What have you rented lately? Renting can often be more financially beneficial than purchasing - by Ron Lanzo

We’ve seen a large increase in the kinds of goods and services that have become available via rental lately. As most of my past readers of this column have come to expect that I’m always on the lookout for what’s new in the rental business. I’ve let you know that renting is simply another financial alternative to purchasing that can make sense for a variety of reasons. In the car business, car rentals are popular and widely available from a multitude of different companies at many locations from airports, hotels and free standing branch offices. Many people prefer to lease a car rather than making a large investment or purchase. This is especially true with high end luxury vehicles like Mercedes Benz and BMW. 

In previous columns I’ve mentioned that women’s designer culture was available in the form of evening gowns and expensive hand bags all of which can be worn and returned the day after for a fraction of the purchase price. Makes a lot of sense especially if you’re never going to wear that outfit again. Renting can often be more financially beneficial than purchasing. 

While riding on the MTA’s Metro North Railroad’s New Haven Line, I noticed an ad that read; “Ride 2 Drive.” http://www.zipcar.com/metro-north, now you can take the train to one of many Metro North train stations on all three lines, and rent a ZIP CAR to take you to your appointment. Now, that’s very clever customer service and marketing, and it certainly makes more sense than taking out your smart phone to use your UBER app, to get back to the train. 

When you’re in the rental business it just makes plain sense that you keep an eye out for what’s new to rent! This is especially true if what you’ve just discovered makes financial sense, and so I continue my journey for what to rent next. Sometimes it becomes obvious and you don’t have to look far! This month, right out in plain sight at Hudson News was the October 9, 2017 issue of The NEW YORKER magazine. The front cover featured a cartoon by Bruce Eric Kaplan, which shows a party rental truck, and lots of people rented for the night emptying out of the delivery truck, fully dressed and ready to party! Mr. Kaplan is a well-known cartoonist with over 850 cartoons published in magazines since 1991, so he too must see this growing rental trend! I’m sure this would be a lot of fun because as an extra perk you’d be able to attend some cool parties, corporate events as well and get paid too. 

Those of you have followed my column here at The New York Real Estate Journal, might very well remember when I wrote of goat rentals. From a recent article in the New York Times, under their “Works in Progress” column, the article featured Gardeners with Hooves for Prospect Park. A complete seasons’ worth of goat rentals is $15,000, to quote the article; “...They are great climbers and are an environmentally safe approach to clearing the land…” said Ms. Donoghue.” Although Roundup herbicide is a cheaper, faster solution, the park’s Alliance stewards, chose to go with the goats instead! They were very popular with park visitors too!

And while we’re talking about renting live animals, one of my favorites from a recent outdoors show about using llamas for carrying gear in the Rocky Mountains for an elk hunt. Wilderness Ridge Trail Llamas specializes in supplying llamas for hunters enabling them to carry all their supplies for a week in the wilderness. According to Randy Newberg, TV Outdoors producer of several shows including Randy Newberg Hunter, Fresh Tracks and ELK Talk Live, Mr. Newberg has said, “this is a game changer!” He and his film crew were able to bring more TV production gear than they could have previously carried in their back packs!

From yet another company called Rent a Llama, and their website: http://www.rent-a-llama.com/, this company provides llamas for a variety of reasons. The firm specializes in outdoor adventures and drop camp services, but will rent you llamas for one day to several weeks. I’m told that yet another firm rents llamas for wedding receptions. At Pure Vow; https://www.purewow.com/weddings/llama-wedding-rentals. I’m told that they make the very best wedding guests! 

As I close out this column, I remind my friends, followers and customers, that at AFR Furniture & Event Rentals, Inc., we have a wide variety of furniture available for rentals as short as one day to as long as two years! We look forward to hearing from you and to helping you with your next furniture rental solution!

Ron Lanzo is the commercial account executive at AFR Furniture Rental Inc., New York, N.Y.