The Cheapest Way To Rent A Car: 10 Tips
Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list ofour partnersandhere’s how we make money.
One of the biggest travel trends since the COVID-19 pandemic is the comeback of the road trip. But high demand means that supply for rental cars might be lower. Unsurprisingly, car rental prices are at sky-high levels and thats if you can find one available to rent at all.
The good news is you dont have to blow your entire vacation budget on rental cars.
These 10 tricks will help you score a cheap rental car for your next road trip, whether its a quick weekend getaway or a cross-country odyssey.
What If I Rent Out My Car And It Gets Damaged/stolen
With both Turo and Getaround, youre insured. With the former, youre covered with up to $1 million in liability insurance provided by Liberty Mutual. All Liberty Mutual liability insurance in the U.S. is offered through Turo Insurance Agency. Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Your car is also protected against theft and physical damage. If you choose to rent out your car with Turo, youre free to select their Premier, Standard, and Minimum insurance plan. Getaround offers you a $1,000,000 primary insurance, and trips are covered with insurance and 24/7 roadside assistance.
And next you might wonder, what is the best solution if I decide to rent out my car and that is to keep your own coverage and expand it, if possible. Some insurance companies have already adapted to the new situation and started to provide coverage for vehicles that are listed on car-rental sites. Furthermore, read about what the insurance plans or your chosen platform cover. Some car owners shared their stories where their car gets damaged but neither their own insurance company nor the platform paid for the damage. Its better to be safe than sorry, so do your homework.
Some tips to consider: Even if youre swamped, walk around your vehicle after each rental period to see if its intact. Control the length and the number of rentals to keep your car in great condition as long as possible. Think about how you can avoid paying others toll.
Select Your Protection Plan
Youll want to select the right insurance protection plan from HyreCar. There are three plans to choose from, including Basic, Standard and Premium.
Insurance for rentals is generated roughly 24 hours before pick up. The deductibles for these required insurance plans are high and cost up to $3,000.
Its important to note that HyreCars insurance plans dont cover:
- Stains
- Scratches, punctures, dents, window cracks and dings under six inches
- Tire damage
HyreCar calls these types of damages normal wear and tear, but some drivers may see these exclusions as risky since they typically dont happen without some level of negligence.
Based on the terms listed on HyreCars website, dont expect much for insurance reimbursement unless damage to your car is significant.
Also Check: What Does It Cost To Get A Car Painted
Youre Set For Success
-
Contactless bookings
Do it all in the Android and iOS app manage bookings, see your income and get support. Borrowers use the app to get the keys, so you dont need to meet.
-
Active marketplace
Were Australias largest car-sharing community, servicing tens of thousands of trips each month and were growing fast.
Is It Safe To Hire My Ride
DriveMyCar makes peer-to-peer car rental possible by adding ‘trust’. We screen people, perform ID and credit checks, and collect a bond from all renters before they can access your car. We can also arrange for a GPS tracker and immobiliser to be fitted to your car for extra peace of mind.
Lisa Robinson
Paddington, NSW
Juan Ruiz Coello
Rosebery, NSW
Gary Long
Kotara, NSW
Jenny Marshall
Jeffrey McNally
You May Like: How To Get A Replacement Car Title In Florida
How To Make Money In The Sharing Economy
With the rise of the sharing economy more people with less-than-perfect credit scores that probably won’t qualify for acar loan choose to rent a car from the owner.
At the same time the Sharing economy offers economical benefitsand the opportunity to earn extra money for everyone involved. There are a lot of things you can rent out for money.You are probably familiar with Airbnb, one of the sharing economy companies. Other sharing economy examples arePoshmark or other apps that allow you to make moneywalking dogs. But how does renting out your car work? In practice, it works like this:
- You can rent out your car through an app.
- You list your vehicle and make it available to private individuals.
- Whoever wants to rent a car needs to get in touch with the owner.
- All car sharing services do not accept cash. This means that renters cannot pay the car with cash, but canonly pay by credit or debit card and take the opportunity!
- The app in general retains about 12-30% of commissions and fees, which also includes roadside assistance andinsurance for damages, theft, liability.
Where And How Can You Rent A Cheap 4wd Vehicle In Iceland
There are many different places to rent cheap 4WD vehicles in Iceland. But not all car rental companies are created equal. Regardless of where you rent from, all youll need is a valid drivers license from your home country and your passport. You do not require an international drivers license to rent a car in Iceland. When choosing the best place to rent a 4WD vehicle in Iceland, here are the most important things to look at.
Don’t Miss: Do Car Dealerships Use Equifax Or Transunion
How To Get A Replacement Rental Car After An Accident
Last Updated on February 14, 2022 by Kristin
If your car becomes damaged for example, in an accident or due to a weather-related event the collision repairs could take weeks. Luckily, your personal auto insurance likely will cover a replacement rental car to use while you wait for your car to be repaired. While this is a convenient option, there are some key things you should keep in mind during the process.
Amount You Earn Differs
When you let out your car on rental basis, do not expect it to earn really high from the first day or first month itself. If you are renting it out to a company on monthly basis, then you will sign up with the company for a certain fixed amount on monthly basis. That means, you will be able to earn that amount without any kind of problems.
But when you are renting it out for Ola or Uber, then the amount that you can earn depends on the number of rides it is taking per day. It is the same with the travel agencies as well. You will be able to make money only when your car goes out for a ride. So, plan it accordingly, but you will surely be able to make some extra income out of the car which was idle at home since long time.
Recommended Reading: Do Car Salesman Make Good Money
Check For Rental Car Discounts
Some car rental companies have special rates for people needing rental cars after an accident. Some companies may even offer to pick you up. Regardless of who pays for the cost of your replacement rental car, its always a good idea to ask about these special rates before making a reservation.
Enterprise, for example, often offers discounts for drivers needing a rental car after an accident and supports direct billing for eligible insurance claims. Hertz also offers an online tool to look up quotes for accident-related rentals.
Related:
Give The Keys To Your Renter
Once all your documentation is in order, its time to give your car keys to your renter. Arrange a day, time and place to meet the renter to hand over your keys.
Before giving them your keys:
- Verify their insurance
- Check the mileage and fuel levels on your car
- Do a final inspection of your vehicle for damage
You May Like: How Much Does It Cost To Charge Car Ac
How To Rent Out Your Car With Car
Do you have a car that sits around most of the time, and a desire to make extra money?
Instead of driving people or goods around with ridesharing and delivery services, you can earn a little bit more by renting your vehicle out to others. You can make money by doing very little. In the past, this wasnt an option, but now almost anyone can do it thanks to numerous applications you can download on your smartphone. Registering through the companys website first is sometimes required but everything else is done through the app.
The type of app you need to rent out your car is called a peer-to-peer platform. These apps let people in your area rent your vehicle by reaching out to you directly instead of the traditional way . You can even do the whole transaction without meeting the person renting your vehicle if youd prefer. Almost everything is done on the apps, which are usually user-friendly with step-by-step instructions.
So, what are you waiting for? Keep reading and turn your car into money.
Rent Out Your Car On Hyrecar: The Complete Guide
Want to make a cool $9,000 this year? HyreCar will rent your car to rideshare and delivery drivers who are in need of a vehicle or dont have a qualifying vehicle.
If youve ever asked yourself, How do I rent out my car in order to earn extra income? HyreCar has the answer. Were leaders in the carsharing space and will help you rent your car online to local rideshare and delivery drivers.
Recommended Reading: How Do Car Salesman Get Paid
How Much Can You Make With Hyrecar
If you want to make money on the side, you might be wondering how much can you expect to make with HyreCar. According to various sources, most car owners make between $30 and $40 per day when renting out their car.
Of course, your earnings can vary based on the type of car you drive, where you live and other factors.
The condition of your car matters as well. High-end vehicles in excellent condition will make more money, while lower-end vehicles will likely earn less.
How To Rent Your Car Through Hyrecar
Recommended Reading: Deterring Squirrels From Cars
Turo Alternatives: Getaround & Hyrecar
As mentioned, Turo isnt the only car-sharing app out there. If youre looking to explore other options for listing your car for rental, Getaround and HyreCar are alternatives to consider.
Similar to Turo, Getaround is based out of San Francisco, and its top markets for service include Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. In each of these cities, Getaround features readily available vehicles at airports, shopping centers, convention centers, and morealong with passengers looking for cars. To view the full list of locales where Getaround is available , .
HyreCar is a little different than Turo and Getaround in that its designed specifically for Uber, Lyft, and on-demand delivery drivers. HyreCar is a great option for those using ride-sharing as a side hustle, who dont want to use their personal vehicle or who dont own a vehicle and want to generate extra income through these services. Based in Los Angeles, HyreCar recently expanded into all 50 states and Washington, D.C., so finding or hosting a car through the app should be straightforward in all major U.S. cities.
Use Your Own Insurance
If you have a car, your primary insurance likely covers you when you rent a car. Carless millennials: Have your parents add you as a driver to their insurance. If you have a good driving record, it likely wont cost any extra.
Many credit cards also include basic insurance coverage if you use the card to pay for your rental. So you can skip it and save as much as $30 a day on your rental. Some cards even offer more comprehensive coverage.
Renting overseas? You might be required to purchase insurance, even if you have coverage via your primary car insurance and/or your credit card. Build this into your budget.
You May Like: How To Fix Burn Holes In Car
What Others Are Saying
HyreCar earned 4.0 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot. While most reviews are positive, there are some concerning stories shared by users.
Here are a few reviews left by car owners who use HyreCar on Trustpilot.
Victor was extremely helpful and got my car listed tonight. I could not have asked for better customer service. Chris J.
Bad sets of policies that does little to nothing to protect car owners. Horrible customer service they purposely keep you on hold, never return your calls or more than half the time dont answer calls. When they do, they dont help with your problem even when they lie that they will. Jay
Im really impressed with the greatly improved customer service at HyreCar! There has been a 100% improvement in wait times and quality of service. Daniel O. Is a great example of this turnaround, he was professional, resolved my listing issues. Daniel O. then gave a return call to confirm that everything was resolved. Darin W.
Getting paid is never an issue. However, accident and incident claims are almost impossible to get filed and taken care of. Im out of at least 2K out of pocket for damages and not one claims adjuster has reached out to me in over a month. Write my wrong
How Renters Find Your Car Listing
Now that the car is listed and ready to go, the last step is to set pricing. This part is very intuitive on the Turo app. All I do is look at similar cars in my area and charge a couple dollars lower. Prices vary based on seasonality, so be sure to check back once a month to make sure your rates remain competitive.
Turo offers several dynamic pricing models to help hosts maximize their car sharing utilization by slightly raising prices during popular times , and lowering prices during regular weekdays.
Heres how it works: When someone seeking a car rental logs onto Turo, theyll ask the app for a car near where they are or want to pick up the vehicle. When they book your car, youll get notified through the Turo app. Woohoo!
Some car owners will then send a welcome message telling them how excited you are for their trip. Honestly, I never did thisbut regardless, you should be prepared to respond promptly to any inquiries from renters. Quick response times and good response rates likely make your listing more attractive.
Once a week, I would send the renters for the upcoming week a generic message welcoming them to Denver and giving them instructions on how to find, unlock, and operate the car. If they had any further questions from there, I would answer them kindly.
Thats pretty much it. It was an easy business to operate. It took less than an hour per week of time and most of it was just texting the renters.
Also Check: How Many Cans Of Freon Does A Car Hold
Things To Keep In Mind Before Renting Out Your Car
Now that you have some basic information about renting out your vehicle, lets look at factors you should consider when renting out your car. Each car rental service is different, including different customer bases and rules.
Read all of the fine print before you list your car with any of these online marketplaces, so there are no surprises. Also, make sure youre comfortable with the insurance coverage you have with the company.
Its good to get familiar with the coverage you receive when renting out your car. Look at what qualifies as a covered peril during the reservation period as well as the requirements to have the renter be responsible for the damage.
In many cases, youll need to provide clear photo documentation within 24 hours of the end of the trip. Youll want to be able to demonstrate that the damage occurred during the trip.
Make sure you have up-to-date photos of your car exterior and interior on file before renting out your vehicle.
Having documentation can help you showcase neglect or damage from the renter if you get your car back in less than stellar condition. Taking before and after photos is the fastest way to get your case resolved and your car repaired.
Crunching The Numbers: Is Turo Worth It
Airbnb for cars: How you 100K+ per year carsharing!
Are you someone who is on the fence about listing your car on Turo or other carsharing platforms like GetAround, ZipCar, or Hyrecar and want to make sure its worth doing before investing your time and money?
If that sounds like you we know this article will help you to make a financially sound decision when it comes to renting your car out on various carsharing platforms.
As long as you have good credit, you can start this business without anything other than the time you spend managing your fleet.
While I want to be as comprehensive as possible, conducting a thorough financial analysis will require many unique inputs that change based on your market. Use this as a guideline to structure your business.
Are you a hobbyist or are you wanting to start a business?
Before we begin, you need to make sure you are managing your expectations correctly. Are you someone who is looking to just rent out their personal car to subsidize the cost of ownership or are you someone that wants to eventually run a full-time fleet? The answer will have a considerable impact on how you want to build your business.
Renting your own car can be extremely stressful, but in turn, can be extremely profitable.
Now that weve got that out the way, lets begin on this next Turo article. See you at the end!
Also Check: What Is An Equus Car