Q: If I’m meeting my guest in person do I still need to upload a picture of their driver license into trip photos?
A: Technically, no. But some hosts have had incidents with damage claims in which their check in procedure was brought into question because no license picture was in trip photos. To protect yourself, it’s recommended that you either ask the guest to go ahead and upload a photo, or take a photo yourself and upload it. Just make sure you have done your due diligence and the driver license you’re uploading is valid in every way for the trip to proceed.
Q: How long does it take to get your first booking after listing a vehicle?
A: The answer is different for every vehicle listing. Some hosts get a booking before they can even finish setting up the listing. For some it takes hours, maybe a day. In some markets it could take several days. If days pass with no booking, you probably need to do some thorough market analysis and determine why.
Q: I accepted a trip but got a message saying the trip couldn’t be booked and the guest has a window of time to fix the issue. Why did this happen?
A: It’s almost always an issue with their credit card being declined either for insufficient funds or expiration date. Once they update their payment method the trip will be booked. Your car will be invisible in search listings until the time for the guest to fix the issue expires.
Q: How many miles can I expect to be put on my car on Turo?
A: Unless you’re in Hawaii, plan on at least 20,000 miles per year.
Q: I have my price set the same every day of the week. My weekends stay booked but not my weekdays. Why?
A: Demand changes from day to day. In most cases you should have your weekends higher and your weekday prices lower. Watch your trends closely and price day to day accordingly. An easy way to automate your pricing is to use a service like Streetsmarts. Get a free 2-month trial here.
Q: How many days a month should my car be booked out to be considered “good?”
A: The rule of thumb is about 80% utilization per month, or 24 days.
Q: What personal insurance should I carry on my vehicle?
A: Turo requires you to carry the state required minimum liability. If your vehicle is financed or leased, you’ll need full coverage. Always carry comprehensive because Turo will mirror your personal comprehensive coverage in the event of an act-of-nature damage claim and request your declarations page as proof.
Q: There are two other platforms in my market, Hyrecar and Getaround. Can I list my vehicles on all of them?
A: If your car is on Turo, you can’t also have it listed on other platforms due to Turo’s exclusivity requirement.
Q: Do I need any kind of written agreement with a vehicle owner to manage their vehicle on Turo?
A: Technically, no. But it is absolutely a good idea to have all aspects of your agreement in writing and signed by both parties in the event of a future dispute. Turo also requires that you have permission to host a vehicle owned by someone else and a written agreement will provide that proof. You can get an agreement template here.
Q: How many pre-trip photos should I take to protect my vehicle?
A: You should get a picture of every part of the vehicle you want covered, inside and out, in the event of a claim. This can usually be accomplished with 50 to 75 pictures.
Q: What happens if a guest does not pay, or disputes my reimbursement request?
A: The guest has a time limit in which to pay or dispute. If they dispute, or their time lapses, Turo will notify you in the app that it’s time to escalate to customer service for review and you have 72 hours to do so. If you do not escalate, the invoice will expire and you will not be paid.
Q: Should I raise my prices on holidays, and if so, by how much?
A: Absolutely you should. And if the holiday bookends a weekend, then you should raise your prices for the entire weekend. A good rule of thumb is 20%, but raise them as high as the market will allow, and in 2021, depending on your city, that could be 50% or more.
Q: Should I wait for the guest to review me before submitting a reimbursement request?
A: Yes this is typically a best practice. You can usually get a quick review by sending the following message within an hour after the trip ends: “Thank you again for renting my vehicle! I hope it served you well. A review from you would be much appreciated and I'll be happy to return the favor. Have a great day!”
Q: Can I request that my guest give me a ride back home when I deliver the car to them?
A: No, Turo TOS forbids this for liability reasons.
Q: My vehicle has built in WiFi. Can I charge the guest extra to use it?
A: Yes, portable WiFi is in the “Extras” list and you can set it up as an extra for the guest to purchase at booking, with whatever price you choose.
Q: What happens if my guest doesn’t return my car and just leaves it parked somewhere?
A: If it’s close enough for you to retrieve, file a reimbursement for “improper return” as well as any applicable late fees. Turo will also reimburse you for transportation expenses you incur to retrieve it, ie Uber. If the vehicle is too far away for you to retrieve, contact Turo Trust and Safety and they will arrange to have it towed back to you at the guest’s expense.
Q: Should I collect my guest’s personal insurance information?
A: This is up to you. There’s no policy against it. Ultimately you are covered by the Turo protection plan you chose regardless of the guest’s personal insurance coverage or the protection plan they chose. If you choose to work out a claim directly with the guest you can try filing the claim against their personal insurance.
Q: Should I have guests pick up and return vehicles to my home address?
A: Ask yourself, do you want total strangers coming to your home all throughout the day, every day, especially guests whom you may anger with reimbursements, or may have to ask to leave without the car due to license verification issues? Best practice is to always do business at a neutral location away from your home.
Q: I found a car I want to buy for Turo but the history report shows minor damage. Is this an issue?
A: No, previous damage does not disqualify a vehicle. Only salvage or rebuild titles will disqualify a vehicle. If you need a vehicle history report, CLICK HERE.
Q: My guest on a current trip wants to pay me cash to keep it an extra day and not go through Turo. Is this okay?
A: Absolutely not. Never. Ever. Not only is your vehicle not covered by any insurance if something happens, it’s also what Turo calls a “grey market transaction,” which is a serious violation of the TOS and can get you removed from the platform.
Q: Is it worth it to become an All-Star Host?
A: Yes. In some markets the data suggest that this status plays a role in your booking activity as guests have the ability to filter their results to only look at vehicles hosted by All-Stars. You also get a couple nice perks, like waived cancellation fees.
Q: I have a guest who’s going to be late and the car won’t be back for an upcoming trip. Will I be compensated for the upcoming trip I have to cancel?
A: Somewhat. You will be able to collect three fees from the late return: A late return fee, an additional usage fee, and an improper return fee. The improper return fee is to help offset the lost earnings from the cancelled trip. These three combined may cover the lost earnings from the upcoming cancelled trip, but if it’s a longer trip with higher earnings, you’re going to lose what isn’t covered by the fees you collect from the late guest.
Q: What availability settings should I have for my vehicles?
A: The more available your vehicle are, the more bookings you’ll get. But you also have to weigh that against your lifestyle and personal/day job schedule. It’s better to have availability that fits seamlessly with your schedule than to have wide open availability and end up having to reject requests or cancel bookings.
Q: Since my vehicle is covered by Turo insurance during trips, do I need to have personal insurance on the vehicle?
A: Absolutely. Turo TOS requires you to carry the minimum personal insurance that your state requires. You also want to be insured while driving it yourself to the put gas in it, to the car wash, or to the shop for maintenance and repairs. And finally, in the event of an “act of nature” claim Turo coverage will mirror your personal comprehensive coverage.
Q: Do I have to keep my registration in my vehicle? I’m worried about guests seeing my personal address.
A: Yes, Turo requires that you keep it in the vehicle. Make a photocopy and use a Sharpie pen to black out your address.
Q: Is there a way for me to leave the key fob at the car for a remote handoff but disable the pushbutton start?
A: Yes, it’s called a Faraday Bag. This bag will block the signal from your fob to the car when the fob is within signal distance. Click here to learn more.
Q: How do I write off expenses for my Turo business at tax time?
A: If you have four or fewer vehicles you can use the standard mileage deduction to write off mileage expense. This is almost always best. If you have five or more, you have to write off actual expenses which is much more cumbersome and should be handled by your tax professional.
Q: I just heard about a platform called Hyrecar. How does it compare to Turo?
A: Hyrecar is mostly for people who need vehicles to drive for Uber/Lyft, UberEats, Doordash, etc. The cars will endure more wear and tear and depreciate more quickly with high mileage. Only very cheap, high mileage cash paid vehicles should be listed on Hyrecar.
Q: My out of town guest left something in the vehicle they want sent to them. How do I handle this?
A: Turo doesn’t require you to return property left behind, but doing so is an act of good faith and excellent customer service. Simply find out the cost of shipping it back and ask them to Cashapp/Paypal/etc. the funds to you. This does not qualify as a grey market transaction and is perfectly fine to do.
Q: My guest got a flat tire during her trip. Who is responsible for the cost of the repair or replacement?
A: If the flat tire was the result of damage by the guest, like running over something, the guest is responsible for replacing the tire with one of equal or greater value. If the tire blew due to it being worn out or defective, then you are.
Q: Should I be offering discounts?
A: If you can keep your vehicle booked 20+ days a month without discounts, don’t do them. You’re just leaving money on the table. The only time you should offer discounts is during the slow periods of the year when bookings are slow.
Q: Are there promo codes I can give to a great guest to get them to come back?
A: Yes. After you’ve completed a trip with an amazing guest who you want to come back, rate and review them, and at the bottom of the review screen you’ll have the option to send them a discount on their next booking.
Q: My car has been unlisted due to a recall and the dealership says there is no remedy for it yet. What should I do?
A: Unfortunately your car cannot be re-listed until the recall is addressed. You could wait it out, but your vehicle will be parked and not producing earnings. If there is no remedy projected, your best bet is to sell the vehicle or trade it in on another for your fleet.
Q: I’m thinking about leasing a car to host on Turo. Is this a good or bad idea?
A: The answer is complicated. In most cases, due to Turo’s recent mileage policy changes, the cons outweigh the pros. However, it can still be done correctly, and profitably. Click here for an article about this topic.
Q: I’m just getting started. What kind of vehicle should I get for Turo?
A: To a great extent the answer is going to be different from city to city. Every market is different and vehicles perform differently from market to market. A thorough market analysis is needed to determine the best vehicle for your city. You can get one here.
Q: If there have been no changes in the condition of my car, can I use pre-trip photos from a previous trip for an upcoming trip?
A: This is a definite “no.” Turo requires that your pre-trip photos be taken within 24 hours of the start of the trip. Photos are encrypted with invisible date/time/location information which Turo can extract for verification purposes in the event of a damage claim.
Q: Can I charge a routine cleaning fee after every trip if my guest does not purchase the cleaning “extra?”
A: This is a definite “no.” Turo has strict guidelines on when cleaning fees can be charged, for what, and for how much.
Q: What is the benefit of creating a LLC for my Turo business?
A: A LLC will do two things for you. It will help protect your assets in the event of a lawsuit. It will also allow you to establish business credit with a EIN, separate from your own personal credit and protect your debt to income ration for personal future loans and mortgages.
Q: Should I accept one-day bookings?
A: This is totally up to you and your schedule. One benefit of accepting one-day bookings is that they often turn into multi-day bookings through extensions and help you to create repeat customers.
Q: My guest has added a secondary driver, can’t come pick up the car himself, and wants to send the secondary driver. Is this okay?
A. No. Turo TOS specifically requires that the primary driver must be present at pickup and return.
Q: I am removing a vehicle from my fleet but I want to keep the ratings and reviews. Is this possible?
A: Yes. Simply “Unlist” the vehicle and your metrics will remain but the car will not be visible in search results.
Q: Does being an “All Star” host help with bookings?
A: In some markets yes, in others, not as much. Guests have the option to filter search results to only look at cars hosted by All Star hosts so you want your cars to be found in that filtered search. It usually helps to some degree, never hurts, and you get some nice perks.
Q: If my guest gets a ticket, will this affect my insurance rates?
A: If the guest is stopped by an officer, no. The citation follows the driver not the car. If you receive a camera ticket in the mail, most states will not apply points to your license, thus affecting your insurance rates for these. You’ll pay the ticket and submit it to Turo for reimbursement.
Q: Does declining trips hurt my metrics and search results?
A: Declining trips does affect your “acceptance rate” metric. Eventually, if you do this a lot, it will reflect poorly on you in search results. This is also a metric used to award you All Star host status. You cannot fall below 90% acceptance rate to be an All Star.
Q: Should I do vehicle pickups and drop-offs at my home, or another location?
A: This is something you’ll have to decide on your own based on your comfort level with complete strangers, some of whom may be unpleasant, knowing where you live. Best advice is to conduct business in a neutral location and take steps to conceal your personal address from guests, such as redacting it from the vehicle registration.
Q: Is it a good idea to offer child car seats as an “Extra?”
A. The short answer is “no.” There is tremendous liability with a car seat potentially not protecting a child as it should. Let guests provide their own.
Q: When a guest requests a booking, before I accept, are there any questions I should be asking the guest to help me decide?
A: You should answer this question by thinking about your experiences renting cars from places such as Enterprise. You are not asked any questions about your lifestyle or your plans with the car. Though you and I understand how car sharing is different, your guests are expecting something similar to a traditional car rental insurance. Asking questions about travel plans is unnecessary and will turn off some guests. Simply base your acceptance decision on what’s available to you when looking at the guest profile.
Q: I’m considering leasing a vehicle for Turo. What should I build into the lease when I sign?
A: At least 20,000 miles per year up front. Gap insurance. Wear and tear protection plan.
Q: Is car share hosting a passive-income business?
A: Turo can be considered semi-passive. You still have to prep cars before a trip and check them in properly after the trip. You have to do maintenance, repairs, cleaning, etc. But, once the car is out on the trip, it’s earning you income without any additional effort. The only way to make this a 100% passive-income business is to assemble your fleet and then hire a fleet manager.
Q: If you go through Turo for an accident and they payout/fix the vehicle less your deductible are you allowed to collect the deductible from the renter?
A: No. The guest is charged according to the protection plan they chose. You are paid according to the protection plan you chose. Attempting to collect more from the renter, outside of the contract, is a strict violation of TOS and could get your account terminated.
Q: How does it affect your personal insurance when you file a claim with Turo's liberty mutual insurance?
A: It doesn’t. Turo claims are processed without any involvement or communication with your personal insurance company.
Q: My car hasn't been returned and it has been over 24 hours. I'm going through all the steps in Turo. If I get a tow truck to go pick it up will Turo reimburse me?
A: You should not hire a tow truck to retrieve the vehicle yourself. You may not be reimbursed because Turo prefers to use their own relationships with tow companies to return the vehicle to you, at no charge to you. Let Turo Trust & Safety and their partner agency Swoop handle it for you.
Q: My guest meant to extend the trip but waited too long and the trip ended. They still have my car, want to keep it, and I’m okay with that. What do I do?
A: Have the guest book another trip. They’ll have to book it 3 hours out from the original end time due to the mandatory 3-hour buffer. Once the car is booked for a second reservation, contact Turo customer service and ask them to bridge the two trips. Your car will be covered and your pre-trip photos will apply to both bookings.
Q: I use an OBD port tracking device but I’m worried about my guest simply unplugging it. What can I do?
A: Purchase an OBD splitter cable from Amazon. Plug the splitter into the OBD port. Plug your device into the other end. Hide the device end of the cable up inside the dashboard and secure it with a zip tie. This will make the port look empty with your device out of sight.
Q: My car broke down and will not be repaired in time for an upcoming trip. What should I do?
A: Message the guest and explain what happened. If you have another vehicle you can move them into, offer to do so at the same price they paid for the car they booked. If they agree, cancel the trip, and then ask them to book the other. If they book the alternate car within 24 hours of the cancellation you will not have any cancellation penalties. If you don’t have another car to move them into, you’ll simply need to cancel the trip and accept the loss of earnings and cancellation penalties.
Q: Can I have a rule against people taking my vehicle out of my state?
A: No. Turo TOS states specifically that any guest can take your car anywhere in the United States and Canada.
Q: I have a long-term renter who’s been in my car for a few months. It’s time for an oil change but they want to keep the car. What are my options?
A: You have three options: First, you can ask them to take it to a shop of your choice, have the maintenance done, send you a copy of the receipt, and then cashapp or paypal them the funds. Second, you can end the trip, get the maintenance done, and let them re-book. Third, you can send a mobile mechanic to their location to do the maintenance while the car is parked.
Q: My guest declined the Turo protection plan. Should I be concerned?
A: No. You will be covered based on the protection plan you chose, regardless of what your guest chose to do. Your guest simply exposed themselves to being charged the full amount of the repair + estimating and admin fees versus a limit on what they could have been charged with a protection plan.
Q: I have a friend who wants me to host their car on my Turo account. Is this allowed and a good idea?
A: Yes it is allowed. You simply need to have documentation that you’re hosting it with their permission. Whether it’s a good idea or not depends on how well the make/model fits the demand of your market and the type of agreement you establish between yourselves. Here’s a helpful article.
Q. My guest told me that my car was impounded. What do I do now?
A. Ask your guest what police department impounded the vehicle. Contact the department and ask them where the care is being held and what must be done to retrieve it. If the vehicle is close enough for you to retrieve yourself you’ll likely need to show registration, driver license, and proof of insurance and pay impound and storage fees to retrieve your vehicle. You’ll then submit all of these expenses (including any other qualifying reimbursements) to Turo. If your car is too far away to retrieve, contact Turo Trust and Safety and they will begin the process of retrieving the vehicle for you and towing it back to your location at no expense to you.
Q. How can you give guests a discount code for future trips with you?
A. When their trip ends, begin the process of rating and then reviewing them. Before you hit submit, scroll to the bottom of the screen and you will see an option to send them a discount.
Q. What is the claim policy for damage caused by an act of nature, such as a hail storm?
A. You will submit a claim for this like you would for any other damage. In the claim process you’ll be asked if the damage was caused by an act of nature or vandalism. You’ll answer yes. Your coverage is then based on the level of comprehensive insurance coverage you have with your personal insurance company. Turo will ask to see your declarations page as documentation and then pay you the same as you would be paid by your own insurance. Turo will not contact or involve your insurance company in any way.
Q. My guest wants to end his trip early. Should I allow him to and will I lose earnings?
A. The choice is yours. If they are asking to shorten the trip length 24 hours or more through a change request in the app, you can approve it or decline it. If you approve it, you will lose a day of earnings for every 24 hour period they shorten it. Do what makes the most sense for your business at that time. There are some instances where you want to extend exceptional customer service and work with them. There are other instances where it’s not in your best interest to approve.
Q. How many daily miles should I allow on each trip?
A. The minimum, set by Turo is 200 miles per day. You should leave it at the minimum. Guests will frequently go over miles and leaving the setting at 200 will ensure that you are compensated, per-mile, for the additional depreciation of your car’s value.
Q. How hard is it to get a booking on a new car with no trips, ratings, and reviews?
A. Not hard at all. This depends on what market you’re in but most hosts report that their car is booked within hours, sometimes even minutes of being listed. When you first list a car Turo gives you a temporary visibility bump to get you quick bookings until your rating, reviews, and other metrics take over in determining your visibility.
Q. I’m listing my first car on Turo. Which coverage plan should I choose?
A. For a brand new host, with no history to reflect on, the best plan is the 70% plan with a $250 deductible. This allows you to test your market and the odds of guests damaging your car with a low deductible. After about 20 trips you’ll have a better idea of which plan will be safest. If you have no damage claims, or maybe just one or two, in your first 20 trips, you may consider going to the 75% or higher plan with higher deductibles. If you have more than 2 damage claims you should consider dropping to the 60% plan depending on the severity of the claims.
Q. I have a growing fleet and parking is becoming a problem. What should I do?
A. If your cars are sitting parked you need to first find out why they aren’t being booked. They should be gone more than they’re home. But if you do need a space to operate out of with a large number of cars, one good option is to approach a local church and ask if you can use a corner of their parking lot in exchange for a monthly donation. Church lots sit empty all week except for a few hours on Sunday. They will appreciate the donation and will like having people see their church, and their sign regularly.
Q. I offer delivery. Do I enter the odometer and fuel gauge reading when I leave my lot or when I arrive at the delivery location?
A. Wait until you arrive at the delivery location to enter these details. The reading should reflect what the guest sees on the odometer and fuel gauge when they take possession of the car.
Q. I just got a new car and can’t wait to list it but I won’t have the license plate for a week or two. Can I list it with the temporary plate?
A. Yes you can. The temp plate and temporary registration that comes with it documents that the vehicle is legally registered to you. Go for it! Just be sure to change the plate information in the Turo app when the new plate arrives.
Q. I just got a brand new 2022 car but Turo doesn’t have my make/model in the app for 2022 yet. How can I list this vehicle?
A. List it as the newest year that the app will allow. Check back regularly and once you see that Turo has added the new year to the app, contact Customer Support and ask them to change it for you. Turo is fine with this. BUT, do not do it the other way around, listing a 2021 as a 2022. This will get you in trouble as you are misrepresenting your car to be a newer model than it actually is.
Q. I’m just starting out. What car should I get?
A. Answering this question requires more questions. What market are you in? Who is your preferred guest? What is your budget? Do you have a car already or are you going to acquire one? But let’s keep it simple for now. Go to the Turo app, do a search in your market about a month out and look at all of the cars that come up. Look at the trip counts, rates, and ratings, and you’ll see what’s performing well in your market. This is a good starting point.
Q. I just started with Turo a couple days ago and I received my first booking. How you feel about the discounts
A. I see no benefit with discounts, especially in the midst of the current rental car shortage. Turn off all discounts. Your’e just leaving money on the table.
Q. What do you use for tracking your vehicles?
A. The most popular OBD tracking device out there is Bouncie. It’s simple to use, offers a lot of features through the app, and they have a discount for Turo hosts.
Q. Should I leave my personal insurance card in the vehicle when it’s out on a rental?
A. Turo Terms of Service require you to keep your personal insurance card in the vehicle. However, I believe this to be an outdated requirement dated back to when state laws required you to provide proof of insurance if pulled over. Most states now link your license plate to your insurance. Making your personal insurance card available to guests also increases the possibility of a guest, involved in an accident, providing your personal insurance versus the Turo incident card. To be in compliance, leave the card in the car to abide by the “letter of the law” but put it somewhere a guest will never find it.
Q. What happens if a guest doesn’t pay the reimbursement invoice?
A. Turo will send you an alert that the guest did not pay and give you the option to escalate it to customer service. If it’s a low amount, under $100 or so, it will automatically be paid to you the instant you escalate it. If it’s a higher amount it will go to customer service for review and likely be paid provided you’re in compliance with TOS.
Q. What Is the maximum mileage a car can have before Turo doesn't let you rent it out?
A. You cannot list a vehicle with 130,000 miles or more. But once listed, it will remain on the platform beyond 130,000. Turo will remove high mileage vehicles if there is a significant trend of mechanical issues reported by guests.
Q. I’m growing my fleet and a friend wants me to host his vehicle on my account. Is this allowed?
A. Yes. The only requirement is that you be able to provide documentation that you are hosting with the permission of the owner. A simple contract can be created outlining terms and conditions of the arrangement.
Q. How do I write off my mileage on my taxes?
A. First, if you have a growing fleet and are doing this as a business, it’s a great idea to use a tax professional. The simple answer is this: If you have four or fewer vehicles you can take the mileage deduction which is almost the best option for the highest write-off. If you have five or more vehicles you are not allowed to use the mileage deduction and must claim actual expenses (payment, insurance, fuel, washes, maintenance, etc.)
Q. Am I allowed to repossess my vehicle if a guest refuses to return it?
A. Yes. Once the trip ends, the guest no longer has any contractual right to possess the vehicle and you may take it back with or without their knowledge. It’s best to wait until after the 30 minute grace period to do so. Once you have repossessed the vehicle, immediately message the guest through the Turo app letting them know you have taken possession. If their belongings are in the car, best practice is to make arrangements with them to exchange your key fob for their belongings at a local police station.
Q. What are the benefits of being a Power Host?
A. You will be assigned an account manger who will assist you with issues at a corporate level. You will get priority placement in the queue when you call in to customer service. You will receive priority email support via vipsupport@turo.com. You enjoy an expedited claims process. You get bonus windshield and tire damage coverage. You’ll be invited to monthly power host zoom sessions with Turo people to discuss issues and help shape policy. And in some markets Turo is paying sizable bonuses to power hosts to help them acquire cars and grow their fleet.
How can you become a power host?
Thanks for this article. It is well-organized and very helpful. However, you might want to consider that in many, if not most, municipalities it is a violation of city code to run a business like Turo from your home if in an area zoned for residential use. There are also usually limitations on the number of cars your are allowed to have parked at, or even registered to, your address. Similarly, many churches are considered residential properties and, as such, cannot be used to park Turo cars nor as a place to do business with Turo guests. Ask me how I know!