How to rent out your car in 5 easy steps
Five easy steps to help you rent out your car. Sharing makes car ownership more fun, green and affordable!
Think you might like to rent out your car? Our friends at the sharing economy website www.shareable.net have posted a great article to get you started with peer-to-peer car-sharing.
They’ll get you making money with your under-utilised vehicle by giving you some easy advice on how to share your car. By connecting with your community and joining the growing world-wide movement to build a sharing economy.
Here is a summary of their five top tips:
1: Make sure you and your vehicle qualify
To be eligible to rent out your car through Uber Carshare, your car needs to be twelve years old or younger, run well (and be regularly serviced), and have a value of less than $50,000.
2: Take photos
It helps to give your car a personality and make it look appealing. Clean your car inside and out before taking the pics, and on a regular basis, to keep you borrowers happy.
3: Name your car and write a catchy listing
Get creative! For example, Uber Carshare has a sporty VW named George and a cheeky Ford Escape called Rosie the Red Rocket. You can also leave some special items in your car (like a picnic blanket) and mention these in the listing.
4: Advertise
You have to tell people that your car is available. Good online venues to post a listing are Craigslist, Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media that you use. Don’t forget to spread the word to your friends and local network. And take this opportunity to tell them how righteous it is to minimise the number of cars on the road; how much money they’ll save by not buying themselves a car, and how they’re contributing to a more liveable city. Try flyers in laundromats, libraries, corner shops and take-aways (with the owner’s OK, of course).
5: Communicate
Shareable’s article talks about sorting out key exchanges and accepting bookings, but for most Uber Carshare members who use Fred for instant access, it’s more about making sure that you stay on top of the feedback you’re getting from borrowers, and aim to sort out any issues in order to get as many positive reviews as possible.
While you’re there, have a look around the site – it’s a great resource for all things related to sharing, including clothing swaps, childcare co-ops, cohousing and more. The Shareable team point out that sharing makes life “more fun, green and affordable.”
