WE MAKE £400 A DAY DURING SIX NATIONS BY RENTING OUT OUR DRIVEWAYS

Savvy locals living in the shadow of Twickenham stadium are helping to pay the bills by renting out their driveways during the Six Nations – making up to £400 a match.

Homeowners close to the 82,000-seater arena in southwest London say they can earn easy money by leasing space to burger vans, flag sellers or for parking.

Whilst some say it contributes towards their monthly bills, others say they began renting the space to avoid revellers using their driveways as a toilet.

During England’s opening match of this year’s Six Nations tournament, when they thumped Wales 48-7, Richmond Council handed out 24 fines to fans peeing outside the ground.

Their next match at the stadium – officially called the Allianz Stadium – is against Ireland this Saturday (21/02).

Shuell Rahman, who has lived just a stone’s throw from the ground for around 20 years, says he and his stepmother, who lives in the house next door to his, agreed to rent their large driveway to a burger van for £400 on matchdays.

“We don’t get a lot,” the 50-year-old said. “But it pays the bills and stuff. I think we should probably get more… The burger van probably get a lot more than what we pay.”

However, the dad-of-two said the van does also serve to ward off would-be-wee’ers using his drive as a toilet.

Mr Rahman added that though they did sometimes sell food of their own when they first moved to the area, “it was too much work”.

He said: “Now, if people come in to urinate, the people from the burger van tell them off.

“We share the drive with my stepmum. We get about £200 each on matchdays.”

Other residents living around the stadium sell burgers and hot dogs on their driveways, raking in as much as £2,000 on a busy matchday.

But one woman living on a road between the stadium and Twickenham train station says she began renting her driveway to flag and scarf sellers as a deterrent to desperate fans who might have had a few too many.

“Initially, I rented it out to stop people peeing on my driveway,” the woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said.

“It protects our driveway. But the RFU (Rugby Football Union) are very good at clearing up these days.”

Robin Perkins, who has lived just over the road from Twickenham for around 40 years, says he only began renting out his driveway around five years ago.

He says he also gets around £200 per matchday from sellers flogging flags, hats and scarves, and says they have to pay the local council around the same amount.

“I used to rent the drive out to a burger van,” the 72-year-old said.

“We give them electricity and stuff. They always paid me when we started, but then they didn’t.

“When the stall’s here, the fans can’t get in to pee. But before, people used to come in and pee on the fence.

“It’s got better the past few years. It’s not such a problem anymore.

“But if you move next to a rugby ground, you have got to expect something.”

One elderly couple living opposite the stadium said they were once shocked to find a woman squatting down next to their car on their front drive.

But despite some locals worrying about an escalation in this kind of behaviour if Twickenham got permission to put on more concerts at the stadium, most said they’d welcome this.

Another woman living in the stadium’s shadow, who rents her driveway out for parking for around £30 each matchday, says events are vital for the local economy.

“We’ve lived here ten years,” the mother, who didn’t wish to give her name, said. “We rent our driveway out for parking on matchdays, as do a lot of our neighbours. Some rent out their driveways for food.

“Some of the kids at the local junior school sell cakes for charity.

“The RFU put on very good security on matchdays. They police the area really well.

“As a resident, we are very comfortable with it. You can’t buy a house near a national stadium and not expect some disruption.

“But the RFU are very good neighbours. Some of our neighbours are creating a fuss over nothing.

“I think they should be able to have gigs. As residents, we are given priority booking ballots for tickets.

“Twickenham would be f**** without the matchday spending.

“A lot of restaurants, pubs and bars make their money on matchdays. If they didn’t have that, they wouldn’t stay open.

“The only thing the Council need to consider is the infrastructure: it can’t quite support 80,000 people on a regular basis.

“But if they put on another five gigs a year, I can only see it being a good thing for the community.

“You’re always going to get some revellers who are high-spirited and have a piss.

“The crowd that used to come for the Rugby Sevens tournament, about ten years ago, that was different…

“There’s a big difference between that crowd – a bunch of 20-year-olds pissing, vomiting and shagging in the streets – and the Six Nations crowd.

“But rugby fans, by and large, are a decent crowd, and Twickenham would fall into disrepair if we can’t get more events there.”

2026-02-19T09:23:09Z