Homes and Property

Rent out your possessions to make money

By Lucy Tobin
If you’ve got homeware gathering dust in the attic, a car you rarely use in the driveway or a wedding dresss dying for another outing, there’s an easy way to make money.

All these belongings - and even odder things - are up for rent on websites like Zilok (http://uk.zilok.com/) and Rentnotbuy (rentnotbuy.co.uk), an online rental marketplace where, as Zilok puts it, “you can rent anything and everything to and from anyone.”

Other recent rentals on Zilok include a Nintendo Wii (£20 a day), MacBook (£40 a day) plus that Darth Vadar costume (£50 a day). Meanwhile people are making money on Rentnotbuy with a karaoke system, petrol strimmer and motorhome.

As for cars, the website Whipcar.com allows motorists to register their vehicles for others to rent for anything from a couple of hours to weeks. After registering the car and listing an hourly (or daily) rate, users receive any rental charges directly into their bank account each month from WhipCar, which deducts a 15 per cent commission.

Cars can’t be older than eight years old, must have a valid MOT and road tax, and be in good condition. WhipCar checks the vehicle to ensure it’s roadworthy and has not been stolen. Renters have to pay for their own comprehensive insurance, while the amount you will make depends on the make and location of the vehicle, but as an example, a Vauxhall Zafira in north London was bringing in £29 a day.

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