How to earn £2,500 a year ...from your empty room
HOMEOWNERS renting out areas of their properties as storage space are making average annual earnings in excess of £1,000.
Stashbee, which connects people wanting to store belongings with those who have space to home them, says its top five per cent of earners are hosts bringing in an average £2,461 a year.
The website has 10,000 users – and customers are attracted by the cheaper rates compared to commercial storage, saving around 50 per cent.
Demand has pushed up hosts’ average earnings by £20 per month in a year.
The figures show how popular the sharing economy has become in Britain – particularly among people frustrated by savings accounts with low interest rates.
People are letting a range of assets for others to borrow. For example, driveways using websites like ParkOnMyDrive and JustPark; cars via Turo – which has taken over what was easyCar Club; and homes or rooms via Airbnb.
On storage space, Stashbee co-founder David Mantle says: ‘Many people have space – maybe a spare room after grown-up children have moved out, or a garage not in use. We see spare space as a major untapped resource and people can earn an income from it.’
Hosts renting out a spare room for storage purposes command an average £2,500 a year, while typical earnings are £1,600 for a basement and £1,000 for an attic.