Renting rather than buying necessities and other materials has long been an affordable option for people who need to cut costs, are planning for the short term, or simply know they can get more for less. While your immediate response might be to think of renting in terms of accommodations (like a house or flat) or other big expenses, the range of items and services available for rent stretches much further than that. In fact, the smaller materials that go into a bigger expense, such as a wedding or other ceremony, can add up quickly—so scouting out nearby options for renting with Rentolé can be a very prudent choice.
Aside from the financial elements, which are often at the forefront of potential renters’ minds, renting can provide a valuable avenue by which to support local small businesses. You may encounter everyday items in circulation at mom-and-pop shops that you would not encounter at chain establishments or large corporations. The process of renting can also increase sustainability, helping renters to find (and prolong) life and use secondhand or gently owned objects.
Here is a sampling, from things you may rent already to things you never thought it was possible to rent.
House for Rent
Millions of people choose to rent houses for themselves and their families in areas ranging from rural to suburban to urban. As with other housing options for rent, it grants you the time and space to stay in a place without extracting a commitment to own it. Depending on the terms of your lease you may be able to make architectural adjustments or add features (such as fixtures or nails) and accouterments to give the house your own individual touch, but be sure that the agreement with your rental agency or landlord permits such things first.
The arrangement is ideal for people with larger family units who are wary of owning a house for either financial or personal reasons. It can help you to get a sense of whether homeownership is “for you” at all, whether you may want to work toward becoming a homeowner in the future, or whether living in a community of houses (as opposed to a flat or shared place, as we discuss below) suits your lifestyle and preferences. The idea of a house is so prevalent in our idea of ourselves that it is understandably one of the foremost properties on the rental market.
Car for Rent
Cars are more crucial for travel in some countries and landscapes than others. It is a good idea to rent rather than buy if you will only require one for a fixed short-term period or if you are unsure how much use you will actually make of a car on a day-to-day basis. Even if you are confident in your desire or need to potentially own a car at some later date, you may benefit from renting a certain make and model of car to determine that you enjoy driving it and could see yourself doing so for the long term. Some cars are promising in the beginning but ultimately prove to be unreliable, or incompatible with a driver’s needs.
Additionally, cars are most beneficial for transport to and from areas that are spacious enough to have communities comprising houses (instead of apartment complexes or other types of communal living), or which are inaccessible to modes of public transit. Car rentals can also be more environmentally efficient, with drivers getting the most out of one car instead of purchasing separate vehicles which require separate upkeep, fuel, and care.
Flat for Rent
In more urban centers or more densely populated places, or if you work in one of these areas and need easy access to a place to stay, renting a flat is a popular choice. By leasing a flat, you’ll be able to eschew the commitment of purchasing and ownership, particularly if a) you foresee yourself staying only for the short term and/or b) your family unit includes just yourself or a small number of people. Many leases can be flexible and allow for open-ended agreements depending on your needs and on the sort of deal a landlord is willing to strike up.
Oftentimes your location gives you access to multiple forms of transportation and an array of neighborhoods with distinct personalities and offerings—and renting as opposed to buying will render you financially flexible enough to avail yourself of those offerings. It is also a compact enough living space for you to be able to make it your own (again, within the parameters of your lease) without having to go to the effort of decorating many square meters’ worth of space. Whatever your plans for your life, a rented flat is a common stepping stone if you’re just starting to establish yourself or in a period of transition.
Room for Rent
For those who prefer a more social and mixed living environment, or who are in the process of saving up for a place of their own, there is usually a plethora of rooms available for rent in any time frame in any city. Most major metropolitan areas have whole websites dedicated solely to finding tenants for rooms, which you can browse by the number of roommates, length of stay, location, price range, and a host of other filters.
Renting a room is often the most practical option for a student, traveler, or single working person whose lifestyle is relatively mobile. It allows such a person the flexibility and freedom to experience the rhythms of life in a variety of types of buildings, neighborhoods, and arrangements, and come into contact with a variety of people. In fact, with rooms, the possibility of extending one’s stay (or generally tailoring it to one’s housing needs) can be even more common than with whole flats. Probably needless to say, subletting a room on a short-term basis (usually a few months at a time) can help you save sizable quantities of money, especially on things like utilities for which you are only chipping in a portion.
Shop for Rent
If you’re entertaining the possibility of starting your own business, renting space for a shop is the most obvious and important way to realize that vision. While many businesses operate strictly on a digital platform, especially in the socially distanced era we currently live in now, having a storefront to go along with the online presence—depending on your product, of course—can be hugely beneficial.
As a small business owner, you can create a physical representation of how you want your product to enrich the world, and your customers will be able to see and interact with the manifestation of the impact you hope to make. Among other examples of such a manifestation, you can organize displays of your work; fashion eye-catching signage to draw in potential patrons; and, perhaps most effectively, communicate face to face with interested customers and give them a concrete personality to pair with your business image. Transactional as a business may be, the human component is indispensable and will always enhance your reputation when done well. And, again, renting such a space is a more cost-effective way to invest in your business in a way that heightens your chances of reaping rewards.
Office for Rent
Office spaces are another common rental property, especially among small start-ups that are as of yet barely making the revenue to cover basic expenses. These kinds of highly personal companies are always on the hunt for a space that communicates their workplace atmosphere and represents their values, and renting an office can be a cost-efficient and enjoyably experimental means of testing out various professional personalities. Perhaps the company thrives in an open-concept floor plan, with people moving fluidly from one section to another and socializing. Or perhaps their environment is better suited to a classic cubicle setup, giving different departments the privacy to operate on their own terms within their own sub-networks. Perhaps they are re-envisioning their ideal team and want a new type of space in which to contextualize it.
Obviously, some office spaces better accommodate some workplace environments than others, and renting a space with the possibility of renewal can help a company take long strides toward settling into the type of company they aspire to be. From motivational wall posters to communal kitchen areas to couches and beanbags, a rented office allows a team to get their presentation down to a T.
DSLR camera for Rent
The digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera is a considerable investment for even a seasoned photographer, so it goes even more so for amateurs or people whose curiosity is just being piqued. Its digital imaging sensor means that it will capture shots with near-perfect accuracy, the final image matching the real-life scene almost exactly. Renting this type of camera is a great option for photographers who want to take their abilities to the next level, refining the skill of their eye for detail and heightening the quality of the actual shots they take. In fact, renting these materials may prove an effective way to take a photographer from newcomer to expert, as they can hone their existing talent and acquire new abilities while adhering to a relatively low budget.
In addition, should they lose the desire to photograph, they are spared the regret of having spent a lot of money to own a sophisticated camera that is now rendered essentially useless? The DSLR camera offers a vast quantity of capabilities to its renter and allows them to experiment with different techniques and angles, developing their photographer’s eye as sure as its own photographs develop.
Designer wedding dresses for Rent
A wedding dress is something many women begin planning for long before they have any practical notion of the cost or the other circumstances of their actual wedding day. The longer they spend dreaming, the more disappointed they are likely to be by the price tag of that dream. But the price tag doesn’t have to be well beyond one’s budget for the day and everything that comprises it to be special—and that goes as well for one of the day’s focal points, the bride’s dress. TV shows like TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress present certain parameters of expectations for a dress budget, and the fact is that a dress of that caliber—even with a high-profile name attached—can be found at a price that is attainable for more people.
All it takes is some diligent searching for stores that rent out these kinds of dresses. Many bridal shops will provide this service if you inquire. Renting this sort of dress (and, of course, keeping it in good condition) will let a bride bask in the glamour of a big-name dress without running her budget up to extremes.
Other bridal dresses for Rent
In the past couple of decades, consignment, secondhand, and charity shops have proliferated particularly across the United States and Europe. They are meant to give low- to mid-budget shoppers access to clothing and accessories from big brands at affordable prices. Such shops frequently acquire wedding and bridesmaids’ dresses for purchase. But renting a wedding dress or bridesmaids’ dresses—from a bridal shop or other stores—can be equally cost-effective, if not more so, and save everyone involved the hassle of hanging onto a dress with a very specific purpose that they’ll almost certainly never wear again.
These dresses can go for very affordable rental rates and this be more likely to fit a variety of budgets. Bridal parties may feel more free to let their imaginations run wild, with greater flexibility to select styles with plenty of character and flair. Also, despite any alterations or changes that need to be made to the garments, the labor will be decidedly reduced from that of crafting an entirely new dress for a prospective buyer. Rented dresses prove that an elaborately dreamed wedding need not be elaborately priced.
Wedding lights for Rent
Wedding receptions can become inordinately extravagant affairs with inordinate price tags attached once all the minutiae and details of accouterments come into play. Venues can charge an arm and a leg for in-house lights, centerpieces, and so on. Renting lights from alternative sources can be a more financially feasible option, especially for couples who are going for a personalized, organic aesthetic. By spending a fraction of the amount that they would likely spend on purchased lights, couples (and/or their wedding planners) have more room to focus on crafting a décor statement that will really pop under said rented lights—or to put the money left over toward any other aspect of the reception or ceremony that they wish to emphasize.
Another advantage to rented lights is that, should they fail to work, or should anything else go awry—as let’s face it, is wont to happen at such a meticulously planned event—the price tag will not be cause for remorse. And, should all go well, the couple can know they made a reliable decision. A wedding can be lit well without putting a couple’s newly formed joint finances in jeopardy.
Farmhouse for Rent
On the subject of venues—even for events beyond weddings—they themselves can prove the most conspicuous investment for an event planner. Whether an event goes well or poorly, its attendees are likely to remember the place it happened in. The style of venue, the type of building or structure it is, will leave its own imprint as well, independent of the function. A farmhouse offers a quaint, rustic feel, a connection to nature, and a cozy, homey environment, ideal for events with an emphasis on community, togetherness, or existence in the present moment.
Renting a farmhouse can set this kind of tone and establish this atmosphere, the first step in planning and executing a memorable event. It is also a relatively sparse, simple setup, allowing plenty of room for error and making it a good choice for first-time event planners—or experienced planners who need space to push the boundaries of their vision. It can serve as an all-purpose space and encourage people to add their own touches and bring their own ideas to the table. A rental space should invite and inspire its inhabitants’ creativity, and a farmhouse will do that as well as any rental space.
Generator for Rent
Generators are essential alternative sources of heat and energy for homes, especially in colder climates. They are a staple of many homes in communities surrounded by forests or mountains. Renting one is a wise choice if you are a newcomer to these types of environments and just getting acclimated—but it’s an equally wise choice if you are a lifelong cold dweller and need something to rely on should the electricity cut out during a winter storm or similar event. Power outages can cause any number of problems and inconveniences in the house for as long as they last, and having a generator on hand will alleviate those problems until a more permanent solution becomes an option again.
A rental will ensure that you and your home are protected in case of inclement weather and that you are personally more knowledgeable in case of related issues. And renting is savvier than buying under these circumstances because, as urgent as the need may become for a generator’s mitigating energy in cold weather, the urgency tends to decrease greatly in the warmer months. A sensible addition to any renter’s list.
While your immediate response might be to think of rent a house, rent a flat, rent a car, or other big expenses, the range of items and services available for rent stretches much further than that. In fact, the smaller materials that go into a bigger expense can also be rented such as rent designer wedding dresses, renting wedding jewelry, wedding venue for rent. So scouting out Rentole products for renting can be a very prudent choice.
Also Check, How does RENTOLÉ Work?