by Alec Fraser
posted on April 21, 2021
The host stories series showcases the best and brightest of hosts on Turo. Read on to hear how one Manchester host quit the 9-5. Now one of the top Turo hosts in his city, Dan plans to only grow bigger and better from here. This is his journey so far.
How’d you get started?
Before I got started with Turo, I’d been a successful Airbnb host for many years. I heard about Turo from a friend in late 2019, and it immediately struck me as an exciting opportunity with a different but equally enticing offering for guests. I did some research and realised that I could be one of the first hosts in Manchester. I’m now one of the top hosts in the UK.
What cars do you share on the platform?
Different guests have different needs, so I’ve adapted and designed my fleet to suit any situation. My cars range from more affordable, smaller-yet-fun-to-drive Fiat 500’s, to your mid-ranged hatchbacks, right up to the more luxurious side of things with several Audi’s on offer.
How has sharing on Turo helped you become more financially independent?
Prior to Turo, I was a solicitor. The additional earnings I gained from taking advantage of the Turo platform have allowed me to quit my job in law in order to grow my fleet of cars, giving me a lot more independence and freedom to enjoy my life.
What’s great about Turo is that buying a car is a lot cheaper than buying a house — and you’ve got more options when it comes to financing the purchases! For that exact reason, it’s much easier to grow a fleet of vehicles. If you offer a 5-star service for guests, then it can quickly become a profitable business with lots of repeat customers.
How have the extra earnings from Turo impacted your life?
The great thing about Turo is that it actually doesn’t take up large amounts of your time. It allows you to earn, with the flexibility of adding unavailability periods at your leisure, on a relatively passive basis, even whilst providing guests a 5-star service. Now I have a lot more time, money, and independence to enjoy my day-to-day life.
What concerns did you have initially when joining Turo, and how was Turo able to alleviate those concerns?
My main concern was “will this work?”. I was worried that I wouldn’t have enough guests renting my cars that would allow me to see a profit. However, I bought my first car in mid-January 2020 (a slower month, just after Christmas) and I had made a profit by the end of the first month! At that point I knew this would work and quickly bought my second car. It’s been profitable ever since.
The other obvious concern is damage to your vehicle. However, in the nearly 250 trips that I have hosted, I have only had a small handful of incidents, all of which Turo has helped to resolve, no questions asked. It provides peace of mind knowing that I can rely on Turo to step in any time. All of my cars are in just as good of a condition now as when I first purchased them!
What advice do you have for new hosts?
Just to go for it! It’s a lot of fun and doesn’t take up much of your time. Whether you want a bit of extra income from your personal car or are looking to grow into a small business, it can be easy money and puts a smile on your face when you see how happy you’ve made your guests.
Have your cars ever been damaged during a Turo trip?
Yes, twice. Turo were remarkable at sorting this out at the time. One of my cars had been badly damaged, but Turo handled it all and made the process completely stress-free. The reimbursement tool for cleaning fees, parking fines, etc. is so easy to use, too. Hosts have no liability when it’s listed on Turo and your car will always be returned in the condition you rented it out in — whether Turo have to step in or not. It’s genuinely a stress-free process.
What ambitions do you have for your Turo business?
To keep growing! I love being the number one host outside of London and I’d love to have an even larger fleet to have an even more varied offering of cars for my guests.
What’s your most memorable experience as a host?
The pandemic has been hard for everyone, especially those working in the healthcare sector. During the first lockdown, a guest of mine — a nurse — couldn’t get her car fixed until after lockdown but she still had shifts she needed to go to. The car rental company she had gone for was trying to charge her an obscene amount to rent a car so she could get to work.
Because Turo works out so much cheaper for guests, I was able to provide a fully insured car for her at an affordable price so she could continue to help save lives. It’s moments such as these that make Turo a rewarding and memorable experience.
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The views, opinions, and responses represent the experiences of Turo hosts and do not necessarily reflect those of Turo. The earnings results are applicable to the hosts featured and do not represent the experience of all hosts on Turo nor do they represent an average. Results from car sharing on Turo may vary. If you have questions about hosting on Turo, please contact a customer support representative here.
Alec Fraser
Alec is the Business Development Manager on the Turo UK team. He loves a good road trip when abroad, and likes to hit the (field) hockey pitch when at home.
