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Earn from the things you already own: a lender's guide to Nearby

How lending on Nearby works: setting a fair price, what you keep, how you get paid through Stripe, and simple handover habits for smooth rentals.

4 min read

Look around your home and you'll probably find a few things that are genuinely useful and rarely used. A pressure washer. A tent. A projector. A carpet cleaner that came out once after a party. Somebody near you in Dublin needs one of those things this weekend.

Lending them on Nearby is a way to earn a bit from what you already own, help a neighbour avoid buying something they'll barely use, and get more value out of things you paid for. This guide covers the practical side: listing, pricing, getting paid and handing over.

Listing an item

A good listing answers a borrower's questions before they have to ask. When you create a listing, aim for:

  • A clear title. Say what it is, plainly. The brand and model help if people search for them.
  • Honest photos. Show the item as it is today, including any marks or wear. It saves awkward conversations later.
  • A description of what's included. Charger, case, bits, pegs, the manual. If it's not in the listing, a borrower won't know to expect it.
  • Any quirks. If the lid sticks or it needs a particular extension lead, say so.
  • Your area. Nearby is live in Dublin, and borrowers look for things close to them.

Take your time with the first listing. The next one is quicker.

Setting your price and what you keep

You choose the daily price for each item. There's no single right answer, but a few questions help:

  1. What would it cost a borrower to buy one, or to hire one elsewhere?
  2. How much wear does a day's use put on it?
  3. How much hassle is a handover for you?

Here's how the money works. The borrower pays your listed price plus a 12% service fee. You keep 88% of the rental price. So for every €10 of rental, you keep €8.80. Bookings of seven days or more get 25% off the rental price, which makes longer rentals more attractive to borrowers, so factor that in when you set your daily rate. The full breakdown is on our pricing page.

How you get paid

Payments on Nearby go through Stripe. When you accept a booking request, the borrower pays through Stripe, and your earnings reach your Stripe account at that point. Stripe then pays them out to you on your Stripe payout schedule.

That means you never have to chase anyone for money or handle cash at the door. The payment is sorted before you meet.

Every rental also comes with the Nearby Guarantee. If your item is accidentally damaged or stolen during the rental, Nearby may, at its discretion, make a goodwill payment to you of up to €2,000 per item. It's not insurance, and it has a cap, so think about that before you list something worth more. The Guarantee page has the full terms.

Handover tips

Most of what makes a rental go well happens around the handover. These habits help:

  • Agree the details in messages. Use messaging on Nearby to settle the pickup time, the return time and where you'll meet. Keeping it in one place means nobody has to remember what was said on the phone.
  • Charge it, clean it, pack it. Hand over the item ready to use, with everything that's meant to come with it.
  • Show how it works. A quick demo at pickup prevents most accidental damage. Point out anything that's easy to get wrong.
  • Check it together. Look over the item with the borrower at pickup and again at return, so you both agree on its condition.
  • Think about your reviews. Reviews are left after rentals, and a lender with good reviews is easier for the next borrower to say yes to. A smooth handover is the best way to earn them.

It also helps to know who you're lending to. Every member on Nearby confirms their email address, and members can choose to verify their ID through Stripe Identity, which adds a badge to their profile. You can look at someone's profile and message them with questions before you accept.

You don't need a garage full of gear. One useful item, listed well, is a good start. Once you've done a rental or two, you'll have a feel for what people want and how you like to handle handovers.

Have a look around the house, pick the thing you use least and would miss least, and list it on Nearby. If you'd like to see what's already out there first, browse items near you to get a sense of prices.