having trouble with the keypad, let the Resident Managers know.
SEE ALSO: FAQ: What type of batteries do the garage keypad and remote take?
Garage remote
The garage door opener remote is intended to be clipped to the visor of your vehicle. Button 1 opens and closes the garage door. If supported by the garage door opener in that garage, button 2 turns the garage door owner's light on and off (the light will turn on automatically when you or your vehicle pass through the sensors). The remote has a CR2032 battery in it. If your remote is not working, let the Resident Managers know. They can replace the battery, re-set the remote, replace the remote, or if necessary, contact garage door contractors to make repairs.
This is an example of one of the remotes:
Garage WiFi
If your garage has a LiftMaster or Chamberlain branded garage door opener and it says WiFi
on it, and the garage door opener is also in range of the WiFi in your apartment, only
then would you be able to open and close your garage door using a smartphone/tablet app.
See these:
LiftMaster myQ Connectivity
Chamberlain myQ Smart Home
myQ
The Resident Managers do this with their garage, which is directly next to their apartment. They may be the only people that would be able to do this, unless someone is very lucky and just happens to end up with a garage directly below their apartment...
Everyone already has access to a garage door opener remote and an outside keypad, so will probably not miss it if they are unable to use this feature.
Garage inside button
If your assigned garage has the most common type of multi-function control panel, it can be used from the inside of the garage to close the door when you are on foot and are leaving the garage. Just make sure that your feet are not blocking either of the sensors when you do this or the door will open.
To open or close the garage door, press the large top half of it, the whole thing is a button. To turn the garage door opener light on or off, press the smaller gray light button.
Some have a simple, smaller single button. This is an example of one of the multi-function
control panels:
The open/close button, regardless of the type, is located on the side of the garage door, on the inside of the garage, on one side or the other.
Garage door opener sensors
Every garage door opener is connected to a sensor on the left, and a sensor on the right. They are required by federal law in the United States. The sensors are there to prevent a child or an injured adult from being crushed by the garage door opener.
The sensors use an infrared beam, aimed at each other, which you can not see. If there is any obstruction - your foot, leaves, cobwebs, etc., that will cause the closing garage door to open again. This can also happen if someone kicks a sensor by mistake and moves it out of alignment. If the light on the garage door opener blinks, this confirms that the door opened again due to the sensors.
If there are leaves there, bring out a broom and sweep out your garage. If you have a compressed air can that you would use for cleaning off your computer keyboard, or a battery powered blower for clearing leaves out of your garage, that would work also.
If it still will not stay closed after clearing debris away from the sensors and pulling anything attached to the bottom of the garage door off, let the Resident Managers know.
Snow
The snow plow will remove all of the snow that they can with the plow, but they will not risk crashing in to a garage door or vehicle. Any remaining snow that they can not get to is your responsibility to clear away. If you leave it there, be aware that it may become icy when it melts during the day and then freezes up at night. If the Resident Managers see (or are told about) any icy area, they will spread salt/calcium/ice-melt there as needed as soon as they are available.
SEE ALSO: Winter and Snow
Storing items in a garage
You may store a relatively small amount of your things in your garage, a stack of plastic
containers, that sort of thing.
You must not put any of your things in anyone else's garage.
You must not leave any chemicals or gasoline in your garage that would have any
odor or vapor.
You must not leave anything there that would be a fire hazard for parking neighbors
or apartments above.
You must never block the utility access door, if yours has one.
You must never put anything inside of there. Anything found in there will be disposed of without warning.
Management and contractors must have 24/7 unimpeded access to the pipes and wires in there.
Empty garage
Q: If I see that a garage has never had a car in it in 25 years, can I use it?
A: No.
Regardless of how or when or if it is actively used, all garages and outdoor parking spaces are either assigned to an apartment, or are used by management and contractors.
Electrical outlets in garages
Electrical outlets in garages are there to power the garage door opener, or to be used by management or authorized contractors.
The line between garages
If you have a garage that is located in an area with several together (no walls in between 3 or 4 garages), treat the support posts as the line between garages. Do not leave anything in anyone else's garage.
Clearing out your vehicle
Of course if you need to throw out some things, bring a garbage bag, put them in there, toss it in the trash/garbage dumpster. Any more than that, such as removing everything from your car, putting it on the garage floor (or outside on the pavement), for that you should take your vehicle to a car wash or similar location with vacuums for cleaning out your car. You should not do this at Lord Essex.
Cleaning your garage
Sweeping your garage to get leaves out is allowed and encouraged. Eventually if you do not clear out leaves, cobwebs, etc. it will probably cause issues with the sensors.
Working on your vehicle
Working on your vehicle inside your garage (or outside in the parking lot) is prohibited. This is covered in your lease. If your vehicle needs to be worked on, it should be towed to a mechanic, tire shop, or whatever the case may be.
To have it towed, you could simply search for "towing near me" online, or you may want to look in to joining AAA if you do not already have other roadside services available to you: jump start, replacement battery, flat tire, etc. (Note: some vehicles include roadside service)
Wiring / utilities in garages
Some garages have phone wiring, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, water pipes, heat pipes, gas pipes, electrical wire ... All of these are run through garages to get to the apartments above or the utility rooms that are nearby.
If Comcast, Verizon, PSE&G, plumbers, etc. will be working in your garage, we will notify you where possible. They would need the person that the garage is assigned to, or a Resident Manager to get in there.
Allowing/refusing access
A garage is not a dwelling. It is an indoor parking space. You can not refuse access to management or contractors doing work on behalf of management. Management will always notify you where possible if anyone will be working in your assigned garage.
Going away
If you will be going away and your vehicle will be in your garage, it is not mandatory, but please do notify the Resident Managers. This is only so we are aware that you will not be home in case of any issue in the garage, water leak coming out of the ceiling for example, or that if a contractor needs your car moved, we would know that is not possible until you get back, etc.
Last updated: December 18, 2025