Being a car-sharing driver is an attractive way to earn some cash — or replace a full salary!
While it’s not hard to start driving for a ride-sharing service like Uber or Lyft, there are some requirements to get started. New drivers often have to be of a certain age, have a clean driving history, and have a certain number of years of driving experience.
But of course, a big part of the puzzle is having a car to drive.
Thanks to rideshare car rental companies, participation in the rideshare craze are not limited to car owners. Whether you have absolutely no cars or just want to save on the cost of wear and tear for your personal vehicle, renting a car can help you start making money with the ride-sharing app. It’s important to find the right company for you.
Remember, most insurers will not cover claims due to accidents related to car car car car sharing. So make sure you buy the right kind of car insurance before renting a car.
Can you rent a car to drive together?
You can rent a car to drive together through a shared car rental company. Some of these are well-known rental companies available nationwide, while others operate app-based and provide more accessibility for shared drivers.
Renting a car to use as a shared driver is different from renting a regular car that you can get if your car is in the store or you are on vacation. And most importantly, it’s different from a car rental contract. Things like unlimited mileage and minimum rental requirements are common with shared car rental programs.
Just remember that the cost of renting a car to car car car sharing is not just a weekly fee. As a tenant, you will also be responsible for other taxes and fees, as well as the cost of gasoline.
Some companies cover insurance, but not all. Otherwise, this means that you will have to buy an additional insurance for the car. To learn more, see Insurify’s guide to shared car insurance.
A note of caution for potential landlords: Understanding your rental costs and potential income is important if you want to make any kind of profit from your shared activity. Part of finding a car rental company together requires you to figure out how you’re actually going to use the car. Think about how often you’ll be driving and learn the typical income of a general driver in your area to find out if car hire is the right choice for you.
Grateful look. Handsome bearded man sitting in his car and receiving car keys handed by a delicate female hand while looking at the woman with gratitude
How to Qualify for Rideshare Car Rental
Have good relations with the rental company: Some companies that provide general car rental services, such as Hertz, also offer other rental services. These companies understandably require you to have a good relationship with them, which means that every invoice is paid.
Have a valid debit or credit card: You’ll need a debit or credit card on file with most condominium rental companies. Your card must have enough credit to pay a fee for the entire rental period and the amount of custody when you receive the car. This is to make sure you have enough money.
Have an active account with Uber or Lyft in good standing: For most programs, you need to be an approved driver with a ride-sharing company to qualify for this specific type of rental.
How to choose the right car rental company for car rental
There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing the rideshare car rental company that’s right for you.
Contract options: Does the ride-sharing company offer short-term, renewable rentals? Or will you have to commit to a long-term contract? If you only like to drive in a car, renting a car by day or week will suit you better.
Mileage Limit: Make sure your car rental offers unlimited miles with your deal. After all, your goal as a shared drive is to keep the watch running, so to speak — you don’t want to be punished for a successful night on the app!
Price: What is your rental fee? Check all the minimums and how to keep your credit card to see what problems or costs are in instigated. It’s more likely that you’ll need a secured deposit or hold a credit card before you start driving, so make sure you can cover that cost.
Location: If you’re an Uber or Lyft driver in a large metropolitan area, you’ll most likely have a few corporate options to choose from for car hire. However, car renters in smaller cities may have fewer rental options. Before you go too far in the process, make sure that the car rental company is accessible to you. Some programs allow you to renew your car rental contract for several weeks but require you to return the car and rent a new car after a month. A long trip to many companies can be inefficient and expensive if you don’t find the right place.
Privileges: What comes with your lease? Do roadside assistance and liability insurance cover? Can you use the car for personal use? These are good comparison points if you have a few rental options.
Where to Rent Cars to Rideshare
If you want to start driving to share but don’t yet own a car, don’t look to traditional car rental or rental options. They are usually intended for personal use and can come with strict mileage limits.
Instead, check out a rental program catering to shared drivers. Here are some options for anyone who wants to start driving Uber or Lyft.
Hertz
Hertz has partnered with Uber to offer a shared car rental program, but Lyft drivers can also rent a car with the company.
Hertz rentals are for verified Lyft and Uber drivers over the age of 21 with valid driver’s cards and debit or credit cards.
The minimum rental period is seven days, so even if you just want to use your car for a walk on weekends, you’ll need to pay and keep your car for at least a week. Hertz is open for business in 11 states, so just make sure you have a shared car rental location near you.
Hertz does not require any long-term contracts, such as leases, and includes liability insurance for his car-sharing activities. Another benefit Hertz offers is roadside assistance all year round.
Express Drive
Lyft Express Drive is a rental program for new Lyft drivers. Through partnerships with rental companies Hertz and Flexdrive, Lyft drivers over the age of 25 can rent a car right away through the Lyft app.
When you sign up for the Express Drive program, you’re actually killing two birds with one stone: drivers can sign up for this program to get approval for Lyft’s generic driver status and can rent a car through Lyft’s partner companies. It’s a one-step process. Just be aware that this is a high demand program, so you can take some time to get a suitable car.
HyreCar
HyreCar is a great option for super short-term rentals. Need a car for a day? HyreCar may be your best bet.
Instead of renting a car from an established fleet of cars as with traditional rental cars, HyreCar is a ride-sharing app for Uber and Lyft drivers, as well as delivery drivers for apps like Postmate.
The downside is that approval for a car is not guaranteed. Car rental with HyreCar is available on an owner-approved basis. Although you must request five vehicles at the time of booking, it is likely that none of them work well.
For drivers who can’t easily get to the car rental company to pick up, HyreCar offers a good alternative: some car owners will deliver the car to your door.
Solution
Getaround is another ride-sharing app that offers short-term car rental. And we mean really short-term, as hours come daily.
While Getaround primarily offers car-sharing services for personal use, some cities are chosen to offer Uber drivers’ guaranteed car rentals. Although these are personally owned vehicles, Getaround provides driver assistance with roadside assistance, unlimited kilometers, and liability insurance.
Rideshare Rentals
Rideshare Rental is a vehicle of satisfaction between the ride-sharing app and the fleet rental company.
Rideshare Rental connects car-sharing drivers with existing fleet owners in several cities across the United States. Its online platform provides you with a quick way to create accounts and connections, and their lease includes liability insurance and immediate processing through your driver account.
Rideshare Car Insurance
Whether you use a car you own or a new car you rent, you need to have a special car car car sharing insurance. When you drive a car to go together, you’ll have to travel more on the road —which means you have a higher risk of accidents.
Driving for an app with only a personal auto insurance policy won’t cut it and many insurers will leave you if you don’t declare your new car-sharing activities. So if you have an accident when logging into the app. , your insurance may not cover any of the claims involved. It doesn’t matter if you have a passenger in the car or have completed the return — if it’s not your personal use, it won’t be covered.
Uber and Lyft drivers need to make sure they have the right car insurance policy that includes car-sharing insurance. This ensures you have the right range of responsibilities to protect your passengers when you’re using the watch and a policy that you can pay for.
When it’s time to take all your ducks in a row to start your new car race, Insurify can help you find affordable car car car car insurance.
Just visit the Insurify website and enter your driver information and insurance claim. In just a few minutes, you’ll get personalized reviews that meet everything from the deductible you want to the liability insurance you need as a shared drive. So whether you’re on delivery or ready to offer your first Lyft trip, go with Insurify to find the best price.