Renting in the Time of COVID-19
By: Chesca Rama
What’s Happening Now?
It’s been over a year in lockdown. Because of COVID, many Filipinos have lost their jobs, passed away, and are currently struggling with other internal problems such as mental health. In one way or another, each one of us is struggling during this time.
A year ago, many of us would have thought that by now, this pandemic would have been over. Unfortunately, it is getting worse as each day passes by as the country keeps reaching all-time high records of new cases each day. Now we are under the enhanced community quarantine with limited movement of going outside of our houses. These times can feel hopeless. Sometimes it feels like there is not much that we can do to save our country from COVID. All we can do is stay at home.
What Can We Do?
Amidst all of the catastrophe going around, many of us have tried doing little things each day that could help us get by. There is no one solution to solving all of our problems during COVID. However, doing little things at our own homes could help us feel better and get by during these times.
Some people have lost their jobs but have set up online businesses to earn money instead. Other people who are struggling internally are using this time at home to re-invent themselves for the better. But what about people who still need to move from one place to another but do not have the transportation to do so? Or the people who need to work online but do not have the proper mobile devices to do so?
For these people, renting during COVID could be a suggestion.
This might sound strange to some. The rental marketplace isn’t so popular in the Philippines, especially for things other than property.
However, renting could be something that you could consider during this time of COVID. Here are some reasons why:
1. Affordable
Because of COVID, there are many who have lost their jobs and may not be able to afford things like they used to. There still may be essential things that you would need to buy but do not have the budget for. Renting could be a more affordable option to own what you need at a more convenient price for you.
2. Money Making
On the other hand, you might realize that you have a lot of items at home that you no longer need. Renting them out to other people could allow you to earn money while helping others at the same time. Some popular things that people rent out are condo units; and transportation such as cars, bicycles, and motorcycles. However, other things that would be good to rent could be your clothes or devices that you no longer use.
3. Convenience
There are times when you’re at a business, for example, and you are missing an item to deliver a task. Lost time delivering your task usually means lost profit. With renting, you could temporarily have the item right away so that you would not waste any time. In addition to this, renting companies are easily accessible online and can deliver right at your doorstep.
4. Flexibility
Renting allows you to try different things for a specific period of time. If there is something that you would want to try out but you are not sure if it will work for you, renting could be an option. Especially during these times where we cannot physically go to a store to check things out, owning something temporarily could be a good option. Afterward, if you decide that you don’t like the item, you could always switch out and try something else.
5. Have items circulate
Lastly, with COVID or not, renting is a more environmentally friendly option for the economy for it allows items to circulate around without having to dispose of them. It also allows us to make use of items that already exist and it minimizes the disposal of items.
Here are some things that could be considered renting during this time of COVID:
1. Transportation
If you are somebody who commutes but would not want to use public transportation because of the risks of being exposed to COVID, then renting transportation could be a good suggestion for you.
There are different modes of transportation that you could rent from e-scooters, bicycles, and cars. You can select the one that best suits you and your budget.
2. Devices
The pandemic has forced us to shift to doing most things digitally. If you do not have good devices, it will be difficult for you to work online. Of course, mobile devices are expensive; however, they don’t have to be. A cheaper option to buying these devices would be to rent them. This is also a good way to try out devices for a while to see if you actually like them and if you don’t, switch to another brand after renting.
3. Hobbies/Interests
It can get dull staying at home 24/7, doing the same things. You might want to switch up your routine a bit and try out new hobbies or get into new interests. There are different things that you could try renting to explore your hobbies and interests such as baking materials, games, karaoke machines, and many more.
4. Medical Equipment
Now more than ever, it is of utmost importance to make sure that hospital patients are being well taken care of and with the right equipment to do so. Renting medical equipment would be a good option if you lack in money to get the equipment at full price.
5. Business Machines
If you are a business owner, there could be machines that you may need to help the business flourish. There are business machines up for rent for you to choose from such as tailoring machines for clothes.
6. Other Essentials
There may be some essentials that you may need but only for a season. Instead of buying things at full price and using them for a short time, you can opt to rent instead. Some of these things include events decorations, furniture, and etcetera.
Where to Rent?
You might be wondering where to get these items for rent. If you are interested, you can check out iRent Mo. iRent Mo is a rental marketplace for anything under the sun. They also have rent-to-own options so that you can choose to own an item after using it for a certain period of time.
Here is the list of items previously mentioned that you could rent at iRent Mo:
1. Transportation
∙ Bicycles
2. Devices
∙ Laptops
∙ Tablets
3. Hobbies/Interests
∙ Videoke
4. Medical Equipment
∙ Blood Monitors and Oxygen Machines
5. Business Machines
6. Other Essentials
∙ Aircon
There’s no one solution to solve all of our problems during the pandemic. However, renting during COVID could make your life a little easier. It is a flexible, convenient, and more affordable way to own something right away without having to spend too much on an item. It is also a great way to experiment with different variants of an item that you would like to try. Stay safe and enjoy renting!
