Owners FAQs

Q: How much money per year could I make from renting out my car on RelayRides? A: It depends on two things: 1) What type of car you own, and 2) How many hours per week you rent out your vehicle.

Q: How does the insurance work?
A: RelayRides provides a supplemental insurance policy from an independent, national carrier that will cover the driver during the rental.

Q: What happens if a renter wrecks my car?
A: Accidents happen, even with trusted members of the RelayRides network. If there is an accident, we will file an insurance claim for you under the program provided by RelayRides. Our insurance carrier is an independent, national brand that will provide a rental while your car is in the shop, or pay you the value of your vehicle if the car cannot be repaired.

Q: What happens if a renter just damages the car (e.g. broken mirror, cracked taillight, etc.)?
A: Minor physical damage claims will not be covered by insurance because they fall under the $500 deductible. Therefore, renters will be responsible for the damage and RelayRides will use the hold on their credit card to pay you back once you make the damage known to us. Note that renters will have been instructed to call RelayRides before they drive off in their rental if they notice any such damage (we can check that the car has not been driven using our GPS system).

Q: Are there any restrictions on what vehicles may be enrolled in RelayRides for rental?
A: Any vehicle may be enrolled! The only restriction is that the car must be well-maintained, safe to drive, and have power door locks.

Q: How will the RelayRides device be installed in my car? Is it permanent?
A: After you join, a RelayRides team member will contact you and explain the simple process to install the device that will allow renters to access your car during the rental. They will arrange a convenient time for you to take your car to a local garage to install the device, which will not harm your vehicle in any way. After trying our service, if you are not satisfied, the device can be removed without any damage to your car.

Q: What does the RelayRides device do?
A: The device incorporates cutting edge technology to allow renters to access your vehicle while keeping it completely secure. The device does the following:
• Unlock doors – the device ties into the vehicle’s locking system and unlocks the doors for a renter with a valid reservation and the car owner.
• Immobilize engine – as a security feature, the device makes it impossible to start the car without a reservation.
• Find the vehicle – in the event of an emergency RelayRides can use the GPS system to locate the vehicle.
• Track mileage – the device tracks how far the vehicle is driven during a rental so that the renter can be charged if included mileage (20 miles per hour) is exceeded.

Q: How will a Renter access my vehicle? Will I have to meet the renter to exchange keys?
A: With our secure technology, there is no need to meet to exchange keys. When a renter has successfully reserved your vehicle online, the device will wirelessly receive the reservation information and only open the vehicle for the authorized renter. The renter will then be able to waive his keycard over the RelayRides device in your vehicle, which will unlock the doors. The ignition to your car is immobilized unless it is accessed by the car owner or an authorized renter. The ignition key hangs near the steering wheel, but it will not start the car unless the device has been activated.

Q: What happens if I need to use my car during a time when I’ve made it available?
A: It depends. If no one has reserved your vehicle for that time, you can easily update your car’s availability for that time period through our website or mobile application. However, if a renter has already reserved your car we ask you to respect the reservation. If you need a vehicle when your vehicle has already been reserved, you can easily rent another car in the system, and we will provide a 15% discount off the rental price.

Q: Where will the renter return the vehicle after the rental?
A: All renters are asked to return the vehicle to the same location where they picked it up.

Q: How does gas work?
A: You own the gas in your vehicle. During a rental, the renter is compensating you for the gas, and when you’re driving, you use the gas. You and all renters are always asked to keep the car above ¼ tank. If the car drops below ¼ tank during a rental, the renter will fill up the tank for you. To make the payment easier, we provide a gas card that has security measures to ensure the person using it is an authorized renter. We will deduct any gas charges from your monthly revenue.

Q: What responsibilities do I have?
A: You are responsible for maintaining your vehicle according to the recommendations of the vehicle’s manufacturer and state regulations. Also, you are responsible for periodically cleaning the vehicle as necessary.

Q: What happens if someone gets a traffic violation (speeding ticket, parking ticket, etc) while using my car?
A: The renter is entirely responsible for any traffic or parking tickets he/she receives while using your car. The RelayRides system keeps track of exactly who is driving the vehicle and when, so if there is ever any question we will be able to tell exactly who was driving the car during the time of the violation. If you receive a ticket in the mail, send it in to RelayRides, and we will pay the ticket and collect the fine from the responsible renter. You will not be held liable in any way for a violation in your vehicle, and it will not impact your insurance premiums in any way.

Q: What happens if a renter returns my car late?
A: RelayRides will have GPS that tracks your car during the rental, and will alert you to any lateness. If the car is more than 15 min late, we will assess a penalty on the renter’s credit card which will be paid to you. If the renter is chronically late, s/he will be banned from the RelayRides network. We also actively encourage you to rate your renters (similar to Ebay). You can select to rent only to 4-star or 5-star renters.