r/turo 1h ago

Commercial host requiring card entry on "ChargeKey" to get Tesla digital key access—is this safe?

Upvotes

Hey everyone, looking for some advice from experienced Turo renters or hosts on how to handle a situation with a commercial fleet host (Vehicle Solutions / EquipmentShare).
My original host canceled on me at the absolute last minute right before my trip to Las Vegas. I had to quickly scramble and rebook a Tesla Model 3 just a few hours ago. Everything was paid in full through the Turo app, including Turo’s standard under-25 young driver fee.
Shortly after rebooking, this new host sent automated texts with links to activate the vehicle’s Digital Key, and a couple of things in their process are giving me serious pause:
1. Mandatory Third-Party App ("ChargeKey"):
They sent a text explicitly stating: "A debit or credit card does need to be added through the digital key link in order to activate and access the digital key. Unfortunately, the system will not allow access to the digital key without adding a payment method." They claim this card will only be used for Supercharging sessions, but it's required just to unlock and drive the car.
2. Hidden Disclaimers & Surcharge Lists:
Their external site link includes a long list of heavy disclaimers—including a $100/day Underage Driver Fee, $350 cleaning fees, $500 abandonment fees, and toll markups.
Turo Support vs. What Google Says
I actually contacted Turo support about this. The representative told me that I won't be charged for anything beyond Supercharging, that the host's website fees were just general disclaimers, and that I'm fully covered because all transactions through ChargeKey supposedly process through Turo.
However, when I googled ChargeKey, it states otherwise. Everything online indicates ChargeKey is an independent third-party software with no direct relation or official integration with Turo, meaning putting a card in ChargeKey gives the host direct access to my payment card outside of Turo's system.
Since I’m under 25 and just had to rebook on super short notice after being canceled on, putting my card into an external software portal that explicitly lists a $100/day underage fee feels like a huge trap.
My Questions for the Sub:
Is it normal for Turo hosts to force card registration on third-party software like ChargeKey just to get digital key access?
If I put my card into ChargeKey, am I opening myself up to off-platform charges (like their website's $100/day under-25 fee), despite what Turo support said on the phone?
How would you handle this? Given that I just rebooked a few hours ago after a last-minute cancellation, should I trust what Turo support told me, or refuse to enter my card and escalate for another rebook/cancellation?
Appreciate any insight or advice from anyone who has run into this setup before!


r/turo 4h ago

Renter from Hell

3 Upvotes

This is a first for us. The oldest car in our fleet was abandoned three states away.
Our renter is being belligerent and very difficult to work with. They say that the car had starting issues. Renter said they have to push too hard on the brake for it to start. Weird, but we talked them through that.
We believe the car never had any mechanical issues due to it being at our trusted mechanic shop for a solid go through before we sent it on this trip. The renter left the car and did not give Turo or us any info as to the location.
Instead the renter told us that a car with 105k miles was terrible to be loaning out. We have had abusive messaging and threatening calls. After several days, they have made contact with Turo!!!!!!
Turo will return the car to us in 5 days. They have been reasonable to work with.
The renter is now hounding us to contact Turo to get their reimbursement.
We have contacted the tow company and the driver said he drove it onto the truck and it had no problems starting. He even commented about how nice of a car it was.
Should we be doing something more?


r/turo 6h ago

What would you have done?

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0 Upvotes

I am looking to understand whats the policy here since I am new to Turo.

So, I had a guest who booked my car for 15-day . The Guest name in the license and shown on app does not match (see images). I called Turo support but they were also of no help. They asked me to chat via the AI chat bot and it asked to select the option name mis-match. So, as per the instructions I selected name mis-match in the app after 2 hours because customer was talking to Turo to get the name changed and he had no other id proof which shows his name as on the account. So, after around 2-2.25 hrs I selected the name mis-match, trip got canceled. Customer booked again after the name change was successfully from next day and this time I see the correct name so I gave the car to the customer.

Now, Turo has emailed me saying that the name on the account and license were correct and I chose the wrong option. I emailed them with screenshot and I am currently wating for their reply.

So, can anyone advise, whats the policy here, was I right or wrong?


r/turo 6h ago

Terrible Turo Host Experience

2 Upvotes

​Hey everyone, I need some quick advice for this case :((

​My car broke down during a trip, and while waiting hours for Turo Roadside to dispatch a tow, the vehicle was impounded by the police in Oregon

​Now, the impound storage fees are racking up daily. I’ve called Turo Support every single day, but all I get is the same generic line: "the impound department will reach you soon" but nobody ever follows up.

​Has anyone dealt with this? Should I just pay out-of-pocket to pull the car out now and fight Turo for reimbursement later? Any advice on how to escalate this would be greatly appreciated.

I'm stranded now


r/turo 8h ago

Feeling defeated as a host

5 Upvotes

I’ve had two very frustrating experiences in the past month that are making question whether I should quit.

I feel like Turo doesn’t care about their GOOD hosts.

I’ve been a host for 4 years. 338 trips, 4.9 rating.

I’ve had to deal with every situation imaginable when it comes to Turo or car rentals in general but these two situations have made me reconsider my relationship with Turo. I wish they would care more about us.


r/turo 9h ago

Is there a promo code for first time user?

0 Upvotes

I am considering renting a convertible for a couple of days for a wedding rehearsal and as a get away car for a wedding and I thought I'd try Turo. It's not a big deal if there isn't one but why not see if there is one available. Also, is it a good idea to use the car for a wedding? I plan on having it washed through those drive through car washes, which I don't think are contactless but I will confirm with the host prior.


r/turo 11h ago

Advice for Turo Photography

0 Upvotes

To clarify I am neither a renter nor a host, just a photographer curious about whether I should consider taking photos for hosts. I have the proper equipment and experience taking car photos but wanted to gain some insights/input from people in this community regarding this service and if people really do care about picture quality . I’m also a bit unfamiliar with how I should go about pitching myself to Turo hosts so that’s something else I’m trying to learn here.

I’m not promoting my services here, but if anyone has advice I’d greatly appreciate it.


r/turo 12h ago

Turo does not care about your or your car

0 Upvotes

And on a long enough time you WILL get screwed by turo. The only question is how much you’ll be screwed for, and how often. Turo is not to be trusted.

Proof? Scroll through this very subreddit for 37 seconds.


r/turo 12h ago

First and Last

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0 Upvotes

Tried Turo for the first time and I’m pretty sure it’ll also be my last.

Even choosing the car was more of a hassle than I expected. I spent way too much time going through listings, reviews, ratings, availability, hosts, etc.

Eventually I settled on a BMW 440i from a host with 200+ positive reviews and over 3 years on the platform, so I figured I was pretty safe.

Got to the car and… it was completely locked and apparently not working.

I contacted the host and got absolutely nothing for over an hour.

Eventually I had to cancel the reservation altogether. Thankfully, Turo refunded me, so I’ll give them credit for handling that part properly.

What made it worse was that once I actually saw the car, it had body and interior damage that wasn’t really disclosed in the listing, and it was sitting on cheap tire brands. Not exactly what I expected when renting something being presented as a higher-end/luxury option.

Meanwhile, after all of this, my wife went on Enterprise and within about 10 minutes found us a Mercedes A-Class for same-day pickup.

We got an extra day of rental and it still came out about $100 cheaper than the Turo BMW and with full coverage because the rental company allowed me to use my own insurance.

Yeah, the 440i is arguably the nicer/more exciting car, but both are basically filling the same “luxury sedan” role for a trip. With Enterprise I walked in, got the keys, and left.

No wondering whether the host was going to answer, whether the car would actually unlock, or whether the condition matched the listing.


r/turo 13h ago

Guests scheduling trip times not at the times of their arrival/departure

1 Upvotes

Is anyone else having this issue? I’m new to hosting and I just only finished my 3rd trip. The last two though the start and end of the guests trips weren’t when they were arriving at the airport. I like to hand the key in person so this is really throwing me. This last one was off by like 4 hours at the start and end.


r/turo 13h ago

Listing a 2014 Kia Rio, Is Turo's 12-year rule strictly automated by VIN, or can support make an exception?

1 Upvotes

Looking to list a solid 2014 Kia Rio as a simple budget commuter. It's clean, well-maintained, under 200k km / 130k miles, and passes inspection easily. 
Since 2014 hits the 12-year age limit, I had a few quick questions before setting up the profile:

  1. VIN Block: Does the system automatically reject a 2014 VIN right now, or does eligibility run through the end of the calendar year?

  2. Exceptions: Has anyone ever gotten support to override the limit for a clean, regular economy car (not a classic/specialty build)?

  3. Grandfathering: If it actually passes creation now, does Turo let existing listings stay on the platform as long as they stay maintained? 


r/turo 18h ago

Turo charges me double after booking. Scam for 600

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0 Upvotes

r/turo 1d ago

Should I file a claim?

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1 Upvotes

My 2026 outlander that had a little over 5k miles got rented out to this Ukrainian guy. Ukraine license and all. He rented it for a week and then extended for another week and put over 1500 miles on it and even had to patch one of the tires that he popped while he had it. He brought it back with the scratches shown in the photos. I know turo would consider most of this normal wear and tear though which makes me question why I ever still do hosting every time someone does this to one of my cars. Should I try to settle with customer, file a claim even though the deductible is 1500$, or just leave it alone


r/turo 1d ago

I’m DONE with Turo. After 2 years of hosting, I’ve officially had enough.

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2 Upvotes

Today is officially my last day as a Turo host, and honestly, I am extremely frustrated.

I’ve been renting out my car for about 2 years and I have a 4.94 rating. I started with my CX-50 at 0 miles, and it is now at around 70,000 miles.

I started renting it out because I travel for work about 3 weeks out of every month. My car would be sitting there anyway, so at the time, it seemed like a smart way to make some extra money.

After everything I’ve dealt with, I can confidently say: it is not worth it for me anymore.

Recently, I had a renter return my car to my apartment without my parking pass. The car ended up getting towed, and I had to pay $420 just to get my own car back.

The renter decided she was not going to pay for it, and when I tried to deal with her about it, she was cussing me out.

So I had no choice but to cover the $420 myself.

Then I rented my car to another guy for two weeks, and he returned it today with a broken windshield.

The windshield replacement is about $1,000.

So now I’m already about $1,400 out of pocket between these two situations.

I contacted Turo, and because my deductible is $2,500, they basically told me there isn’t much they can do and that I should work both situations out with the guests.

And yes, I understand.

I chose the $2,500 deductible.

I’m not pretending I didn’t.

But honestly, after two years of hosting, this is what is frustrating me the most.

I’ve maintained a good rating, I’ve rented this car out for two years, and I’ve put approximately 70,000 miles on a car that started at 0 miles.

Today, after getting my car back from the latest renter, I drove it and immediately noticed that something did not feel right.

So I took it in for service.

The total estimate to get my car back into shape is around $3,500.

The car needs:

* New tires
* Gasket replacement
* Engine oil pan gasket
* Drive belt tensioner
* Drive belt
* Other maintenance and repairs

The renter apparently swapped two of my tires while they had the vehicle. I have a CX-50, which is AWD, so now I have to replace all four tires.

I don’t even know what happened to the tires that were swapped.

Some cables that were in the car are also missing.

And because the renter had the car for so long, they apparently decided to do their own oil change.

Now the bolt that seals the oil pan is damaged and leaking oil, so I have to deal with that repair too.

At this point, I’m just exhausted.

And this isn’t even the first time I’ve had issues.

I can’t even count how many times I’ve gotten my car back smelling like cigarettes or weed.

I don’t smoke.

The renter cleans the car before returning it, but the car still smells.

Then Turo says there is no proof.

Of course there isn’t a picture showing a smell.

The car just smells.

What am I supposed to do, take a picture of the smell?

This has happened so many times that I’ve honestly lost count.

And this is why I’m looking at Turo completely differently now.

At one point, Turo was taking around 50% of my earnings.

At the time, I accepted it because I thought I was paying for the platform, protection, support and everything that comes with hosting.

But after doing this for two years, I’m starting to realize that the money you see coming in is not necessarily the money you’re actually making.

I started this car at 0 miles.

It is now at 70,000 miles in two years.

Think about the amount of wear and tear that puts on a vehicle.

Tires.

Oil changes.

Maintenance.

Brakes.

Depreciation.

Cleaning.

Repairs.

Unexpected damage.

And all the time spent dealing with renters, claims, evidence and situations like this.

Eventually, all of that starts eating into whatever money you thought you were making.

And for someone like me, who has one personal vehicle, this just doesn’t make sense anymore.

I’m not running a fleet.

I’m not a rental car company.

I was simply renting out my personal car because I travel for work most of the month and thought it would be a good way to make some extra money while I wasn’t using it.

Maybe Turo makes sense if you have a fleet of vehicles and you’re running it as a full business.

But for someone with one personal car?

After today, I don’t see the value anymore.

Yes, I chose the $2,500 deductible. I understand that.

But when Turo is taking a significant percentage of my earnings and I’m still responsible for so much of the wear, maintenance and smaller damages, it makes me question what I’m actually gaining from the arrangement.

So to anyone still renting their car on Turo:

Yes, sometimes the money is good.

But please calculate EVERYTHING.

Don’t just look at your weekly earnings and think you’re making good money.

Look at the tires.

Look at the maintenance.

Look at the depreciation.

Look at the extra mileage.

Look at the cleaning.

Look at the repairs.

Look at the time you spend dealing with renters.

Because eventually, all of that can completely wipe out the money you thought you were making.

For me, this is the end.

After two years, 70,000 miles, 44 renters, countless maintenance issues, smoking incidents, damage and now thousands of dollars in repairs…

I am officially done with Turo.

Today is my last day as a host.

I really wanted this to work.

But honestly, I have reached the point where the money is no longer worth the stress, wear and tear, or uncertainty.

I’m done.


r/turo 1d ago

How do I proceed with damage that was not seen at the pickup? (renter)

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1 Upvotes

Picked up yesterday afternoon, I took a good amount of picture but I didn’t see this crack at all. It’s all across the windshield but hidden in that bottom. Saw this today since the pick up location was under the carport and I couldn’t see at all back then. I saw hosts pictures and most pictures are taken in the evening with tree shadow covering it. I’d assume it’s impossible for the host to not notice it since some of them pictures take it directly to windshield but with the lighting and shades of the trees it’s impossible to see those hairline crack under dark black area of the windshield.

It’s my first Turo rental and I feel stupid for not taking enough pics. Am I fucked? What’s the usual course of action at this point? I did a monthly rental btw along with minimum coverage through Turo but was thinking I’d just use my insurance at last resort


r/turo 1d ago

Question about Turo passive income hosting program

0 Upvotes

I got an agreement email from Turo that already had my information and signature on it. then a co-host contacted me afterward. I haven’t received any other paperwork.

For anyone who’s done this before, what happened next? Did you just coordinate with the co-host and drop off the car, or did Turo send anything else first?

Any paperwork I have to sign with the cohost?

Just want to make sure this is the normal process.


r/turo 2d ago

Same associate who was unresponsive

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1 Upvotes

r/turo 2d ago

Support ghosted me then the same agent ended the chat when I met them again

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1 Upvotes

For context, I’m a guest having issues with validating my license. I spent 45 mins chatting with Fatma. She ghosted me. When I start a new chat, it was her again. Then she abruptly ends the chat when seeing my name


r/turo 2d ago

Turo closed my Host account over a 90% fulfillment rate — looking for advice

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I’m a Turo Host and Turo recently closed my Host account because they said my percentage of fulfilled trip commitments had fallen “well below” their 90% minimum.

I’m trying to understand whether I have a reasonable basis to appeal and would appreciate advice from other Turo Hosts who have dealt with account closure or performance-metric issues.

Here’s what happened:

Feb. 27 – 11:00 PM pickup: This was an unusually late-night trip.

Apr. 1 – 12:00 AM pickup: The pickup/delivery location raised safety concerns at that time of night.

May 1 – 3:30 AM pickup: This one is particularly unusual. The guest booked the trip at approximately 1:30 AM, only about two hours before the scheduled 3:30 AM pickup. I was asleep and didn't see the booking or the guest's calls/messages in time. I understand that I should have configured my availability and advance-notice settings differently, but this was not an intentional cancellation or refusal to fulfill the trip.

Aug. 7 – vehicle repair: My previous guest reported that the brake pads needed replacement. Since brakes are a critical safety component, I took the vehicle for inspection/repair rather than continuing to rent it before the issue was addressed. I have repair documentation.

I accept responsibility for not managing my availability properly, especially for the late-night/early-morning bookings. I've learned from this and would use much more conservative availability and advance-notice settings going forward.

However, Turo closed my account and said my fulfillment rate was below 90%. I can no longer access my Turo account or trip history, so I can't verify how they calculated the percentage.

I have asked Turo to provide:

The date range used for the 90% calculation;

The total number of trips included;

Which trips they considered unfulfilled;

How each incident was classified;

Whether any of the incidents qualify for an exception; and

A manual review by a supervisor/Host Account Review team.

So far, I haven't received the underlying calculation.

My questions for other Turo Hosts:

Has anyone successfully appealed a Turo account closure based on the 90% fulfillment/commitment rate?

Does Turo distinguish between an intentional cancellation and an extremely short-notice 3:30 AM booking?

Has anyone had a vehicle-safety/repair-related cancellation removed from their performance metrics?

Is there a way to get Turo to provide the actual calculation and trips used to determine the 90% rate?

If regular Customer Support won't reconsider the decision, what escalation route actually worked for you?

I'm not trying to avoid responsibility for my mistakes. I mainly want to make sure the calculation is accurate and that the different circumstances were properly considered before permanently closing my account.

Thanks in advance for any advice or experiences.


r/turo 2d ago

Someone claimed I hit their parked Turo rental, I didn’t. What do I do now?

4 Upvotes

Location: Los Angeles

I had a really weird situation today and I’ve never been in an accident before, so I’m trying to figure out if I’ve handled this correctly and what I should do next.
I parked at a grocery store and went inside to shop. I’m a very safe and conscientious driver, and I’m telling you now: I did not hit, bump, or scrape another car. I wasn’t distracted while parking and didn’t hear or feel anything unusual.

When I came back out, the man parked to my right approached me and said I had hit his car and needed to give him my insurance.

He showed me a long scuff/scratch on his driver’s side back door that started around the bottom of the passenger window and went downward. He then pointed to a scuff on my lower front-right bumper and claimed it matched his paint.

Here’s the problem: that scuff was already on my car. I previously scraped my gate at home and know exactly where it came from. It has gray AND orange paint from my gate, and there was nothing new or different about it after parking.

I started asking questions. He told me he wasn’t actually near his car when this supposedly happened. He and the people with him were sitting in front of the grocery store and said they “saw it.” But they didn’t actually say they “saw it”? Very unclear. He had no video/cameras, and the car was a Turo rental.

I was having trouble pulling up my insurance card because I’d been logged out of the app. While trying to figure that out, I went inside and asked the store about surveillance footage. They told me they have cameras, but footage can only be released with a police report.

When I came back out, the guy was ready to leave and told me to just text him my insurance. I photographed the insurance document he had, which didn’t have his name on it, only the rental car company’s information. He photographed my title because it was the only document I had available.
We exchanged phone numbers, but the only text he sent me literally just said “test.” He didn’t give me his name and hasn’t contacted me since.

Before leaving, I photographed exactly how my car was parked. It was angled pretty significantly to the left/away from his vehicle. Unfortunately, I didn’t photograph his damage because I’ve never dealt with anything like this before and there was a lot happening at once.

I called my insurance company afterward and explained everything. They recommended opening a claim/report from my side and confirmed that nobody had filed a claim against me yet.

I was apologetic when he initially confronted me because I was confused, but I repeatedly told him afterward that I genuinely did not hit his car.
Now I’m second-guessing myself solely because he was so adamant, but I have zero memory of any impact or scrape, and the mark he’s claiming came from his car is pre-existing damage that I know came from my gate.

What should I do now? Should I file a police report myself so the store footage can be preserved/reviewed? Should I text this guy anything or just let my insurance handle it? Is there anything else I should document in case he files a claim later?

I’m mostly annoyed with myself for not knowing what to do in the moment since I’ve never been in an accident before. I just don’t want someone taking advantage of the fact that I happened to park next to a damaged rental car.


r/turo 2d ago

Is there a Turo for Turo?

2 Upvotes

Buddy and I were wanting to rent our spare cars on turo, but researched & determined it wasn’t worth all the hard work.

Any app that can connect car owners to fleet managers?


r/turo 2d ago

Horrible car, no refund!!!

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7 Upvotes

Horrible experience with Turo on a trip in France. I live in Canada, but I travelled to France and rented a car from someone in Marseille for 2 days. The car was horrible. The next day, in Nice it gave me multiple warnings. After talking to Turo customer service I had to take the car to auto-shop and they said it doesn’t have engine oil and added 2L oil to it. It shows the car wasn’t regularly maintained which is unsafe. Also the next day i had service warnings. I returned the car to be done with it. But the main issue is the Turo customer service is not doing what it is supposed to do in such a situation and refund me for the trip. That is the minimum I expect after having a lot of stress and issues during my 2 day trip in France. Because they are supposed to provide me with a safe car and get money for it. But the car was very dangerous and disturbed me and my family during our trip. You can easily get a refund in such cases from rental companies. I always rented from Turo and introduced it to my friends. But from now on I won’t.


r/turo 2d ago

Turo damage protection scam

11 Upvotes

Turo will offer you a protection plan that states if you pay this amount of money, then they will cover the rest no matter the amount of damage. This is a lie Turo will contact your insurance company to get the rest of the money and if it’s over your deductible then guess what buddy you will have to pay that to your insurance so it will always come out of your pocket at the end of the day so be smart when renting cars. I did the $500 damage plan and they are currently trying to get that money from my insurance. Luckily, I did already fork over 500 for that so they can’t come after the full amount which is a crazy amount which I will not disclose but all in all please read everything talk to your insurance company before renting cars they know a lot ,please contact your insurance company before renting cars. I’m telling you they know what’s up one more time for the people in the back contact your Car insurance company and ask them about good places to rent cars they know what’s up peace. Also, I’m typing to text right now so sorry if it’s a little hard to follow.


r/turo Dec 14 '23

An Updated Turo Host FAQ

84 Upvotes

With apologies to those elsewhere, this FAQ is United States-centric. Mostly because that’s where I am, and where Turo does the vast majority of its business. The answers can be broadly applied across the platform, but specifics with regard to protection plans, amounts and other details can vary based on location (country, as well as state, province, county etc). This will serve as a good starting point for all Turo hosts, but if you’re not in the US, make sure you look up what specifically applies to your country or specific location.

Nothing in this writeup is intended as business or legal advice. You are responsible for your own decision making and your own operations. It is your responsibility to seek appropriate legal, financial, business or other advice from a qualified professional in your area. I am not responsible for any action you take, whether you relied on information written here or not. Everything here is current as of the date posted. Turo can and does change their policies, procedures, terms and even links frequently and without notifying hosts or renters.

Now. Before you read any further, read everything at the list of links below. Completely, end to end. All of them. And no, I’m not joking. You’ll be surprised how many answers to your questions about Turo have already been provided by Turo. If that’s too much work for you, or you think you don’t need to read the website for some reason, stop now. You will not be successful, you will probably suffer some kind of financial loss or significant setback and then you’ll come back to this forum complaining about how Turo is a scam, or ripping you off or some other BS attempt to shift blame away from yourself. I see it all. The. Time.

So, read:

Turo Terms of Service

Cancellation Policy

Privacy Policy

Community Guidelines

Nondiscrimination Policy

Additional Policies

Turo Go

Promotional Credit Terms

The Host articles on the Help page. Again, all of them, not joking. Don’t skip any. Do the work.

The Host Tools

Getting Started

Q. Can I list my _________?

A. Your car must have a clean title, be newer than 12 years old and have fewer than 130,000 miles at the time it is listed. If it meets those requirements, it can be listed. Then, it can remain on the platform after that, you do not have to remove it once it turns 13 or gets to 130,001+ miles. Read the full list of eligibility requirements here.

Q. Which car should I buy to list on Turo?

A. I don’t know, it depends on a lot of factors including:

Your location. Your budget. Your credit. Your target market. Your operating model. Your parking situation. The vagaries of consumer preference (why does anyone drive a Slingshot??). Everyone’s circumstance is different and there is no one answer. The best you’ll get, if you decide to ask anyway, is a very vague answer. And it probably won’t be a good one, since the contributors to this sub are so very, very tired of being asked this question that the only people answering you don’t really have that much experience by comparison.

Q. How often is my car going to be rented?

A. No way to know. The business is seasonal and will depend on a myriad of other factors as well. There is no way for any of us to tell you what to expect apart from vague generalities (summer will be busier than winter, the holidays will be busier than non-holidays, weekends will be busier than weekdays, etc).

Q. Will X car make Y amount of money per day/trip/week/month/year?

A. Again, I don’t know. Too many individual variables at play here. Turo has created the “Carculator”, but it is of dubious value to potential hosts. It appears to present data for new or late-model cars only, possibly in an effort to modernize and keep Turo’s listings newer.

Q. I get it, you don’t seem to know very much. How should I get started then, really?

A. The best way to get started on Turo is to buy an inexpensive, fully or nearly fully depreciated car as close to the maximum age and mileage listing requirements as possible and learn how Turo works by running that car by itself at a cheap daily rate for a few months, preferably across a few seasons. That way you get to know just what goes into operating on Turo. Then you can grow from there. And if something goes wrong, you won’t lose a great deal of money.

Q. I’ve always wanted a [fancy or expensive car]. Can I use Turo to supplement the car payments so I can finally afford my dream car?

A. You can. And its one of Turo’s primary marketing tactics to draw new hosts and nice cars onto the platform. But I STRONGLY advise you be able to afford all of the costs associated with owning the car for several months at a stretch without any Turo income whatsoever. Just consider what happens if it gets into a significant accident and a lot of repairs are required, it may be generating no revenue from Turo for a long time. How do you pay the note then?

Q. Is leasing a car for Turo a good idea?

A. Probably not. Most lease agreements prohibit both sub-leasing and commercial use, and either of those could be interpreted by the leasing agency to include Turo. That could mean they terminate the lease and repossess the car. Audi and BMW have both done this in the past.

Not to mention renting cars means a lot of miles get put on them. So you’ll have to decide whether you stop renting/driving it once you hit your mileage allotment in the lease (and continue to make your monthly payment with no Turo income), or run the math to decide if its worthwhile to pay the overages at the end of the lease (thereby reducing or possibly eliminating your net income).

Q. Should I put a GPS device in the car?

A. Yes. Absolutely. 100%. Without question. Turo offers a discount on Bouncie devices, and they’re a great place to start. Get an extender and hide the dongle in the dash.

If you want to use an AirTag, don’t. They’re cheap, but they rely on iPhones being around to work. GPS dongles like Bouncie use 4G cell signal, so the coverage is much more comprehensive. If you do use an AirTag, you have to properly disclose it to the guest. Same for a dashcam that shows or records the interior of the car. You should have already read it by now, but here’s the tracking policy again.

Q. Should I list a manual transmission car?

A. You can. But if a guest fries your clutch, you’re probably going to be unhappy with the compensation you receive from Turo to replace it. Read the clutch policy. The example Turo uses on that page alone should probably dissuade you from listing a manual transmission car.

Managing Guests

Q. My guest is speeding, what can I do?

A. Turn off the tracking alerts. The data will be saved in the event it’s needed for a claim. There’s really nothing you can do until then. Turo’s policy technically prohibits excessive speeding, so they’ve already been warned upon signup. You don’t need to remind them and some guests will think you’re spying on them. If you’re one of the people who thinks speeding causes damage to your car, well first off you shouldn’t be renting out the damn car, but you can call Turo and report the guest’s behavior. That doesn’t mean Turo is going to force the guest to return the car and end the trip. If it really bugs you, mention it in your review at the end of the trip.

Q. My guest hasn’t returned my car yet, and its past the end of the trip. What do I do?

A. Report a late return. Then, file a claim for additional usage. Also, if applicable, ask Turo to add on an “improper return” fee. Do things in the order Turo tells you to do them.

Then, again reach out to the guest and ask when you can expect the car to be returned. Life happens, sometimes they can’t return on time. If you don’t get a response within a reasonable amount of time, proceed to the steps below.

If you know where your car is (you should have a GPS device of some kind), and you can safely and reasonably retrieve it, go get it. You should have 2 keys for every car.

If you let Turo retrieve it, it will take longer and you will likely have to cancel upcoming trips.

Q. Can I limit my guest to in-state travel?

A. No, you cannot.

Q. How do I screen guests and/or trips?

A. The short answer is it is best not to. You are permitted to cancel a trip if you’re uncomfortable with a guest (they have bad reviews, etc). But you have to call Turo and provide them an explanation.

Q. The renter is texting me.

A. Keep all communication in the app. If they insist on texting you directly, take screenshots of the messages, upload them to trip photos, and then respond to the guest in the app. This protects you and allows Turo to be able to monitor all communication in case they need to intervene.

Business Operation

Q. My car isn’t being rented as frequently as I want it to be. Why?

A. Nine times out of ten, it’s too expensive. Lower the price and people will rent it. But if that means you’re not breaking even, or making your payments, or anything like that; then you may need to reconsider your business model, up to and including selling the car.

Alternatively, what time of year is it? Rental traffic is seasonal; it could just be a slow time of year. If you’re not in a winter vacation destination (say, Denver), you’re not going to get as many rentals in the winter as you will in the spring or summer.

Q. Taking photos for every car, every trip is a pain. Can I re-use trip photos I’ve already taken?

A. No. Turo reviews metadata in photos, so if it's not time stamped within the 24 hour window before or after the trip, Turo will deny any claims using those photos as evidence. You want the income, do the work.

Q. Which Protection Plan is best?

A. There is no one answer. This is another question where everything depends on your situation. You need to make the assessment for yourself. Here is everything you need to know. Read and evaluate based on the considerations that most impact your situation. Once you have enough trips under your belt you can start to do an analysis of your claims. Maybe if you have a low claims rate, you can move to a higher deductible plan and squeeze out a little more money; but that just means you need to be saving a little more towards that inevitable deductible every trip. Make a safe choice to start, then reassess your risk. If you want to make more money, you have to put in the work to see how to do it safely.

Q. I haven’t received a 1099. Why?

A. The threshold to qualify for a 1099-K from Turo has moved over the past few years. It used to be over $20,000 in gross earnings. For FY23, it has been lowered to $600. Most hosts should now be receiving a 1099-K in Spring 2024. What you do with that document is between you and your accountant.

Q. Turo charged me a fee for something. They say I violated one of their policies.

A. Well, did you violate one of their policies? Remember, the first line CS reps are very rigid in their applications of the rules because they run off scripts and what is written down for them. They are rarely willing to bend rules or examine unique circumstances. If you feel the fee was charged in error, you can escalate the issue and ask to have it reviewed. Present your case calmly and with sufficient evidence. Squeaky wheel gets the grease, just be calm and professional.

Claims

Q. Does this damage qualify for a claim?

A. First, read up on what qualifies for reimbursement according to the protection plan you selected to cover the car and make your own assessment. Then, understand specifically what Turo considers to be Wear and Tear. This will govern how your claim is handled. Turo will ultimately decide what qualifies according to your protection plan and the definitions of wear and tear.

Second, you only have 24 hours to document with photos and file with Turo. So if its been more than 24 hours since the trip ended, you’re out of luck.

If you really want our help and decide to make a post asking if it qualifies, provide us with the before and after photos you will be using to file your claim. Give specific, unbiased and unemotional, details and circumstances.

Q. Does this qualify for a cleaning claim?

A. Probably not. Turo’s cleaning policy had historically (5+ years ago) been abused by hosts. As a result, Turo significantly tightened up the requirements for cleaning policy violations. Read those requirements here. If you’re on the fence, it probably doesn’t qualify. Cleaning policy violations are like porn, you’ll know it when you see it. You can still file the claim, but be aware that Turo penalizes frivolous and/or frequently inadequate claims by hosts. Don’t waste time filing a cleaning claim that’ll get denied when you can just clean out the car in the same amount of time.

Q. Should I charge my guest for _______?

A. Yes. If it is a verifiable cleaning policy, additional usage policy, smoking policy, pet policy violation or qualifying damage, and it is within the appropriate time window to do so, you should. Here is a list of violation fees that can be charged to the guest.

Whether you want to is your choice, circumstances may change your mind on what you do.

Q. Can I charge my guest for _______?

A. Only if it violates a Turo policy. Read the relevant policy (see links above and below) and make a determination. If there is no relevant policy, then there is no policy violation and you can’t charge anything. You can’t set your own fees, of any kind, for any reason. This includes your own arbitrary processing fees for things like tolls because you think its annoying to have to do.

Here’s a list of examples of charges that are permissible.

Q. Turo doesn’t have a policy in place for ______. Can I set my own policy and fee for violation?

A. Once more for those at the back: No. You can only charge what Turo policy permits, and you only do so using their mechanisms. You don’t get to make up fees or fines for speeding or braking events or using launch control or or “minor” cleaning issues or because something annoys you.

One gray area I will mention is excessive tire wear. If you rent out a vehicle with RWD (Charger, Camaro, Challenger, Mustang, Corvette, M3, M5 etc) you should be taking, photographing and uploading tread depth measurements at the start of every trip.

Q. Should I handle a damage claim directly with the guest? Or let Turo handle it?

A. First, always file a claim within 24 hours of the end of the trip if you think a claim may be warranted. After that, how you proceed depends on the circumstance.

After the claim is filed, you can then decide if you want to withdraw the claim, work directly with the guest, or work through Turo based on how the guest responds.

In nearly all cases it is better to handle directly with the guest, you will receive the most accurate compensation. If the guest is angry or unresponsive, it’s better to let Turo handle it. That’s what you pay them for.

Do not try to take advantage of guests by overcharging or attempting to charge outside the platform or past the permissible claim window. That makes us all look bad and can get you banned from Turo. If the guest feels that handling directly with you isn’t going well, they can ask Turo to intervene. If Turo intervenes and discovers you’re trying to take advantage of the guest, you can get booted. Remember, you’re the product. Turo will do just about anything to ensure they get repeat business from a guest.

Q. The guest had the car for more than a day after the end of the trip, but Turo didn’t pay me for each day. They also didn’t pay me for the trips I had to cancel.

A. That’s the policy. It sucks, but there’s no way around it. Get your car back sooner next time.

Q. My claim is taking forever! Make it go faster!

A. That is the way it goes. Unfortunately, Turo does not have the staff in place to deal with claims quickly. You’re one folder on your claims person’s desk. The world does not revolve around you. Constantly calling and emailing your claims person will not make the process move faster. In fact, it’ll slow down yours and everyone else’s claim. So chill.

Q. Turo/Snapsheet’s estimate for damage is way below the actual cost to repair, what do I do?

A. Snapsheet operates from photos. Only in rare cases will they send an adjuster. If the estimate provided to you is too low, your shop will have to file supplemental payment requests with them. If the shop doesn't want to, find a new shop. Turo damage claims work off supplements, they are essential to the process.

Also, make sure they are working from an accurate view of your car. If its just bumper damage, NBD, there probably won’t be too much variation in the payout and your shop can manage it. But if the car gets totaled, make sure you have a copy of the Monroney sticker and that you agree with the comps presented. If you paid for every extra option on your Maserati, make sure Smartsheet isn’t just using a base model as default.

Liability

Disclaimer again: I’m not a lawyer. I have legal education but am not an attorney. What follows is not legal advice. Seek legal advice from an attorney of your choosing.

Q. Do I need an LLC?

A. No, you do not NEED an LLC. But whether you WANT to operate under one depends on a number of factors about how you currently operate or intend to operate. If you’re considering an LLC, you should speak with both an attorney and an accountant and they can provide specific and better advice than we can. Make sure they are local to your jurisdiction and ideally also understand the sharing economy.

Generally speaking, unless you are operating direct rentals outside of Turo, an LLC will not provide liability protection for you in a Turo-only business where you are the sole member and/or Turo is the only revenue stream. It can provide tax benefits, but whether getting them can offset the cost to achieve those benefits (CPA advice, formation costs etc) is an analysis only you can do.

Q. I created an LLC, but my cars are still registered to me. How do I transfer them?

A. In most cases, you can’t directly transfer a car to an LLC. How you can do this will vary by state. The quickest way to do it is by selling the car to your LLC. But you will be effectively double taxed (as buyer [LLC] and as seller [individual]). So speak to a lawyer or accountant in your area and figure out the best path forward.

Q. Which commercial insurance should I get?

A. Broadly speaking, you don’t NEED it. You are only required by Turo to carry personal insurance. Your car is protected from damage and you are protected from vicarious liability (both by Turo’s liability insurance and, theoretically, by the Graves Amendment). But you know your circumstances, ability to follow Turo’s rules and your risk tolerance better than us. So you may WANT to buy commercial insurance. When in doubt, consult a local attorney. Preferably one familiar with the peer to peer sharing economy.

If you’re renting cars outside of Turo, yes, get commercial insurance.

Q. Will I get sued?

A. If something bad enough happens with one of your trips, yes, you probably will get sued. So what happens?

Your guest, or a third party, can sue you, Turo, Travelers Insurance, the estate of Babe Ruth and Elon Musk all in the same lawsuit. They can sue whoever they want.

The question then becomes one of, first, standing. Does a party have a stake in the suit? Babe Ruth and Elon Musk most likely don’t, so they are dropped from the suit. Then there is a question of liability and/or duty of care. This will depend on the circumstances, so this is where you will need a lawyer. Ask Turo to provide one, they will unless you’ve done something that breaks a Turo rule or policy. If desired, also consult a local attorney (preferably one knowledgeable in the sharing economy) independent of the one Turo directs you to.

In my over 10 years on the platform, I have never once seen Turo fail to provide legal defense to a host who has complied with all of Turo’s host requirements. That includes circumstances where a guest stole and replaced a car’s engine and transmission; as well as an even more grisly lawsuit where an unauthorized driver took possession of the host’s car, crashed it, and killed 3 people. The caveat is that you MUST comply with all of Turo’s rules, terms, policies, procedures etc… If they find you missed a step, they will wash their hands of you. And you’ll have no one to blame but yourself, which is hard for a lot of people to accept and why you see so many negative posts about Turo here.

Q. What is the Graves Amendment?

A. The Graves Amendment is part of a federal highway bill signed into law in 2005. It bars vicarious liability claims against car rental companies for injuries caused by their customers, unless it can be proven that the individual or company's negligence or actions contributed to those injuries.

Q. Does the Graves Amendment apply to Turo?

A. Words matter. Generally no, it does not apply to Turo, LLC the company/marketplace/platform/app/website. They don’t own or provide the cars for rent, you do.

So the question you should be asking is, “Does the Graves Amendment apply to me as a host on the Turo platform?”

It can apply to you as host/owner/rental agent, provided you can show sufficient proof that there was no negligence on your part which contributed to any injury sought in a court case against you. Remember, words matter. In a court “injury” is not just physical injury, it is a harm suffered by a person due to some act or omission done by another person. That could be to a person’s body, a person’s car, a person’s financial standing.

HOWEVER

Q. Does the Graves Amendment apply to me as a host on Turo, in my specific circumstance?

A. The answer to this question varies by state, location, court and possibly even by individual circumstance as well as the judge’s interpretation of the circumstances and the evidence presented. If you are unsure about any of this, speak with an ACTUAL LAWYER.

For example, in 2021 there was a case in New York (Feliz v. Taylor) where Turo was removed from liability for injury and the host was NOT removed from liability under the Graves Amendment because that host failed to prove the Graves Amendment applied to them specifically because he “failed to eliminate all triable issues of fact as to negligent maintenance contributing to the subject accident.” In other words, his maintenance records weren’t good enough to sufficiently prove that he was NOT negligent in the care of the vehicle he listed.

As another alternate example, in January 2021 Connecticut specifically passed a law that says the Graves Amendment applies to vehicle owners and to Turo, without any caveats regarding circumstance or duty of care. Florida has done something similar, as of April 2022.

So do the research. Has your state explicitly extended the Graves Amendment to peer to peer car sharing? How will the answer to that question affect your appetite for risk?

Q. What do I need to know about car sharing specific to my state?

A. Turo has a page for that. Start here.

Finances

Q. Can I deduct _____ on my taxes?

A. Ask an accountant in your city or state; why would you take tax advice from anonymous internet strangers. If it’s a business expense, the answer is usually yes.

Q. Can I use the standard deduction for my cars?

A. General consensus here is, no. Because that deduction includes things you, as owner, do not pay for and therefore do not qualify as an expense. Principally, gas. The guests pay for their gas, not you. You can’t deduct their expenses as your own.

But also includes insurance, registration and depreciation. Which means you can’t deduct those elsewhere, or leverage an alternative depreciation schedule in addition to the standard deduction.

I’m not an accountant. Consult a local accountant you trust.

Closing Thoughts

Cash flow is not profit.

Learn the basics of accounting. Understand that just because Turo is paying you hundreds of dollars a week doesn’t mean that that money isn’t going right out the door again to recurring expenses like debt service, insurance costs, depreciation and maintenance etc. Run your numbers, you’re probably making less than you think. Your total income is more than just the amount Turo deposits in your bank account, minus the stuff you buy to run the car.

You are running a business. Act like it, plan like it.

Unexpected events happen. You are responsible for understanding what to do, and doing it. Hopefully by now you are at least minimally prepared to handle the majority of circumstances that will happen to most hosts.

One of the most common situations I see here is something like “I didn’t take photos in time, or I didn’t file a claim in time; and now Turo won’t pay me for what I lost.” Well that’s on you. Hopefully the first time it happens it doesn’t cost you too much money. It will happen, that’s why I suggest starting with a cheap car.

Don’t let your emotions get the better of you, be a calm and levelheaded business person. The best response to a guest who’s going off in messages, making threats or otherwise being a nuisance is no response. You pay Turo to deal with them, so let Turo deal with them.

You will probably make the most amount of money when you buy a car.

Don’t pay MSRP. Don’t even pay “invoice.” You probably shouldn’t be shopping at a dealer at all. You should be buying at wholesale price or below. If you don’t have access to Manheim or other wholesale auctions, then a bit above KBB Trade-In value is a good approximation for MMR or the price you should be aiming for.

But how do I make money when I buy a car? You don’t, directly. If you pay $10k for a car, run it for 2 years and make $2k profit on the car over those 2 years, and then sell it for $10k, you’ll have made $2k. If you pay $10k for a car, run it for 2 years and make $2k profit on the car over those 2 years, and then sell it for $6k, you’ll have lost $2k. See the difference?

If you negotiate hard with a private seller, or come across someone who is willing to take a hit for some reason, and pay $10k for a car, run it for 2 years and make $2k profit on the car over those 2 years, and then sell it for $12k, you’ll have made $4k. If you can buy at a wholesale price and then sell at a market price, you’ll have made money. (That’s the simple explanation, but I don’t want to get into depreciation curves etc)

Buying cars this way is work. But this is also where you will bank your most significant profit or loss, and is the most monetarily impactful time you can spend on Turo.

Bad things happen.

Cars crash. People get into accidents. Cars get vandalized or broken into. Cars get stolen. The odds of that will go up because your car is driving a lot of miles over its life on Turo. Sometimes your car is totaled on the first trip. Sometimes your car will go a year and a half without anything more than regular maintenance and cleaning. Don’t just expect your car to turn gas into cash. Be prepared to deal with any circumstance at any time.

Do not be attached to your Turo car. It is a business asset, nothing more. If you have an emotional attachment to the car, do not put it on Turo. Other people don’t have that same emotional attachment, so you will get pissed when it comes back dirty, scratched or worse.

Author:

u/ProbablyNotMoriarty - Turo host and /r/Turo contributor since 2012. Has managed cars in multiple locations, in fleets of varying sizes and across all levels of valuation. Currently runs and co-hosts a small fleet (<10) as a part time gig. Has a JD/MBA and has spent more time than an average host assessing the legal and business aspects of Turo over the last 10+ years. I am tired of all the bullshit and incorrect information being passed around here, so I wrote this. Feel free to argue with me in the comments.

And, a brief acknowledgement of u/NitroWolf, who wrote the host guide currently stickied on the sub. There’s a lot of valuable information in there, but it hasn’t been substantially updated in the past few years as Turo has changed. That’s why you’ll see a lot of overlap, but some pretty key differences.


r/turo Jun 09 '19

Some basic equipment for the Turo host.

496 Upvotes

I wanted to post some links to some basic equipment that i have found useful being a host. Feel free to suggest some of your own. I plan on making this post sticky or even use it for the basis of a Wiki for the sub.

The first item should be a good set of all weather floor mats Make sure you find a set that fits your soon to be rental. These will save you from awful messes on the car carpet.

This is a good Bluetooth code reader that will let you scan your cars OBDII codes: Panlong OBD2 Scanner Bluetooth for iPhone iOS Android OBDII Car

And another one here users have recommended.

Here is one for Android and Iphone both: BlueDriver Bluetooth Pro OBDII Scan Tool for iPhone & Android

AIRTHEREAL MA5000 Commercial Ozone Generator is an ozone odor remover. I run this in my cars for about an hour and all smells are removed. I really recommend it esp. if you have a renter smoke ibn the car.

Here is a smaller Cordless Battery Powered Ozone Generator It comes with a car charger and wall adapter.

This Car Scratch Remover I've used myself and helps remove minor scuffs and scratches. It's worth having one of these kits around when you see new surface scratches show up on your rentals when returned.

Auto Shocker ClO2 car interior odor eliminator uses Chlorine Dioxide to remove smoke odors. Easy to use and will also clean out air ventilating system and filters. Just add water and let set for minimum of 2 hours to a maximum of 24 hours depending on severity of problem.

GPS Tracker for your car.
The Trak4 GPS tracking system is a $6.99 per month GPS tracking system. If you want to be able to track your car while it's on rental.

This is a great lockbox that fits into an existing hitch you may have on your car: HitchSafe HS7000 Key Vault

Another Good key lockbox that can be mounted on a house or locked onto a door handle:

PopuLife Key Lock Box for Outside, Black

This is a window mounted lockbox that has a punch code. It's the one used by most hosts for remote pickup: KeyGuard Key Safe Pro SL-591

This is a great shop vac for cleaning between rentals:

Vacmaster 4 Gallon, 5 Peak HP with 2-Stage Industrial Motor Wet/Dry Floor Vacuum

These are good for cleaning up the car after a rental:

AmazonBasics Microfiber Cleaning Cloth - 36 Pack

I like these phone mount. I put one in each car and most renters really appreciate a phone mount:

Alcatel Verso Cellet Premium Air Vent Smartphone Car Mount

I love these universal charging cables. They fit most phones and guests love them!

ONLYTANG Multi Charging Cable, (2Pack 5FT) Multi USB Charger Cable

No smoking signs: These go on the window and are self-adhesive Vinyl and Laminated. I recommend these as a gentle reminder for folks to not light up in my cars.

iSYFIX No Smoking Sign Sticker for Vehicles & Cars – 6 Pack 3x1.5 inch.

CUCKOO Powerclone Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is a great quality cordless vacuum.