These days the “sharing economy” is truly a global phenomenon, with hundreds of p2p companies enabling consumers to save (or make) money. Sadly, the UK lags some way behind the United States, with many of the best-known peer to peer companies only available across the pond.
Here at Wellesley & Co we therefore thought it would be useful to highlight some of the most interesting p2p companies actively servicing the UK market. As you’re about to discover, there’s plenty to be excited about when it comes to peer to peer companies in the UK…
Airbnb
Founded in 2008, Airbnb has become one of the sharing economy’s greatest success stories. While based in California, the company has been successfully operating in the UK for many years. The site now claims to have completed 60 million rentals in 34,000 different cities around the world.
Rent anything from a flat to a castle on a daily basis; Airbnb turns the world into one giant hotel chain. Of course, property owners can also earn money by accepting guests into their property.
Learn more at: https://www.airbnb.co.uk
BookMooch
BookMooch is a social sharing network for book-enthusiasts. Simply list any books you have that are no longer wanted and wait for requests. Post off your books when they’re requested and you’ll receive credits which you can redeem against other titles. This is an international site operating around the globe, but has a strong following in the UK. You might just never need to buy another book…
Learn more at: http://bookmooch.co.uk/uk
EasyCar Club
From the entrepreneurial behemoth that is Stelios Haji-Ioannou comes another “easy” brand to supplement the swelling ranks of EasyJet, easyBus, easyHotel and more. Easycar lets you rent private vehicles on an hourly, daily or weekly basis. The site also claims that car owners can make £1,500+ per year renting out their vehicle with their service.
Learn more at: https://carclub.easycar.com/
Flat Club
Founded by property expert Tomer Kalish and MBA Nitzan Yudan, Flat Club specializes in short to mid-term rentals with experienced hosts. While SpareRoom is ideal for those looking for a permanent residence, Fat Club is the perfect solution for anyone looking to rent for a period of weeks or months. This makes it ideal for tourists, students or business travellers.
Perhaps most excitingly Flat Club have recently introduced a service known as “LiveDemand” which allows landlords to send offers to potential clients searching for properties.
Learn more at: http://flat-club.com/
Guevara
Fed up with over-paying on your car insurance? Guevara is a unique peer to peer network that aims to make insuring your car as affordable as possible. The concept involves a group of car drivers “pooling” their finances. Part of the money you pay to Guevara covers your insurance, while the remainder goes into a “pot” to cover any claims.
At renewal time, your insurance cost is offset by the remaining pot of money. In doing so, Guevara claims that careful drivers can save up to 50% on their renewal fees.
Learn more at: https://heyguevara.com/
I Rent My Motorhome
As the name suggests, I Rent My Motorhome is a peer-to-peer network bringing together motorhome owners and renters in one place. The site claims to have over 2,000 vehicles available for hire, with online booking making hiring a motorhome simplicity itself.
Learn more at: https://www.irentmymotorhome.com/
JustPark
It’s no secret that parking in the UK can be extortionately expensive, especially in major cities like London or at airports. At the same time there are dozens of people with empty drives and parking spaces they’re not using. JustPark brings these parties together, letting you save money on parking or make extra cash by renting out your available space.
Learn more at: https://www.justpark.com/uk/
LiftShare
Need a lift but don’t want to hire a car? LiftShare is the simple solution, allowing you to catch (or give) lifts while sharing the costs of travel. Liftsharing can also be a great way to meet new people, especially if you all happen to be heading to the same concert or tourist destination.
Learn more at: https://liftshare.com/uk
Love Home Swap
Fancy the idea of heading off to a stunning villa abroad but can’t stomach the prices? If so, Love Home Swap has the perfect answer; they’ll help you to arrange a short-term home exchange. Doing so lets you stay abroad in the luxury you’d expect, but without the premium price-tag.
Founded by entrepreneur Debbie Wosskow in 2011 after watching “The Holiday”, this London-based peer to peer rental site seems to be going from strength to strength.
Learn more at: http://www.lovehomeswap.com/home
Midpoint
If you ever travel abroad you’ll know how much currency exchange offices can charge in fees and commissions. Midpoint aims to do away with these costs, and promises to offer “unbeatable” exchange rates by allowing individuals to exchange currency between one another. Want to turn some unwanted Dollars into Sterling as cheaply as possible? Then Midpoint might just be the most cost-effective (and interesting) solution around.
Learn more at: https://www.midpoint.com/
Nimber
Nimber is the peer-to-peer alternative to courier companies. Anything from a tiny package to a huge piece of furniture can be transported anywhere within the UK thanks to an established network of “bringers” who willingly transport goods on your behalf. On the other side of the equation, if you’re travelling around the UK you can sign up to transport goods on Nimber’s behalf and earn money for doing so.
Learn more at: https://www.nimber.com/
Olio
Here in the UK we throw away an astonishing 7 million tonnes of food and drink each year. Olio is a peer to peer network that aims to reduce this food waste, by enabling other people to take unwanted or short-dated food off your hands. As the founders Tessa Cook and Saasha Celestial-One point out, it’s also a great way to meet likeminded people in your area too.
Learn more at: http://olioex.com/
Open Utility
Founded in London by Alice Tyler, James Johnstone and Andy Kilner, Open Utility promises to decentralize the renewable energy market. Their system known as “Piclo” lets people buy and sell energy directly at prices they agree on.
It’s a truly exciting innovation which democratises the energy market and allows businesses and consumers alike to make more informed decisions about buying and selling sustainable energy.
Learn more at: https://www.openutility.com/
Perfocal
Perfocal aims to help photographers and clients connect easily with one another. No more shopping around or asking for quotes (especially at short notice) – instead you can quickly find a list of approved photographers in London in a matter of moments. If you’re looking for someone to cover your event – or you’re a freelance photographer looking for extra business – Perfocal makes an exciting proposition.
Learn more at: https://www.perfocal.com
Rentecarlo
Rentecarlo lets you rent cars from private car owners on a daily basis. What’s more, your rental includes 24/7 roadside assistance and full insurance coverage. For car owners it means an additional source of revenue, by renting out your car to pre-vetted and insured drivers.
Learn more at: https://www.rentecarlo.com/
SpareRoom
Founded in 2004 by entrepreneur Rupert Hunt, SpareRoom is possibly Britain’s best-known peer-to-peer property rental website. SpareRoom promises to connect property owners with rooms available to rent with prospective tenants.
Learn more at: https://www.spareroom.co.uk
Spinlister
If you’re visiting a new city, one of the very best ways to get around and see the sites is by bicycle. On the other hand, transporting your pride and joy across the country (or the world) isn’t always practical. Thankfully Spinlister has a solution; it’s a peer-to-peer rental websites for bicycles. Each listing gives full information on the rides available and the cost on an hourly, daily or weekly basis.
Learn more at: https://www.spinlister.com/search/loc/51.5073509/-0.12775829999998223/z/13
StoreMates
Founded by Shaff Probatani and Ben Rogers, StoreMates aims to bring together people with available storage space, and those looking for a little bit of extra room. So clear out your garage, empty your loft and dispense with that expensive storage unit, and instead do things the p2p way. Home owners can also supplement their income by renting out any storage space they’re not using to others.
Learn more at: https://storemates.co.uk
StudioTime
Booking a recording studio is never easy. Up until recently you’d have to carry out all sorts of research to find suitable studios, then ring around to see which are available and at what costs. StudioTime may be based in the USA, but they’re active in the London music scene. If you want to book studio time then this is one peer-to-peer website that you’ll want to bookmark.
Learn more at: http://www.studiotime.io/
TaskRabbit
You’re a busy person. How do you possibly fit all those chores into your hectic schedule? We’re talking about anything from picking up the dry cleaning, to fixing that fence, to shopping for furniture. Fortunately TaskRabbit has the solution.
Originally founded in the US, TaskRabbit is now alive and well in London (with more British cities to come) and promises to connect busy people with others willing to carry out your daily chores.
Learn more at: https://www.taskrabbit.co.uk/
Trusted House Sitters
If you’re a pet owner then you’ll know how difficult it can be to find a pet sitter when you go away. In truth, while numerous kennels and catteries exist, they’re an expensive option and also mean your beloved pets will have to leave their natural surroundings.
Trusted House Sitters was founded by animal-lovers Rachel Martin and Andy Peck in 2010 to help bring pet owners and house sitters together. House sitters benefit from essentially free rent in your absence, while you get to enjoy your time away knowing your pets are being properly cared for in your home.
Learn more at: https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/gb/
Uber
Another major success story of the peer to peer revolution has been the democratization of taxis. Uber allows anyone in their approved destinations to earn extra money chauffeuring others around, or to save money by hiring a “citizen cab”. Booking an Uber ride is also simplicity itself thanks to their handy mobile app.
Uber is available in a number of major British cities right now – from Birmingham to Belfast, Leeds to London. A full list is available at https://www.uber.com/cities/ but its growing fast with Brighton next to benefit.
Learn more at: https://www.uber.com/
Your Parking Space
Your Park Space promises to help you make money by renting out your available parking space or garage. Already featured on a number of mainstream media, Your Parking Space promises to allow car drivers to rent spaces on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, allowing you to save money on expensive public car parks or ensure your car is safely locked away in a garage overnight.
Learn more at: https://www.yourparkingspace.co.uk/
Zilok
Have you ever considered buying a product that you know you’ll barely use? Perhaps you want a pressure washer to sort out your drive or a sander to sort out some floorboards – but renting such items in the traditional way can be both expensive and impractical.
Zilok makes it easy to hire equipment off other users on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. If you have tools and similar equipment gathering dust in your garage why not rent them out through Zilok and start earning money from your belongings?
Learn more at: http://uk.zilok.com/
Think we’ve missed a notable p2p company operating in the UK? If so get in contact on [email protected] and we’ll take a look…