WANT a guitar like Noel Gallagher’s, a flash new Audi or a buggy used by celebrities – but can’t afford it?
There are plenty of new firms springing up that allow you to rent whatever you need – clothes, furniture, musical instruments – for as little as £5 a day.
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Millennials without the cash or space to buy their own stuff love the idea.
But older folk keen to save money and avoid cluttering their houses with things like tents – which only get occasional use – are using them, too.
Some firms have their own stock, while others link lenders to borrowers.
Here, we take a look at what’s available.
Furniture
JOHN Lewis now offers sofas, chairs and dining tables – typically to millennials, who want nice stuff but often move from rental home to rental home fairly regularly.
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For £17 a month, you can rent a £399 armchair.
And a John Lewis sofa that normally costs £1,849 can be rented for £78 a month.
At the end of the contract you can hand back or buy for a lower price.
Delivery costs £9.99, via Fat Llama, who will also pick it up again for no charge.
You can also use Fat Llama to rent out your unwanted stuff to other people round the country.
Guitars
MUSIC lovers can rock out on guitars previously owned by the likes of Oasis’ Noel Gallagher and Robert Young of Primal Scream, plus a range of top-end or basic ones.
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Iain Henderson, founder of God’s Own Guitars, said people of all abilities are now using his guitars for recording, gigs, weddings, jamming with friends and simply personal practice.
Prices go from £3.75 a day for a long-lease (22 to 28 days) of a 1994 Yamaha, or £5 if you want it for just a day. Legendary guitars are hired for a negotiated price.
Cycles
RENTAL schemes lets cyclists ride without having to fork out for their own bike and tripping over them at home.
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Exeter has Co Bikes, Bournemouth has Beryl, Cheltenham has Donkey Republic and Londoners have long been familiar with Santander Cycles (informally dubbed “Boris bikes”), with Lime e-bikes now on the roads too.
You can book them on an app for as little as 5p per minute and unlock them electronically before returning them to a docking station or a public cycle rack.
Commuters and leisure riders alike love the convenience.
Cars
TURO and Getaround let you rent your motor to others when you do not need it – like AirBnB for cars.
This helps cover the cost of buying a new vehicle. It also offers savings for those who need a car just now and then, compared to traditional rental firms.
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A £6,500 VW Golf from Turo is £33 a day and £90.52 for a two-day weekend trip. The same from rental firm Enterprise would be £126.18.
Newcomer Caasta allows drivers to hire high-end cars, including electric and hybrid vehicles, for a monthly payment of between £500 and £700, switching the car every three months.
Kids’ clothing
PARENTS who like to kit out their kids in trendy brands such as Frugi, Boden and JuJuni can hire a bunch of items for £50 every three months with new service Little Loop.
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For the fee, they get between six and 13 articles, working out to about £165 worth.
Sizes 2-3 years, 3-4 years and 4-5 years are currently available.
If the child shoots up quickly, clothes can be swapped for bigger ones.
They are rented out four or five times, giving them up to a year’s worth of extra wear.
Baby buggies
RENTAL scheme Buggi is for parents who want to have a buggy like the celebs but are wary of spending hundreds of pounds doing so.
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They can hire flash ones from just £14.99 a month, for a minimum of six months, and swap models as their baby grows.
Buggi arranges collection and delivery.
The latest Babyzen YoYo, favoured by Eddie Redmayne and Justin Timberlake, costs £399 on the high street.
But Buggi charges £19.99 per month – around £120 for the minimum six-month term.
Pregnant Elkie ready to roll
ELKIE STEVENS is expecting her fourth baby next month – and has hired a Bugaboo Cameleon 3 from Buggi.
The 33-year-old, who works as a courier, says: “We’ve got through SIXTEEN buggies with our first three children and spent well over £6,000 buying them all brand-new.
“But often they’re not quite right or the baby outgrows them. So being able to swap models to suit your needs is just brilliant.”
Elkie, from Rochester in Kent, adds: “It’s reassuring to know that Buggi gets all its prams professionally deep-cleaned and replaces any worn-down or broken parts.
“So they are as good as new when you get them – but without the hefty ‘brand-new’ price tag.”
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