Rent Out Your Extra Space

Extra bedrooms are not the only areas of your home that can be rented out. Cleared out your garage recently? Got a spare closet or a couple of empty book shelves? You can totally pimp that extra space for cash with the help of a couple of cool sites.

Storeatmyhouse.com is a company that pairs up people in need of storage space with those that have it. Their site basically works like a bulletin board: You register first and then submit a detailed post about the space you’re offering. Potential renters  fill out an online application which is sent to you for review. Once you decide to approve an applicant, specific arrangements (like price of rent, methods of payment, hours of access, etc) are worked out directly between you and your new renter. The process is pretty painless and – best of all – it’s completely free.

Although it’s not as simple to use as Storeatmyhouse.com, Parkatmyhouse.com is still definitely worth checking out. Catering to the parking impaired, Parkatmyhouse.com gives registered users the opportunity to rent out or sell their empty driveways, garages or street parking to drivers without a place to park. Listing a space is free but once you find a renter, you’ll be charged an ongoing 15% of the total amount received for each parking space booking. Given the number of cars currently in use worldwide, you should have no problem renting out your space especially if you’re in an in-demand location. As parking regulations differ from country to country, ParkatmyHouse strongly urges people to check local laws before submitting a listing. It’s probably a good idea to check with your insurance company, too.