Turo — Better car rental

I have been a Turo host for more than three years. At one point, I had almost 20 vehicles on the platform, including brand-new cars. Today, I’m down to only six, and there is a reason for that. I originally thought Turo would be a great way to build a rental business, but after years of dealing with renters, damage, fees, claims, depreciation, and Turo’s policies, I honestly would not recommend putting your personal vehicles on this platform unless you fully understand the risks. One of the biggest problems is that the damage doesn’t just cost you the repair. It costs you the income you lose while the vehicle is out of service. I’ve had situations where a renter kept a vehicle for weeks, leaving me without the car and without the income I would have made from renting it. I’ve also had a one-day rental turn into a major headache: the car was returned damaged and filthy, and then the vehicle was out of service for almost three weeks because of the Turo claims process, getting approvals, scheduling the mechanic, and actually completing the repairs. So you might think you’re making money from a one-day rental, but after damage, cleaning, repairs, Turo’s process, and weeks of lost rental income, you can actually end up losing money. I purchased many of my vehicles brand new and have paid off vehicles that were eventually totaled by renters. When a vehicle is totaled, the payout doesn’t always cover everything you are financially responsible for, leaving the host to deal with the remaining balance and depreciation. The fees and charges can also be frustrating. Renters have returned brand-new vehicles smelling strongly of cigarettes or marijuana, but Turo requires very specific evidence to approve a smoking claim. My question is: how exactly are you supposed to provide photographic evidence of an odor? You can document ash, cigarette butts, or other physical evidence, but the smell itself is not something you can photograph. I’ve also had vehicles returned with urine, spilled coffee, food, stains, scratches, excessive dirt, and other messes. Sometimes these things are considered something that can simply be cleaned, leaving the host responsible for the cost and time involved. I’ve even experienced situations where Turo payments or funds were held for two or three weeks, which can create serious cash-flow problems when you have car payments, insurance, maintenance, repairs, and other expenses to cover. And then there are the renters who damage a vehicle and don’t acknowledge it, communicate about it, or take responsibility. A two-day rental can sometimes leave you with more damage and expenses than the actual earnings from the trip. After three-plus years and nearly 20 vehicles, I’ve learned that the revenue isn’t always worth the risk, depreciation, damage, and headaches. We are slowly reducing our fleet and letting the business die down rather than continuing to put more vehicles at risk. If you’re considering becoming a Turo host, please do your homework first. Don’t just look at the daily rental price and assume you’re going to make easy money. Calculate the depreciation, insurance, maintenance, cleaning, downtime, damage, Turo fees, financing, and especially the income you lose when a damaged vehicle sits in a mechanic’s shop for weeks. My personal experience: I would not recommend Turo as a business model for someone who cannot afford to lose money on their vehicles.

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