renting

[Fra]

hi

 

I'm sure this has been asked many a time but couldnt find much in a search on the site. We have been considering becoming live-aboards for many years, although not done it yet (we've done off peak hols on rivers and canals in narrow boats and spent time on friends boats)

 

is it at all feasible to rent a boat for a period of time? we are considering it as we rent a flat at the moment and would like to take this stage to see if the lifestyle is truly what we had in mind

 

as we rent on land it is relatively easy enough to do that again as and when we might need to

 

any advice would be appreciated

 

 

thanks

 

Fran and Tim

[Dr Bradley]

hi

 

I'm sure this has been asked many a time but couldnt find much in a search on the site. We have been considering becoming live-aboards for many years, although not done it yet (we've done off peak hols on rivers and canals in narrow boats and spent time on friends boats)

 

is it at all feasible to rent a boat for a period of time? we are considering it as we rent a flat at the moment and would like to take this stage to see if the lifestyle is truly what we had in mind

 

as we rent on land it is relatively easy enough to do that again as and when we might need to

 

any advice would be appreciated

thanks

 

Fran and Tim

 

Having been on the forum for 18 months, you must have seen this topic come up several times before. So many people seem to wish to rent I've wondered about by to let NB's. Might be a good niche market.

[cheshire~rose]

Having been on the forum for 18 months, you must have seen this topic come up several times before. So many people seem to wish to rent I've wondered about by to let NB's. Might be a good niche market.

 

It would seem there may well be a demand for it but I would not fancy investing a shed load of money in a boat I was going to allow someone I did not know to take off in for 6 months at a time.

 

I guess the hire fleets have the same thought everytime someone takes one of their boats out but as concern only arose over the dissapearance of Holly when it was not returned after a week and previously a boat had only been left a few days when it vaished into apparent thin air and took a mammoth effort by a lot of people to eventually find it imagine the job of trying to locate a boat when the hirer failed to report after 6 months!

 

Most of us are aware of the damage a bad tennant can do to a property (house or flat) in a 6 month rental period. it may require redecoration, electrical work, plumbing, new doors, carpets and windows etc and the deposit will not cover the full extent.

 

Imagine the potential damage that a bad or even just a slightly lazy tennant could cause to a NB! they are hard work to maintain and extremely expensive to repair damage to.

 

They also tend not to be an appreciating asset like bricks and mortar!

 

I do not think I would fancy venturing into the market (even if I could afford to!)

[Bones]

I think alot of the renting market is probably through people you know. I have just remembered that periodically in the Oxford Gazette a narrowboat would come up for rent. I also read about a boat on the Oxford that is frequently rented out, and frequently re-floated. I persume rental would be high to account for any such eventualities on a decent boat, or very low on a boat that was bound too incur eventualities; and either of these may not be representative of life on the waterways.

 

I lived aboard a friends boat for 2 years (but didn't rent it), he said he wouldn't have been happy for someone else to have lived on it; we did eachother a favour. I did meet someone who was renting a boat, but it was his mates boat too.

 

If you are in no hurry you will be able to get to meet people who may be going away for long periods of time who would be happy to lend you their boat. On that note however, I haven't met many people who are prepared to lend their boat out (but I know mainly liveaboards). HOWEVER, there are only certain people I would lend my boat to (and before anyone asks, the answer is NO. I tell people who I am happy to lend it to), and in exchange there are probably even fewer people who would, in reality, actually want to take it out!!!! Insurance is a big thing too, especially when it is your own home. Certain insurances require the owner to be onboard.

 

You may find you get an idea about whether you can actually adapt to the lifestyle by meeting other boaters, then at the end of the day it is a case of best foot forward and hope for the best. As long as you don't cut your bridges, you can always return to land. It may be cheaper to buy a boat and then sell it in 6 months (or keep it) rather than renting one for the same period.

Edited April 4, 2007 by Bones

[TimRatRace]

I think alot of the renting market is probably through people you know. I have just remembered that periodically in the Oxford Gazette a narrowboat would come up for rent. I also read about a boat on the Oxford that is frequently rented out, and frequently re-floated. I persume rental would be high to account for any such eventualities on a decent boat, or very low on a boat that was bound too incur eventualities; and either of these may not be representative of life on the waterways.

 

I lived aboard a friends boat for 2 years (but didn't rent it), he said he wouldn't have been happy for someone else to have lived on it; we did eachother a favour. I did meet someone who was renting a boat, but it was his mates boat too.

 

If you are in no hurry you will be able to get to meet people who may be going away for long periods of time who would be happy to lend you their boat. On that note however, I haven't met many people who are prepared to lend their boat out (but I know mainly liveaboards). HOWEVER, there are only certain people I would lend my boat to (and before anyone asks, the answer is NO. I tell people who I am happy to lend it to), and in exchange there are probably even fewer people who would, in reality, actually want to take it out!!!! Insurance is a big thing too, especially when it is your own home. Certain insurances require the owner to be onboard.

 

You may find you get an idea about whether you can actually adapt to the lifestyle by meeting other boaters, then at the end of the day it is a case of best foot forward and hope for the best. As long as you don't cut your bridges, you can always return to land. It may be cheaper to buy a boat and then sell it in 6 months (or keep it) rather than renting one for the same period.

[TimRatRace]

Hi

 

I have really enjoyed the posts of these forums and today signed up as a reg user.

 

Replying on this topic particularly for Fra. I have owned a narrowboat for a number of years and when my cirumstances changed (I moved to Devon from Birmingham), I rented out the boat to a couple of people I met over the internet. Disregarding many peoples advice, I met them, liked them and we agreed that they would rent for 6 months (We just shook hands - didn't bother with any paper work as I was in the middle of sueing the largest solicitors in the world for preofessional negligence and had had it up to here with legal stuff!).

 

They made sure the money was in my bank account every month and in 6 months had only to replace a diesel filter for £35. Although I haad a home mooring, they decided to continously cruise (genuinely) and had the time of their life. In short, they were perfect tenants.

 

Now some time on, I run a business www.etrr.co.uk - Escape The Rat Race and we specifically let out narrowboats for a minimum of 6 months.

 

The boats are commercially insured and licenced. The renters must continously cruise unless they have a moorings they can go back to (I have lost count of the number of enquiries we have had for London moorings!) The cruising is never an issue as that is why they are Escaping From The Rat Race!

 

We haev 1 boat available for June time - prices start on our boats from £750 per month all inclusive - feel free to respond as it is clear that there are a huge number of people out there looking to do the same thing! We have been inundated!

 

I hope it's "OK" to sell my wares here - we certainly want to become known for quality long term lets with style.........I am sure there is still loads we don't know -m for instance we are shortly looking to refurbish a classic old boat to ad to the fleet - and will need some advice please!!!!!!

 

Before all this I was involved in owning restaurants for 16 years - so on a barter system if I can ever be of any help here...........

 

Great Forum Guys and Gals - it really is.....

 

Tim

[Chris J W]

Hi

 

[snip]

 

Now some time on, I run a business www.etrr.co.uk - Escape The Rat Race and we specifically let out narrowboats for a minimum of 6 months.

 

[snip]

 

Tim

 

Is that URL correct? I just get "IMPORTANT : Please delete this page (index.htm) and replace it with your own index page - see below.

 

The following general hosting instructions apply to all standard hosting accounts. For specific instructions relating to your web space, please refer to the hosting instructions email received at the time of purchase or log-in to your Control Panel."

[TimRatRace]

Hi Chris,

 

yes, URL is correct - the site is waiting to be uploaded - new business.

 

You can e mail me at tim@etrr.co.uk - but site will be live in the next ten days.....probably should have left it of for now!!!!

[anhar]

Hello Tim

 

Interesting business idea. Are they purely your own boats that you rent out or do you act as an agent for renting out boats owned by third parties, presumably on some sort of commission basis?

 

regards

Steve

[TimRatRace]

Hi Steve,

 

No, they are purely our own boats. I do see the logic of taking a commission for other owners boats, but want to keep our business model simple and want to be in control - regrettably 20 years of being in business in other ways, leaves me as a bit of a control freak. I like the thought that I will make sure the boat is ready for the client and I hand it over - we have one going out just after Easter and I will be there lighting a fire (in the woodburner I hasten to add!), with fresh flowers on the table, fluffy towels in the bathroom etc and making sure that the boat manual is fully explanatory and that they are full of confidence for their escape from the rat race!

 

I want to take this idea really slowly as my background has ben in quality and luxury......I promised my wife only three hours a week on this - it is already more than double that - arghghghghghg!!!

[R Dixon]

The EtRR idea sounds like a great idea, although is a similar price to renting, at least it gives people an idea of living afloat for longer than 2 weeks (boat holidays etc) and will convince them if they are water/narrowboaters or not.

 

Good luck with this, sounds like a good idea to me.

[Fra]

Having been on the forum for 18 months, you must have seen this topic come up several times before. So many people seem to wish to rent I've wondered about by to let NB's. Might be a good niche market.

 

Thanks, I did register a long time ago, but don't get on the forum much until now. I did search on the site, but there were not many results. I agree that a niche exists in the market for this, we would certainly prefer not to rent in the long term, purely just for a few months initially.

 

 

 

hi Tim

 

your business sounds like a good venture and one I would be interested in exploring. Thanks for the information

 

 

Fran

Edited April 6, 2007 by Fra

[BORNJOYFUL]

hi there- i wondered if u could answer A FEW QUESTIONS I HAVE-0 HAVEING 'RENTED' FORM A MAD WOMAN THIS SUMMER WE FOUND OUT WE HAVE NO RIGHTS AS THER EIS NO SUCH THING A SA TENANCY ON A BOAT IN LAW.

 

DO YOU GET ROUND THIS BY TREATING IT A S ALONG HOLIDAY HIRE AND PAYING THE LEISURE LICENSE FEES-

 

ITS JUST THAT WE TOO NOW HAVE A BOAT AND WANTED TO LEAVE EVERY YEAR FOR 4 MONTHS AND RENT IT OUT .

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND PLEASE IGNORE CAPITALS- CASE LOCK CAME ON!!

 

TANIA

[CGS]

Hi

 

Replying on this topic particularly for Fra. I have owned a narrowboat for a number of years and when my cirumstances changed (I moved to Devon from Birmingham), I rented out the boat to a couple of people I met over the internet. Disregarding many peoples advice, I met them, liked them and we agreed that they would rent for 6 months (We just shook hands - didn't bother with any paper work as I was in the middle of sueing the largest solicitors in the world for preofessional negligence and had had it up to here with legal stuff!).

 

They made sure the money was in my bank account every month and in 6 months had only to replace a diesel filter for £35. Although I haad a home mooring, they decided to continously cruise (genuinely) and had the time of their life. In short, they were perfect tenants.

 

Now some time on, I run a business www.etrr.co.uk - Escape The Rat Race and we specifically let out narrowboats for a minimum of 6 months.

 

The boats are commercially insured and licenced. The renters must continously cruise unless they have a moorings they can go back to (I have lost count of the number of enquiries we have had for London moorings!) The cruising is never an issue as that is why they are Escaping From The Rat Race!

 

 

What an excellent idea!

 

I have just taken an early retirement package and we are planning to rent our house, buy a narrowboat and continuous cruise for about 2 years, or longer if we are really into it.

 

However, we did not want to jump straight in, only to find the ‘dream’ is actually a nightmare. So we thought about a long term hire to experience the lifestyle without spending a fortune on what could turn out to be not really for us. Then we thought about all the differences between a hire boat and one equipped for long term cruising and I was going to ask the same question on the forum.

 

I understand all the arguments put forward as to why someone should not rent out their own boat, but I am sure with enough safeguards put in place, such as insisting the renter has RYA approved training, detailed proof of identity and residency, money up front and a substantial returnable deposit, good, if expensive, insurance, and probably a few other things that I have not thought about, renting out your own boat for 2 or 3 months could be profitable for both parties.

 

Anyway, what’s that website again!

 

Chris