Turo App Review: Is It Worth Renting Your Car Out on Turo?

Turo is a peer-to-peer car sharing app. Although it offers a way to use your car to earn money, it’s much different from ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft. In fact, it’s more like Airbnb for cars.

To make money on Turo, you sign up as a “host” and rent out your car to “guests” at a daily rate. With the rising cost of living over the last few years, Turo has become a popular and cost-effective alternative to owning a car.

Locals can use the service to get around town when they need to. Visitors can use it to explore their surroundings without having to deal with rental car companies. Even people looking to buy a new car can use Turo to take a test drive without the hassle of going to a dealer. For drivers, Turo offers the benefit of renting cars from people rather than having to deal with traditional car rental agencies.

But is becoming a Turo host as simple as it seems? Here are some important details to know if you’re looking to set up a Turo car rental side hustle.

How does Turo work?

The process of listing your car on Turo is similar to listing your home on Airbnb. You just follow a few basic steps:

1. Create a Turo account and undergo identity verification.
2. Create a new listing.
3. Add recent photos of your vehicle.
4. Write an accurate description.
5. Set your price.
6. Consider adding discounted rates based on rental length, days and times, weather, etc.
7. Publish your car listing.
8. Receive a notification when a guest has booked your car.

Turo guests will browse through listings, and if they want to rent your car, they’ll book it directly through the Turo platform. While Turo used to allow hosts to review applicants and decide who to accept, as of the first half of 2024, Turo now automatically approves all booking requests.

Vehicle pickup process

After a guest has booked your car, it’s up to the two of you to work out the details of the vehicle pickup. One option is to provide a time and location to meet and give them the keys. Alternatively, you can leave your car at a designated location and unlock it right before their arrival time or use a hide-a-key so you don’t have to leave the key in your unlocked car.

In your car listing, you can set the location as your home or a popular pickup destination, such as an airport or train station. You can also charge guests an extra fee to deliver the car to them at one of these locations or a location of their choice.

In addition to coordinating the initial pickup, you’ll have to discuss the return location and time. In many cases, the pickup and drop-off will be at the same place. However, some guests may ask for an exception, so it’s important to work that out ahead of time.

Locations

According to Turo, the car sharing app currently has over 14 million customers around the world. However, it only operates in the following countries:

• Australia
• Canada
• France
• United Kingdom
• United States

The company is still working on expanding, so you may find that competition and demand are high in some cities and low or even nonexistent in others.

Popular travel destinations, metropolitan areas, and cities with major airports are likely to have more opportunities for Turo hosts than those without. This goes to show that your location is an important factor to consider before applying to become a Turo host.

Costs and fees

It’s free to create a Turo host account. However, Turo will take anywhere from 10% to 40% of your earnings through the app, depending on which protection plan you choose. In the US, hosts have five protection plan options.

Membership Plans for Turo Hosts in the US

Note: Third-party automobile liability insurance is offered by Travelers Excess & Surplus Lines Company.

While choosing a plan with a lower commission fee can help you earn more money on Turo, bear in mind you’ll have a higher deductible and receive less coverage in the case of an accident. Additionally, there are exceptions and caveats to their coverage, so be sure to read Turo’s full plan descriptions for detailed terms and conditions.

Violation fees

The protection plan fee isn’t the only one that hosts are subjected to. Turo has a pretty sizable list of violation fees. You can be penalized for failing to show up, not cleaning your vehicle, or not keeping your car well maintained, among other things.

Turo requirements to rent your car

To become a Turo host in the US, you need to be at least 21 years old and have an eligible vehicle that you own or are authorized to list as a rental. You’ll also need to have valid auto insurance.

There’s no limit to how many vehicles you can list on Turo.com. However, every vehicle you rent out on Turo must meet certain eligibility criteria.

Turo Vehicle Requirements

You may have to meet additional requirements, depending on where you live and whether you have a specialty vehicle. To make sure you qualify, check Turo’s full vehicle eligibility requirements before signing up.

In addition to paying attention to requirements, it’s important to familiarize yourself with what will make your vehicle ineligible and subject to penalties. For instance, your vehicle cannot have a branded or washed title, illegal modifications, or firearms or other weapons inside it.

Specialty vehicles

Specialty and classic vehicles have additional sets of requirements. For example, the car must be at least 25 years old and have a fair market value of no more than $85,000. To list one of these vehicles, contact Turo directly and get it appraised.

Turo is a legit car sharing platform. With that said, there’s always some risk associated with car ownership and driving. How do you handle it when someone else is driving your car?

First of all, you’re required to have personal insurance for your vehicle before you can list it on Turo, so that’s some protection. But Turo also offers protections and coverage to put hosts at ease.

Turo’s coverage for car owners

Every Turo host is required to sign up for a protection plan. Every plan comes with $750,000 of third-party liability insurance.

The plans also include some form of physical damage reimbursement, although some plans offer less protection than others. For example, on the 80, 85, and 90 plans, Turo will not provide you with replacement vehicle reimbursement, exterior wear and tear, or loss of hosting income coverage.

Customer support

If something should happen while a guest has your vehicle—like a breakdown, accident, or theft—Turo offers 24/7 customer support as well as roadside assistance.

According to user data, you can generally expect to make somewhere in the range of $500–$1,000 per month for every vehicle you rent out on Turo.

However, the exact amount of money you can earn on Turo depends on the following factors:

• Plan type
• Quality of your vehicle listing
• Ratings and reviews
• Car type
• Car condition
• Location
• Pricing strategy
• Car availability
• Extras

The Turo Carculator is a useful tool that will help you estimate your potential earnings every year based on your location and the car you own.

Estimated Annual Earnings of Turo Hosts

Source: Turo.

These figures do have a few caveats to bear in mind. First, they reflect the earnings of Turo hosts in New Jersey and Connecticut with cars valued between $25,000 and $34,999 whose cars were rented out at least 5 days per month. They also represent gross income rather than profit, meaning they don’t account for expenses like auto insurance, cleaning, or maintenance.

User-reported earnings:

Case A: “We have around a 70% profit margins. Each car costs us around $150 a month with insurance, trackers, maintenance, ect. Each one makes around $1,100 per month revenue.”

Case B: “20 cars and profit about 3000 a month.”

Case C: “I average $500-$800 a month per car.”

Case D: “I’m in central AR. Cash cars. Currently a 2019 Corolla and a 2016 RAV4. Netting around $500/month.”

Case E: “My best months I was netting about 800 profit after expenses, notes, parking, gas etc.”

Case F: “On pace to make $3800 before costs this month off 3 vehicles.”

How you’ll get paid

Turo pays US hosts via direct deposit at the end of each booking, once the guest has returned your vehicle. In order to receive payments, you need to set up a Stripe account.

Payments are generally sent out within 3 business days for your first booking and then just 3 hours after the booking ends for all your bookings after that. However, it can take an additional 3–5 days for the funds to reach your bank account.

For rental periods longer than 1 week, you’ll get paid every 7 days until your car is returned.

Ready to get started? Visit Turo.com to sign up for a Turo host account. You can also sign up on the Turo app.

How to sign up online:

• On the Turo website, click on “Become a host” in the upper righthand corner.
• Click “Get Started.”
• Enter your phone number or email to create your Turo account.
• Go to the “Account” page and click “Get Approved to Drive.”
• Fill in the requested information about your vehicle.
• Create a profile and upload some photos.

Once approved, your listing will go live and guests will be able to start renting your vehicle. Make sure to keep your availability up-to-date in order to maximize your Turo rentals.

Where to get the Turo app

App Store Google Play

Turo won’t give you a full rundown of what it’s really like renting out your car on their platform. If you’re considering using Turo, you should take a few pointers from people who have actually done it.

Below, we’ve rounded up insider advice and warnings about what it’s really like using Turo as a host to help you better understand whether Turo is worth it for you and what you can expect.

Turo’s insurance won’t cover everything

Even though Turo offers some liability and damage protections with their host membership plans, experienced hosts on the platform warn that their coverage isn’t comprehensive. There are a few gaps and loopholes in the policy terms that could cost you if you’re not careful.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that a regular personal car insurance policy probably won’t cut it either. Many of these personal plans won’t cover accidents involving people not listed on the policy, so be sure to check with your insurance company before you Turo your car to ensure that you’ll be covered in all eventualities.

User reviews:

Reddit: “Did turo for a bit. Definitely convenient, but most of my earnings went down the drain when I had a big car repair.”

Reddit: “The first 3 trips went perfect with raving reviews, but the third lost control in a rain storm and got in an accident. Turo refused to process the damage claim, because my safety inspection was 3 months old. The claims adjuster also advised me that they could deny the claim, because I didn’t have a photo of the guests Driver’s License and photo of the guest holding the Driver’s License. My personal insurance would not cover the damage, because the accident occurred during a Turo Trip. The damages we over $18,000 and we were stuck to cover the bill out of pocket! […] The fine print in Turo’s agreements gives them several loop holes and I haven’t figured out how to hold Turo or their Guest accountable.”

Don’t rent out a car you’re attached to

If you only have one car and you rely on it at least some of the time, then think twice before renting it out. If a renter totals the car, then you won’t have access to it while it’s getting repairs done.

Similarly, if you’re emotionally attached to your car and you don’t like the idea of it being mistreated by strangers, then don’t rent it out. There’s no way to prevent damage to your car from accidents or careless renters.

User reviews:

Reddit: “If you love your car and the idea it would come back smelling like smoke, have minor dent or paint chip in it or other BS that you won’t be unable to see as you wash it, DONT DO IT. All that stuff will eventually happen.”

It’s not a 100% passive gig

Renting on Turo is often marketed as a good passive income opportunity, and while it can be an easy way to make money without working, some hosts report that this side hustle isn’t quite as “passive” as they first thought.

After all, you’ll have to be actively replying to guest inquiries and booking requests, handling cleaning and repairs, and meet renters for pick up and drop off, unless you automate that process.

User reviews:

Reddit: “I did it for years, it’s not very passive if you don’t automate pickup and drop offs. Also high end cars require more checking in because people make money from extra fees like cleaning and damage. I preferred low end and I didn’t charge anything unless the damage was egregious.”

Reddit: “It’s anything but passive. Between maintenance, communication with renters, cleaning, drop offs and pickups, and keeping up with the app, it takes up a fair bit of time. Not a full time job work, but enough to where the $500/mo + owning a cool car wasn’t worth it anymore. It was fun while it lasted, but I’m not doing it anymore, so I suppose the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze.”

Reddit: “I spend at most 2 hours prepping my vehicles a week. I’d say that’s as passive as it gets in terms of car rental businesses.”

Reddit: “Turo wasn’t worth it to me to rent out my car. The wear and tare, time, and inconvenience of surprises (someone sleeping in the car overnight, funky smells, etc.) wasn’t worth the pennies it made me.”

If you’re buying a car to rent out on Turo, go cheap

One major attraction of a Turo side hustle is the prospect of using money from rentals to pay off a loan on a brand new car. While this is definitely possible, you need the right strategy. If done the wrong way, you could end up losing a lot of money.

If you want to use Turo to get a brand new car to replace your old one, keep the new one for yourself and just rent out the old one. This way, you don’t risk damage to your new car, and you won’t feel the need to spend money on unnecessary repairs.

User reviews:

Reddit: “Cheap cars at the bottom of the depreciation curve. Or high end niche rentals. There is no money in the middle.”

Reddit: “I bought myself a Toyota Corolla in cash to test the waters with Turo .. my experience has been great. […] I’m making about $35 to $40 a day.”

Reddit: “I only buy cash cars for 6-8k and rent them out for 35-40/day. Easy cash flow, and by 9-11months I would already get back what i paid for the car.”

Guests may use your car for illegal activities

While it’s unlikely this will happen to you, there have been user reports of Turo horror stories where guests have rented out cars on the app specifically for the purpose of committing a crime. This is an unfortunate issue that peer-to-peer car sharing apps like Turo are vulnerable to, and it’s a risk you should be aware of before you rent out your car.

What doesn’t help is that Turo no longer gives you a say in who rents your car, and they don’t thoroughly screen guests. As specified in their terms of service, “Turo does not endorse any vehicle, user, or a user’s background, or commit to undertake any specific screening process.”

User reviews:

Reddit: “My car I rent out on Turo was used for drug trafficking. It was left filthy by the renters and torn apart by police.”

Reddit: “Guest checked out car on a Saturday, was due back Monday. Requested two extra days. During that period and 1,900 miles later I get both a knock at the door by local police and a phone call from the police officer handling the case about 100 miles away. The vehicle was used for numerous thefts across different Counties and they want me to help ID the driver.”

Investing in your business can help you increase your profits

Turo won’t be worth it for everyone, but there are ways to make it more worthwhile for you if you’re serious about making money from Turo.

For example, you can increase your income from Turo by offering extra amenities or services, like car delivery. You can also automate certain aspects of the rental process to reduce the amount of time and effort you have to spend on your Turo side hustle.

User reviews:

Reddit: “From vehicle drop offs at homes/airports we charge from $60-$120, extras such a as fuel, baby seats, and extra mileage. We use a $10 monthly car wash membership, dry and clean inside ur self, takes 15-20 mins at most.”

Reddit: “You can pretty much handle the business however you want. Want to offer delivery? Go for it! Want to offer beach equipment for a charge? Go for it! You can get creative.”

Renting your car out with Turo is an easy way to use your car to get a relatively passive income. It’s a popular alternative to becoming a rideshare driver or delivery driver, and it offers the added benefit of a route to starting your own car sharing business with multiple cars.

Here are some pros and cons to consider before you start a Turo side hustle:

If you have a car you can afford to let out occasionally and that you’re not too attached to, then listing it on Turo is probably worth it. Turo can also be a good platform for starting your own car rental business, although there are alternatives you may want to consider as well.

As long as you fully understand the risks and responsibilities you’ll have as a host and take precautions to protect yourself, Turo can be a good way to generate some extra income.