If you’re like most people, you’re looking for ways to boost your income. According to a recent survey from Zapier, one in three Americans have a side hustle. But side gigs can be a lot of work. From delivering groceries to walking dogs, making extra cash requires a significant amount of your time.
But what if you could earn money from your house with things you already own? By renting out your belongings to people in your area, you could earn cash passively, without spending hours doing extra work.
Here are over a dozen ways to make money by renting out your things.
Rent your storage space
If you have extra space, such as an unused closet, bedroom, attic, or garage, you could rent it out to local residents that are looking for a safe place to store their belongings. Peer-to-peer storage rentals tend to be less expensive than company storage facilities, so it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement.
You can list your storage space on sites like Neighbor and Stache. These platforms include property damage coverage and payment processing.
How much you can earn depends on your location, the size of your space, and whether it’s climate controlled.
According to Neighbor, a garage could rent for up to $600 per month, whereas a shed could rent for $200 per month.
Rent your car
If you work from home and rarely use your car or have an extra vehicle, consider renting that car to people looking for an alternative to traditional rental companies. You can decide how many miles renters can drive the car per day, minimum rental periods, delivery options, and return policies.
To get started, you can list your vehicle on Turo, Getaround, or HyreCar. Customers can reserve your car directly through these sites. Post pictures, a detailed description of the vehicle, and make sure you write about your policies or any restrictions on vehicle use.
Turo and Getaround provide insurance and vehicle protection for your car when it’s in use by a renter.
According to HyreCar, hosts can earn up to $12,000 per year.
Rent an extra bedroom
If you have an extra bedroom, in-law suite, or garage apartment, you can turn that space into accommodations for tourists looking for alternatives to hotels. By offering access to a basic bedroom and bathroom, you can earn cash on a nightly, weekly, or even monthly basis. You can list your space on sites like Airbnb and Vrbo. (Compare Vrbo vs. Airbnb to find out which is best for you.)
These sites offer guides on creating appealing listings, tips for being a good host, and hosts are often covered by property damage protection.
How much can you earn? You can also use Vrbo’s rental calculator to get an estimate of how much you could make based on local market conditions.
According to a recent survey, Airbnb hosts earn an average of $924 per month.Rent your pool
Pools can be relaxing, especially on a hot day, but they’re expensive to install. Depending on the location, it can cost $28,000 to $55,000 to install an inground pool.
If you already have a pool and want to recoup some of its cost or offset your maintenance expenses, consider renting it out by the hour on Swimply. Parents looking to take their children for a refreshing dip, people that want to host a pool party, or individuals just looking to escape the heat can book your pool online. You can even list your pool as pet-friendly, making it available to dog owners that want to swim with their pets.
With Swimply, up to $1 million in general liability insurance is included. Your earnings depend on your location, the size and type of pool, and whether you have other amenities, such as an outdoor shower or access to a bathroom.
In general, rates range from $30 to $60 per hour, but Swimply says some hosts earn up to $10,000 per month.
Rent your parking space
Depending on where you live, a parking space can be in hot demand. If you have a garage or unused driveway, you can rent out that space to people who need to park their vehicles. Whether it’s people who need a safe place to store their cars while they travel, tourists who want to park near major attractions, or commuters looking for a closer parking spot to work, you can make money by listing your space on SpotHero or JustPark.
How much you can charge on a nightly, weekly, or monthly basis depends on where you live, how secure the spot is, and how much protection it offers from the elements.
For example, a spot in a covered garage in New York might cost up to $900 per month. By contrast, a parking spot in a driveway could be as little as $83 per month in Houston, Texas.
Rent your boat
If you own a boat, you can rent it out to people that want to use it to fish, cruise, or waterski. Sites like Boatsetter and GetMyBoat allow you to rent it out by the hour, and you can earn even more if you have a U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license and are willing to take people out on your boat. When you create a listing on these sites, you’ll get renter insurance to protect your vessel.
The price you can charge is based on your location, the type of boat you own, and its size.
According to Boatsetter, hosts could earn up to $20,000 per year.
Rent your boat slip
If you own a boat slip or dock and only use it part of the year, you can make money by renting it out to boat owners in your area through sites like Snag-A-Slip and Dock Skipper.
Unlike some other rental platforms, both Snag-A-Slip and Dock Skipper charge listing fees. They also don’t provide any type of liability or property insurance, so you’ll have to get coverage on your own.
Based on your location and the size of the boat slip, you could make up to $3,000 per month.
Rent your land
If your home is on acres of land or you own an unused plot, you can rent out the space to gardeners or campers.
With YardYum, you can rent your land to gardeners looking for a plot to plant vegetables or flowers. You could get paid a monthly fee or opt to receive a share of their crop as your payment.
With HomeCamper, you can rent out your plot to vacationers looking for a place to camp. Depending on your location, you could charge $10 to $50 per night.
Rent your RV
For individuals who own RVs, you know that maintenance and insurance costs can be high. You could offset some of those costs by renting out your RV when it’s not in use on RVshare. RVshare will help you create your listing, and the company also provides rental insurance to help protect your RV.
The type of RV you own and your location determine your potential earnings.
For example, owners of toy haulers could earn up to $22,000 per year, whereas owners of class A motor homes can earn up to $60,000 per year.
Rent your baby gear
If you have children, you know how difficult it is to travel. You often have to lug your baby’s supplies with you, making it inconvenient when traveling any distance.
BabyQuip aims to fix that by connecting traveling parents with local families willing to rent out cribs, car seats, and even toys. As a BabyQuip provider, you’re also protected by the company’s general liability insurance.
Depending on the item and your location, you could earn $3 to $20 per night.
Rent your tools
People always need tools to tackle home renovations, but buying tools for a one-time project doesn’t always make sense. Instead, Loanables connects renters with people that own tools in their area.
For example, you could earn between $10 and $50 per day by renting out tile saws or $30 per day for a grout mixing drill and paddle.
Rent your clothes
If you’re frequently complimented on your style and own high-end designer clothing or accessories, you could make extra money by renting out those items through Style Lend. How much you can make is based on your location, the item’s brand, and its size. With Style Lend, you keep 80% of the item’s rental cost, and you’re paid through Venmo or PayPal.
According to the platform, if you own a Chanel purse, you could earn $250 per week, whereas a pair of Louboutins rents for $130 per week.
Rent your backyard
If you’re a homeowner with a backyard and want to learn how to make money, check out Sniffspot.
With Sniffspot, you rent your backyard to dog owners that want a safe place for their pets to play. The site handles payment processing, and it requires all renters to have their dogs vaccinated. It provides hosts with $2 million of liability protection and $5,000 of damage protection.
According to the company, hosts could earn up to $1,500 per month by renting out their space.
Rent your random household items
If you own cameras, bikes, party supplies, camping equipment, or other items, you could rent out your items on FriendWithA.
You can list your items for free, and FriendWithA performs background checks on renters. Your items are protected by the company’s property and liability coverage.
FriendWithA charges 10% of each item’s rental as its service fees.
According to FriendWithA, depending on the item you’re listing, you could earn $20 to $100 per day.
Bottom line
Although you can earn money with rideshare services, delivery apps, and moving companies, those types of gigs are tiring and require a great deal of effort to be profitable. When considering your options, keep in mind that the best side hustles don’t necessarily require a lot of work — it’s possible to earn passive income.
You can earn money from belongings you already own by renting out your items, turning unused clutter into cash. Whether you have pet carriers, sports equipment, or even empty closet space, you could use those things to boost your income.