With Covid issues declining I started to look at heading further afield to sit. I’m astonished by the rising cost to car rental in the USA. It seems that unless homeowners are able to leave a car for the use of sitters, it will, be totally unaffordable!!
Yes, many companies sold off a lot of their fleet when travel came to a standstill, and when it picked back up, a lot fewer cars available, like a lot fewer! I am from the US and have been doing a lot more domestic sitting since last summer. From what I see having been looking at US listings more frequently over this time is a decent number do include a car. They may not be the majority, but they aren’t as rare as people may think.
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I’ve begun asking about use of a car if not offered in the posting and if the sit isn’t in a place with good and accessible public transportation.
Almost everyone has said yes - in the US auto insurance goes with the car so that is easier to manage. Almost everyone has agreed. And when they haven’t I’ve withdrawn my app.
You might also want to look at the Turo app - person to person rentals. Can be fairly inexpensive (but also can be expensive if you select a Tesla or other specialty car).
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Like @toml I always ask about the use of a car when sitting internationally and have not been refused. I request confirmation of insurance, liability cover and any excess, I also carry a letter of authorisation to drive the vehicle from the owner.
The insurance is the costly side of car rental when we lived in Canada our car insurance covered us to drive any vehicle in the States.
There’s some great information on this site
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Thanks for the informative replies. I will certainly have to check out use of homeowners car - always willing to cover excess on insurance.
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If you’re in the US and you own a car, call your insurer and ask what you’re covered for when borrowing or renting another car.
Lots of details related to jurisdiction, but the short answer is that when I did not have a car but had maintained renters’ insurance, I was covered for liability (in other words, if I’d damaged others’ property or hurt someone, my insurance covered that) but not for the actual borrowed vehicle–the car owner should have full coverage for that.
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Thanks for all of the helpful info in this thread!
We’re currently comparing different options for renting a car on the East Coast of the USA for 1-2 months.
I saw that some car companies rent cars through their dealerships for business and leisure travel. Toyota has a program called “Rent a Toyota” but I’m having a hard time getting more info from the dealers via email. I think it’s one of those things where it’s better to call or visit in person, which isn’t easy when you’re not in the USA.
As one of the major costs of renting a car is the insurance, I’m also looking at “non-owner car insurance”. Is this what you have @Katie? If so, which company is it with?
Any other suggestions for renting a car from 1-2 months? As we won’t be sitting, asking a HO for the use of their car isn’t an option.
Turo.com is person-to-person rental.
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Nice I’ll have the green jeep to go please.
Thanks for the info about Turo, @toml. I arrived in London last night and it’s interesting to see that they also have cars available here. I’ll keep that in mind for the future when I might need a car for trips outside the city. Optional extras include a “pet fee” in case you’re traveling with an animal. The prices are very reasonable.
As for using Turo in the USA, did you purchase additional insurance with them or do you have an insurance policy? My credit cards covers Collision Damage Waiver with traditional rental car companies. I’ll have to check if they would also cover Turo rentals.
Thanks again for the info!
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