Earn money renting out equipment you own

Use this guide if you own good equipment that spends most of its time in a cupboard, such as power tools, camera lenses, a projector, gazebos or camping gear, and want it to earn money. Have a list of the items, their purchase receipts and serial numbers, and your home insurance policy. This is general information, not legal, insurance or tax advice.

Step by step

1. Choose items that are worth hiring out

   Good candidates are valuable, robust, easy to use and needed only occasionally by most people, such as carpet cleaners, tile cutters, lenses, projectors, gazebos and tents. Avoid safety-critical items such as climbing harnesses and child car seats, anything easily wrecked by careless use, gas appliances, and kit that needs specialist inspection, such as inflatables. Check that the item is not on finance that forbids hiring it out, and whether commercial use voids the manufacturer's warranty. For pricing, compare local hire shops' day, weekend and weekly rates, then set yours a little below them; work out how many hires repay the item's wear and replacement cost, and only list it if that number is realistic.