Campervan hire from your driveway

Local and visiting holidaymakers, couples and families who want to try van life without buying a vehicle, and people attending festivals or road trips.

A nightly or weekly hire fee, plus extras such as a kitchen kit, bedding, extra kilometres, generator use and a cleaning fee. Most income comes in the warm months.

• Basic vehicle maintenance knowledge
• Customer service and clear communication
• Organised with bookings and paperwork
• Careful at checking vehicles in and out

• Personal car insurance usually does not cover renting out a vehicle, so check commercial rental coverage with a broker
• Check your municipality's zoning and bylaws on parking large vehicles at home and on running a home-based business
• Check your provincial rules on registering and plating a rental vehicle, and on business registration
• Damage, breakdowns and late returns, so use damage deposits and a written inspection at each hand-over
• Strong seasonality, with little demand in winter, plus storage and winterizing costs
• Register for GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $20,000 to $90,000, depending on the vehicles you buy, storage and insurance. Treat this as an estimate and price vehicles and rental coverage before committing.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on how many vehicles you rent and how often they are booked. The estimate assumes at least about 5 hours a week.

Things to check: personal car insurance usually does not cover renting out a vehicle, so ask a broker about commercial rental coverage. Also check municipal zoning and bylaws for parking large vehicles at home, and provincial rules on registering and plating a rental vehicle.