The rental services industry has been growing steadily since the recession, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This type of business can consist of renting anything from small party supplies to entire homes. So if you’re interested in starting this type of business, here are 50 different niches to consider.
Rental Business Ideas
Car Rental
Travelers and people who don’t need vehicles on a day-to-day basis often find the need to rent vehicles for short periods of time. So rental businesses provide them with that option.
Bicycle Rental
Some consumers would rather travel around their destination or hometown by bicycle. This type of business would be a bit less expensive to get started.
Party Rental
Party rental businesses can provide a variety of items that people need to host birthdays, graduations, or even weddings, including tables, chairs, servingware and decor.
Dumpster Rental
This type of business would provide dumpsters to homeowners or businesses that are cleaning out clutter, performing renovations or getting ready to move.
Moving Gear Rental
Those who are moving often need a variety of equipment as well, like moving trucks, bins and furniture dollies.
Storage Rental
You could also provide mobile storage units or set up a facility where people can rent space to store their various belongings.
Sporting Goods Rental
Sporting goods rental can specialize in a variety of niches, from bats and helmets to large training equipment for teams.
Golf Rental
Golf can be a particularly lucrative niche in the rental world since equipment tends to be very expensive to purchase. Rent out clubs, carts or even apparel.
Landscaping Supply Rental
For those looking to shore up their landscaping for the year, you can rent out rototillers, leafblowers, edgers or other supplies they may need but don’t want to actually purchase.
Tool Rental
You could also offer a variety of tools that people may find necessary for specific home projects, from ladders to saws.
Event Venue Rental
If you have a property that is picturesque or large enough to host significant gatherings, you could allow people to rent out the space to host parties.
Room Rental
In your own home, you might have an extra room or two that you could rent out to people on an ongoing basis or just for short periods using sites like Airbnb.
House Rental
You could invest in larger properties like whole houses and then rent or lease those out to people who are not looking to buy.
Apartment Rental
Or you could go a bit larger in scale and purchase a full apartment complex to rent out multiple units.
Vacation Rental
With any of these types of properties, you could also aim to host shorter term guests in these spaces using home rental sites or apps.
Campsite Rental
For outdoor enthusiasts, you could invest in a plot of land to turn into a campground and then rent out space to campers.
Camp Equipment Rental
In conjunction with a campground business or just in an area where campgrounds are plentiful, you could rent equipment like tents and outdoor cooking supplies.
RV Rental
You could also rent out actual RVs or campers that people can pick up from you and then take to their destination of choice.
Outdoor Gear Rental
Or you could focus on other outdoor activities and rent out equipment for hiking, rock climbing, four wheeling or similar adventures.
Fishing Rental
Fishing is another popular outdoor activity that requires a lot of gear. You could set up a rental business close to a body of water and rent out rods, storage and whatever else people might need to catch fish in the area.
Boat Rental
Or you could opt more for large rentals like boats, which people can use for fishing or just for recreation around the area.
Water Sports Equipment Rental
In conjunction with a boating business or just nearby, you could also offer things like inner tubes, water skiis or surfboards that people can use on the water.
Hunting Equipment Rental
For those who would prefer a hunting related business, you could rent out gear like scopes, blinds and binoculars to hunters in the area.
Land Rental
If you have a significant amount of land, you could also rent it out or rent portions of it to hunters looking for places to hunt.
Furniture Rental
Some homeowners or renters may need temporary furniture solutions in their spaces. So you could start a business that allows them to rent specific pieces. This could also be a popular solution for people selling homes and looking to stage them.
Home Decor Rental
Also for home staging professionals or people selling homes, you could offer to rent smaller home decor items to complement their spaces.
Office Space Rental
If you own a large building that is zoned for commercial use, you could rent out office space to businesses. Even if the space is a bit smaller than a traditional office building, you could set it up as a coworking space for individuals.
Conference Room Rental
You may simply have a bit of extra space in a building that’s already in use. If that’s the case, rent out that space as a conference room.
Office Equipment Rental
For an equipment rental business that also targets a B2B customer base, you could rent out office chairs, desks, printers or other equipment.
Tech Rental
Or you could focus just on tech items like computers or smartphones, either for businesses or individuals.
AV Equipment Rental
Audio, video and presentation equipment is also popular for rentals since businesses in particular may need to use that type of gear on rare occasions.
Photography Equipment Rental
You could also focus on the other side of the camera and rent out photography equipment to those who want to document a specific event.
HVAC Rental
Air conditioning and heating units can also come in handy for events or temporary solutions.
Tent Rental
Tent rentals are popular for people hosting outdoor parties or events.
Food Serving Equipment Rental
You might also offer food service equipment for people who are hosting events or just need specialized equipment for one particular instance.
Artificial Flower Rental
This could be an especially popular option for wedding focused businesses. Invest in some artificial flowers and rent them out as decor. You can even make them into arrangements like a florist would do.
Game Rental
For parties or just for fun, you can rent out arcade games or similar activities to families.
Animal Rental
If you’re looking to start an animal focused business, you could get some ponies to offer pony rides for kids’ parties or something similar.
Costume Rental
Costumes are popular as rentals since people tend to wear them just for one or two nights. You can rent out costumes for Halloween, theater groups or entertainment professionals.
Formal Wear Rental
Formal wear is another type of clothing that is popular as a rental. Focus on tuxedos, gowns, suits or and accessories that people would only wear on special occasions.
Clothing Rental
Or you could focus on more accessible clothing and just allow people to rent pieces that they might only wear once or twice. Some people might even want to simply try out a particular piece by renting it before buying.
Accessory Rental
A similar concept, you could simply rent out complementary pieces like shoes, handbags and jewelry.
Baby Gear Rental
Babies tend to grow out of things fairly quickly, so you could rent tons of different baby goods to people who don’t want to purchase new items every few months.
Book Rental
Since most people can already rent books at their local library, the trick with this type of business is to stand out in some way, either by offering books that are particularly rare or delivering books in an especially convenient way.
Movie Rental
Similarly, people already have plenty of options for watching movies on demand. But you could offer movie rentals within a particular niche in order to stand out.
Cleaning Supply Rental
There are certain types of cleaning supplies, like carpet cleaners and steamers, that people may only need to use on rare occasions. So many would prefer just to rent those items rather than purchasing them.
Kiosk Rental
A B2B rental business, you could offer kiosks that companies could use to set up temporary storefronts.
Portable Toilet Rental
Portable toilets are often necessary for outdoor events or construction sites.
Construction Equipment Rental
You could also rent out the equipment that professionals may need on their construction site, anything from excavators to orange cones.
Medical Supply Rental
Medical supplies and equipment are also popular as rentals. Offer wheelchairs, crutches or similar items that people may only need for a short period of time.
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This article, “50 Awesome Small Business Ideas in the Rental Niche” was first published on Small Business Trends