Of course you know you can rent a car, but did you know you can rent the tires, too? Sure you can rent a house; did you know you can rent solar panels for it? Read on for a list of seven things you didn’t know you could rent, from the sensible to the strange, plus three questions to ask yourself before you rent anything.
Seven Things You Can Rent
1. College textbooks. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for textbooks you’ll never open again once the class is over, rent your books for 60 days, 90 days, or a whole semester. Textbook Rentals compares prices on textbooks across other sites for the best deal. For books in your major that you expect to reference again, buying it makes more sense.
2. Designer fashions. Brand name bags can cost thousands of dollars outright, but you can get one by the week, month, or season at sites like Bag Borrow or Steal. Rent the Runway lets you rent a dress for a special occasion for 4 or 8 days.
3. Baby stuff. The plight of parents everywhere – shelling out big bucks for a piece of equipment only to have their baby outgrow it in no time. To solve this problem, sites have popped up renting out strollers, high chairs, bouncy seats, and more. Rent Baby Equipment lists rental places by state. Rent clothes, too; for babies with refined taste, Borrow Baby Couture offers a range of high-end clothing for rent.
4. Sports and camping equipment. Renting skis on the slopes or scuba gear at the dive shop is commonplace. You can also rent tents, tennis rackets, kayaks, and more from places like Sport Chalet.
5. Casket. The average price of a casket is in the thousands of dollars, and if you opt for a fancy model, it can set you back $10,000 or more. That’s why renting a casket from the funeral home is a rising trend for those who plan to have a visitation for family and then cremate the body.
6. Dog. For pet-lovers on the go, renting a dog by the weekend or the month is a great service. “Pet cafes” in Japan have been around for a while, but renting pets by the hour hasn’t really caught on here in the U.S. yet.
7. Celebrity homes. You might not be able to buy one of the multi-million dollar mansions of the rich and famous, but that doesn’t mean you can’t rent one. Merv Griffin’s former home was recently sold and is now available for rental. Bring your rented dog, and you’re in for a great vacation.
Three Questions to Ask Before You Rent
1. What’s included in the price? Check to see if shipping to and from is included in the rental price; those fees can add up fast. Also check if rental insurance is included, or if you can get it for a few bucks more.
2. What happens if you break the terms of the rental agreement? You know that there are legal issues when you break a lease. The same is true for other rental items, too. Return an item and expect to pay a late fee of some kind. Damage the item beyond repair, or lose it, and expect to pay full price. Rental insurance usually covers damage only, not theft or loss. In those cases, you’ll likely be on the hook for the whole amount. As always, read the fine print.
3. Does it make sense to rent rather than buy? For items that have limited-time use or appeal, like a textbook you’ll use for one semester or a purse that will be stylish for only one season, renting for a short time makes sense. But if you’ve got your eye on something that you plan to use for a long time, it might make more sense to simply save up and buy it. Also be aware that rent-to-own plans can sound like a good idea but will end up costing you more in the long run. They make sense only when you’ve got bad credit and can’t get furniture or electronics any other way.
