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Many households use their driveways for storing bins, parking vehicles, and other purposes.

While this represents fairly typical conduct, some individuals may be unaware they could be unwittingly breaching the law by parking outside their properties.

Everything hinges on your property's configuration, and exactly where your driveway is located. If the area is shared with a neighbouring household, there are several regulations you must adhere to, according to experts at digital legal service Lawhive.

With a communal driveway, both properties possess the right to use it, but the Highways Act 1980, applicable throughout England and Wales, states that people must not obstruct a highway, including a shared driveway.

This means that neither resident has the power to block the driveway, for example by parking on it, and could face a fine for doing so.

It also represents an offence to keep items on a communal driveway, such as waste or recycling bins. Such conduct would be classified as "obstructing a highway", according to Lawhive.

Should you experience disputes with your neighbour concerning a shared driveway, legal professionals recommend acquainting yourself with your rights and consulting a solicitor.

They also advise speaking to your neighbour once you comprehend the full situation, as this method may prove adequate to resolve any disagreements.

Should these steps prove ineffective, enlisting a professional mediator could help, or possibly a formally worded letter from a legal representative.

As a last resort, you may be able to seek an injunction to stop the neighbour from undertaking actions that breach your rights.