Classic items like DVDs, books, cars and of course houses have always dominated the rental market, but you’d be surprised at the unique haul of products and services that are now available to hire. Ranging from the highly innovative and useful to the wonderfully weird, check out some surprising things you can hire this very second:
A Dog
If you enjoy the company of a four-legged friend but cannot take on the extra responsibilities full time, websites like Borrow my Doggy allow you to hire a canine friend simply because you’re a dog lover. This genius idea lets you walk, spoil and enjoy the company of your favourite breed without having to actually own a dog. It also provides piece of mind for the owners knowing that their pampered pooch is being well looked after by a fellow dog fanatic whilst they are at work our out of town.
Designer Goodies
Sadly we can’t all afford to purchase top brand accessories, but when you have expensive taste, it can be difficult to achieve the million pound look you want. Thankfully, Fashionhire and Bag Borrow or Steal enables those obsessed with pricey brands such as Michael Kors, Chanel and Louis Vuitton to rent their handbags for monthly durations at a fraction of the purchase price. Just make sure you look after them, otherwise you’ll have to pay for it!
A Professional Line Stander
Believe it or not, you can actually hire somebody to queue on your behalf. Based in New York, Same Ole Line Dudes provides a waiting service that ranges from simple queuing tasks (restaurant reservations and clothing sales) to the extremist events (iPhone releases and autograph signings). Prices start at £17.28 for one hour with a £6.91 charge for each additional thirty minutes.
A Shipping Container Hotel Room
We’ve all heard of classic portable construction products like cabin and crate hire, but what about revamping these into a quirky hotel room? Located at Silverstone Circuit, Towcester, Northamptonshire Snoozebox Hotel has adapted this concept and transformed dreary containers into stylish, comfortable rooms which feature free Wi-Fi, air conditioning/heating, an en-suite wet room, a safety deposit box, LCD TV plus double and single beds. Prices start at £49.00 per night.
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A Christmas Tree
Avoid the mess and hassle a Christmas tree creates whilst being environmentally friendly by renting one. Based in South Sussex, Forever Green Christmas Trees provides potted trees over the festive season that are eventually retired, recollected and donated to a tree planting organisation to encourage sustainability and increase animal habitats; meaning no tree gets wasted. Prices vary depending on the type and height of the tree.
Car Parking Spaces
When you’re in a busy city, parking becomes an extremely difficult challenge; especially when you have to surrender and park miles away from your intended destination. However, this problem can be solved by renting a car parking space. Just Park offers a service that allows drivers to hire a space for however long you like within a variety of notoriously difficult parking locations, including: Heathrow Airport, Kings Cross, Manchester and Wembley Stadium. Prices are dependent on the owner of the space.
An Island
If you’ve got a few thousands of pounds lying around, perhaps you could put that money to good use by renting an entire island? Private Islands Online offers a wide range of secluded islands available from around the world, including the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. Inevitably, prices aren’t cheap, with Calivigny Island in Grenada, the Caribbean costing £15,434 per night for the whole thing…
A Cinema for Gaming
It’s every gamer’s ultimate dream – playing their favourite titles on a ginormous cinematic screen; which is now possible since you can rent an entire auditorium for yourself and friends. Cineplex offers a two hour Xbox 360 party where your selected group of up to twelve get to play popular games including: Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Guitar Hero 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops and many more. This exclusive is available in twenty-nine theatres and will cost £121.70 per person plus taxes.
Paparazzi
For celebrities, being hounded by flashing cameras and noisy photographers is part of their daily life, but for us normal folk it’s unlikely that we’ll be pursued for snapshots during our day-to-day routine. Alternatively, you could actually become a celebrity for just one day using Celeb 4 a Day. For £1727.36 you will receive six paparazzi, one publicist, a limo and one bodyguard for two hours, after which they disappear.
Pretty Much Anything…
If you’re not looking for anything specific, Zilok could be your solution to finding the most random rentable items available, including: chainsaws, ball gowns, a cocktail bar and even a chocolate fountain. Prices vary depending on the item in question.
