Rental cars at MBJ live in fenced operator compounds, not public lots
At Sangster International (MBJ) T1, the Car Rental Parking areas sit in the Ground Transportation Arrivals Hall zone just outside Customs, clustered with the rental desks rather than in the main public car park. These fenced compounds function as storage and turnover space for rental fleets, with gated access controlled by each rental company, not as general airport parking for private vehicles.
When you clear Customs in T1, you walk into the Ground Transportation Arrivals Hall, where the major rental counters line up in a short corridor and direct you to their specific lot just outside. Staff walk you to a clearly signed bay, hand over the keys, and send you out through the exit gate; returning the car works the same way in reverse, with vehicles checked back into the compound and not left in regular terminal parking.
All published information on MBJ rentals treats these areas as rental‑fleet storage and customer pick‑up/drop‑off zones, with no posted daily parking prices for non‑rental use. There’s no credible track record of people leaving a private car in a rental lot here, and the operators focus on their own contract vehicles, so assume they refuse general parking even if a space looks open.
MBJ’s official guidance sends anyone parking a personal vehicle to the main public car park in front of T1, not to the Car Rental Parking compounds beside the Ground Transportation Arrivals Hall. If you need to leave your own car at the airport for more than a quick passenger pick‑up, plan on using the public lot and treat the rental areas as off‑limits unless you are actively picking up or dropping off a hire car.