Struggling homeowners desperate to make extra money are renting out driveways and parking spaces in their thousands to try and earn an additional income, say those behind a parking app.

Parking network JustPark, which connects drivers with parking spaces or driveways available to rent, says it has seen interest in its opportunity as a side hustle soar since the cost of living crisis began to bite.

With more than 10 million drivers regularly using the technology - and over two million bookings made through the app annually, hosts collectively made more than £6 million in 2021 claims the firm.

And in the last 12 months, according to its latest data, the number of property owners registering their driveway or private parking space for people to book and borrow has more than doubled, which the company attributes to the increased pressure being placed on household outgoings.

Founder and CEO Anthony Eskinazi explained: "As the cost of living crisis continues, we have most definitely seen an increase in new listings, which allows homeowners to rent their driveway and earn an extra income.

"Our data shows that since October 2021 to now, the number of homeowners registering their driveway for people to book and park has more than doubled, which we can only assume is down to the cost of living crisis as people look for ways to generate more income."

More than 28,000 parking 'hosts' are currently listed on the site attempting to monetise underutilised spaces in more than 45,000 different locations. Drivers using the app to find a place to park, can both book spaces as a one-off or make an arrangement for longer term parking with spaces available to rent for as little as one hour at a time.

Just Park says its top hosts - in some of the most popular and in demand locations - are currently earning more than £4,000 a year each by regularly renting out their land to another motorist to use when they don't need it. The first £1,000 of which is available to claim tax free under the rental scheme and current HMRC rules.

Spaces are free to list and as increasing numbers of drivers switch to electric vehicles interest in EV charging spaces is also growing, providing even more homes with the potential for another revenue stream should they have the relevant technology available to hire under its Just Charge scheme to share power.

Anthony Eskinazi added: "The demand and necessity for parking spaces won’t disappear any time soon, providing an opportunity for homeowners to become hosts and use their underused driveways to generate passive, hassle-free income."