At this point in time, there are already so many things out in the world that have been mass-produced and manufactured. We may not even realize it, but there could even be clutter in our own homes because of owning too many things. An obvious solution to reduce clutter is to refrain from buying too many things. One possible way that we can do this is by trying to rent more.
Renting should be more practiced and normalized. It is a great way to make the most out of things during the time when you need them. This way, you will not own so many things that just lie around your house or that you would eventually discard afterward. There are so many different things that we can rent, even things that we may not realize. This is good news for us because that means that there is a wide variety of things that we can save our money on.
Here is a list of 20 unexpected things that you did not know you could rent as well:
1. Fine Art
Buying your own piece of fine art really is an expense since each painting is one of a kind. For art enthusiasts on a budget, renting would help you save money from splurging on wall décor. This is a great way to fill up your wall temporarily and then, later on, replace it with another piece of work to switch things up a bit at your home.
Here are some places where you can rent Fine Art:
2. Pets
Yes, material things are not the only things you can rent. Pets are also something you can rent if you don’t want the full-time responsibility of being a pet owner. If you’re an animal lover but owning a pet would be too much work for you, renting a pet during certain days of the week like the weekend could be a good idea. In the Philippines, you cannot actually directly rent pets; however, there are dog and cat cafes around Metro Manila to spend time with pets for a little while.
Here are some places where you can rent pets:
- Bengal Brew + Wolf & Bear, Quezon City
- Pups & Cups Dog Café, Las Piñas
- Whole Kitchen, San Juan City
3. Space for Pets
In line with pets, maybe you also have extra space in your house and time on your hands to take care of pets. This is a good idea for pet-lovers who can be pet-sitters for those who don’t have so much time to take care of their own pets.
Here are some places where you can be/find a pet-sitter:
4. Storage
Some people need the extra space to store their things for example, when moving into a new home. If you live in a big house with extra space in the basement or the attic, you could rent out those spaces for people who need the extra storage.
Here are some places where you can rent storage:
5. Farms
It’s actually becoming quite popular in the Philippines to rent a farm, most especially for poultry farms since the demand for poultry products has been high. There are quite a number of aspiring farmers who want to start farming but do not have the land to do so since it’s such a limited resource. Luckily, there are poultry farms for rent that can help aspiring farmers jumpstart their farming. They usually come with poultry shelter and equipment, operations, and market linkages.
Here are some places where you can rent farms:
6. Friends
In line with material things not being the only thing you can rent, renting people is also a thing. Now, this is not what you are thinking about. In Japan, there’s a company that lets you rent a professional actor to act like anyone you want: relative, lover, colleague, and the like. You can inquire through their company, Family Romance.
7. Robots
Robots are also a popular thing to rent in Japan. There, they have what is called an Actroid DER fembot. This is a human-like female robot whose sensors and motors could make it act like a real human. In Japan, you could rent this robot out for 400,00 Yen for 5 days.
8. Crowds
Sometimes it’s difficult for performers to gather their desired number of people for their event. With this, they pay people to make it look like a lot of people were there to attend. This is also popular with talk shows who pay people to have an audience. You can ask anyone to come as an audience at your event or show in exchange for some incentive.
9. Garden
There are people who live in places that aren’t feasible enough to have a garden. These could be places that aren’t exposed to too much sunlight or areas that are too small. This is where renting a garden plot could come in handy. Having your own garden for a while is a great way to save money on buying crops at the grocery store. It could also be a fun, therapeutic hobby.
You can check this out to rent a garden:
10. Baby Toys
Parents don’t usually rent baby toys because kids at a very young age can get attached to their toys. However, a French company called Dim Dom has launched a baby toy rental company targeted to mostly grandparents who are expecting their grandkids over for the weekend and the like. Renting baby toys is a great idea for toddlers who are staying over for a weekend.
You can check this out to rent baby toys:
11. Celebrity Mansion
The Hiltons have their house up for rent in New York City for 400,000 USD. If you have the extra money, living it up Paris Hilton style could be something you would want to add to your bucket list.
12. Furniture
Renting furniture would be a good idea for people who are selling their houses. To temporarily fill up space, you could rent out some furniture.
Here are some places where you can rent furniture:
13. Machine Games
If you’ve always wanted those machine games in Timezone such as air hockey or basketball, you can now rent these things and play them at the comfort of your own home. This is a great way to spice up family time with your siblings or if you’re simply a kid at heart who misses playing arcade games.
You can check this out to rent machine games:
14. Movie Theaters for Gamers
This is an exciting one! Imagining playing your most intense game with your friends on the big screen. This is made possible in Canada at a theater company called Cineplex Odeon. The theater caters to up to twelve players. You can bring your own games or use the ones provided by the company.
This is also happening in Malaysia by the company Golden Screen Cinemas. Ever since the pandemic happened, movie theaters have been shut down and closed globally. However, this company found a way to repurpose empty cinemas into a place where a few friends can gather and play games.
15. Kitchen
There are different reasons as to why you could rent a kitchen. It could be for food production purposes and events. It could also be a place to cook for a crowd and hold a lunch. Whatever the reason, renting a kitchen is now made possible.
Here are some places where you can rent a kitchen:
- Photokitchen Studio (Food production and events)
- La Fuerza Compound, Chino Roces Avenue, Makati (Cook and Host Parties)
16. Wedding Gowns
Usually, if you are a soon-to-be-bride, you would want to have your own wedding dress specially made to have a unique piece on one of the most important days of your life. However, some brides cannot afford these for they are known to be expensive. Renting would be a good idea for brides on a budget.
Here are some places where you can rent wedding gowns:
17. Wedding Cake
Another big expense during a wedding is the wedding cake. Again, for newlywed couples on a budget, a wedding cake could be considered renting. What it is is a fake cake decorated with fondant to look like a real cake. The cake has a hidden cutout for slicing a real cake, for when couples take cake-slicing pictures. This will be later on switched out with an ordinary cake that tastes just as delicious as a real wedding cake.
You can check this out to rent a wedding cake:
18. Tires and Wheels
Something that could be expensive to replace would be tires. This is not a popular rental business in the Philippines; however, there are a couple of places that sell secondhand tires if you need new wheels right away but are on a budget.
Here are some places where you can buy secondhand tires:
19. Luggage Storage
Luggages can be such an extra weight on your shoulders, especially if you like to move around the place you’re touring a lot. Leaving your bags at a luggage storage can take that extra weight off your chest. There are a number of luggage storage areas conveniently located around the Philippines.
Here are some places where you can rent luggage storage:
20. Casket
Last but not the least, caskets are the last unexpected rental item on the list. This idea was actually inspired by Antonio Andes, a Filipino inventor whose sister passed away but he could not afford to pay for a decent enough casket for her. This is a situation many Filipinos who live under poverty face. How it works is that there is one casket inside another. The outer casket, which is to be rented, is made out of metal and can be decorated however one likes. This way, every Filipino can have a proper passing.
If needed, you can rent a casketby contacting the inventor’s company directly: Antonio Andes – telephone no. 6102041
This was just a list of 20 things you didn’t know that you could rent. However, there are definitely other things out there that you may have also not known were rentable. If you’re looking to start renting, you could start with this list and feel free to discover what other things you can rent and save your money on. You can also download the iRent Mo app and start exploring rentals.
Happy renting!
Sources:
“61 Things You Can Rent.” TrendHunter.com, TREND HUNTER Inc., 30 Oct. 2009.
Admin, and Thabiso Livingstone May says. “How and Why to Rent Garden Plots in Your Community.” Patio Productions, 9 July 2019.
Aglipay, Marz. “You Can Now Rent A Movie Screen To Game On In Malaysia.” UNBOX PH, 26 Oct. 2020.
Bajorowicz, Paulina. “23 Things You Can Rent to Earn Money That You Might Not Have Thought Of.” Appjobs Blog, 26 June 2020.
Ghio Ong, Helen Flores. “Short on Cash? Try Rent-a-Coffin.” Philstar.com, Philstar.com.
Morin, Roc. “The Booming Japanese Rent-a-Friend Business.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 20 Mar. 2018.
“Poultry Farm for Rent in Philippines.” Poultry Manual, 4 Jan. 2018.
Shah, Dhiram. “Actroid DER2 Fembot from Japan.” Luxurylaunches, 29 Sept. 2020.
