Looking for a side gig or a source of income that does not require you to learn a new skill, get up at dawn, or work for The Man? Look around your life. There might be something you aren’t using much that could easily become a second income. With the help of a little technology, you can rent out everything from your boat to your truck to your backyard. Some of it will earn you hefty returns.
Here are 11 ways to easily make money renting out your own stuff.
1. Your driveway
If you live somewhere where parking is a challenge, you can rent your driveway or parking spot on Curb Flip and make money off of that situation. You can rent the spot out all the time or only when you aren’t using it because you decide when – and for how much – you want to rent your parking spot.
2. Your bike, SUP, or surfboard
Instead of getting rid of that bike you rarely use or storing your board, why not spruce it up and let it earn some cash instead? List it at Spinlister and have fun letting people who are visiting your town enjoy themselves on a bike or get out on the water. According to the site, you can make as much as $500 a month at this and the site guarantees the safety of your equipment while you decide when – and to whom – you rent your gear.
3. Your empty office, loft, studio, or warehouse
If you have more office space than you need, an empty warehouse you don’t know what to do with, a loft, or any sort of interesting space people might want to work in, do photoshoots in, or have meetings, parties, or events in, list it at Peerspace, Splacer, or thisopenspace and make it contribute to your bottom line. You control what time of day and days of the week your space is available.
4. Your attic or garage
Got an empty attic or garage in the big old house you don’t want to move out of? Keep your home and get it to pay its own keep by renting out your empty space as storage. You don’t have to let people move in with you to get money from them, just let them access their stuff sometimes. At StoreAtMyHouse, you list the space you have – a fenced yard for boat or RV storage, a spare bedroom, a garage, whatever – and your price.
5. Your fenced yard for dogs
Dog owners often struggle to find a place to let their pup run free, either for joy or because that’s the only way to train dogs at recall and other advanced skills. If you have a fenced yard, some woods, or a field that’s sitting idle, list it with Sniffspot and dog owners will pay you to let their dogs frisk there. Even better? Trick it out with dog-friendly agility courses or water activities and you can get more money and happy dogs into your life.
6. Your swimming pool
Lucky you to have a swimming pool! If you are grumbling about the costs and upkeep, though, you can share that pool with those who are not so happily swimming-pool endowed and get reimbursed for some of that expense — and maybe make some friends — at Swimply.
7. Your boat
How often do you go out on your boat? When you aren’t using it, it could be earning it’s keep and maybe lining your pockets. List your boat for rent at Boatsetter and let tourists or neighbors go boating and pay you to do it. The average boat owner on this site earns $20,000 a year and your boat is insured. If you are a boat captain, this is a great place to get work taking non-boatie people out on the water. While you are at it, check out GetMyBoat, which also lets you create bookable boating experiences and rent your boat out to people looking for water adventures.
8. Your Truck
People are often looking for a truck and if it is often unused, you can make money letting them use yours by listing it at FluidTruck. If you own a cargo van, box truck, pickup truck, trailer, or even a car, this site will connect you with people who want to rent it. Pickup trucks – when rented full time – earn, on average, $10,000 a year, according to the site. Bigger trucks bring in even more. You set your vehicle’s availability and price and you’ll be insured and ready to earn because Fluidtruck does all the background checks on drivers.
9. Your car
Own a car you rarely use? Instead of paying to store it, share it on Getaround or Turo and let it pay you. Just enroll it and learn the ropes (and how to install a tracking device if you use Getaround) and get started. You control your car’s availability and pricing – as well as maintenance – and whether you want this to be a full-time job (you can add more cars to your fleet) or just a side hustle.
10. Your RV
That RV you adore can earn you some serious cash while it fuels the vacation dreams of other travelers. According to RV-sharing site Outdoorsy, an RV can earn over $50,000 a year. And it will still be there when you want to take a trip. According to RVshare, even a trailer or pop-up camper can earn $22,000 a year. Wherever you decide to list your RV, camper, fifth wheel, or whatever you have, your vehicle will be insured and you will control when it hits the road.
11. Your motorcycle
You love to ride but when you don’t have time, what do you do with your bike? List it on Riders Share and let other people who like to ride – and are visiting your area – enjoy it. It will save you on storage and earn some money while making other riders happy. According to the site, some renters make $6,000 a month doing this.