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A rental marketplace has two sides, and neither will show up until the other is there. The way out is to pick one narrow category in one city, sign up supply by hand, then bring renters to it yourself. Here is how to do that this week with zero budget.

All guidesFor founders of a rental marketplace

1. Pick one category in one city

Do not launch "rent anything." Choose something people rent often, that is expensive to buy and easy to hand over: camera gear, camping kit, party equipment, power tools, kayaks. Limit it to one city or one neighborhood so pickup is easy. Write it down as one line, for example: "Camera and lens rentals in Austin."

2. Find owners who already rent informally

Your first supply is people already doing this badly. Search Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and Nextdoor for "for rent" plus your category, and look in local Facebook groups like "[City] Photographers" or "[City] Camping and Hiking." Wedding photographers, rental shops with no website, and people who list the same gear every weekend are your targets. Make a list of 30 names in a spreadsheet.

3. Sign up supply by hand

Message each owner directly and offer to do the work for them. Example: "Hi Sam, saw you rent out your Sony A7 kit on Marketplace. I'm building a rental site for camera gear in Austin. I'll write your listing and send you renters for free. Want to try it for a month?" Create their listings yourself with their photos and prices. Aim for 10 to 15 good listings before you look for a single renter.

4. Go where renters ask for help

Renters announce their need in public. Search Reddit (r/[yourcity], r/AskPhotography, r/camping), local Facebook groups and Nextdoor for phrases like "anyone have a ... I can borrow" or "where can I rent." Reply with a specific listing, not your homepage: "There's a GoPro Hero 12 available in East Austin this weekend for $25 a day, here's the link." Check these searches every day.

5. Target the moments people need to rent

Rentals happen around events. Think weddings, festivals, moving day, a first camping trip, a one-off film shoot. Contact the people who plan them: event planners, film school students, university outdoor clubs, Airbnb hosts who get asked for gear. Example to a student film group: "We have lighting and audio kits in town for half of B&H rental prices. Happy to set up your next shoot."

6. Run the first transactions yourself

For the first 10 rentals, be the concierge. Coordinate pickup, confirm the deposit, text both sides the day before and the day after. Take payment through Stripe or even Venmo if the product is not ready. Every handover will show you what breaks: deposits, damage worries, late returns.

7. Ask every customer for the next one

After each rental, call or text the renter and the owner. Ask what almost stopped them and who else they know who rents or owns this kind of gear. Example: "Glad the tent worked out. Do you know anyone else who'd rent gear for a trip this summer?" Referrals from one happy side often bring you the other side too.

8. Repeat daily until you hit 10

Set a simple daily routine: 10 owner messages, 10 renter replies, and one follow-up with every past customer. Track replies and bookings in the spreadsheet so you can see which group or search actually converts. Hulby, an AI cofounder, runs this daily routine for founders by finding these posts and drafting the messages for review.

Mistakes to skip

  • Launching in many categories or cities at once, so no listing page has enough choice.
  • Building payments, reviews and insurance features before a single rental has happened.
  • Waiting for owners to list on their own instead of creating listings for them.
  • Posting your homepage link in groups instead of answering a specific request with a specific listing.

Want this done for your rental marketplace, every day?

Hulby finds the people asking for what you built, writes every reply and email, and keeps you on it until they pay. Free to start.

Find my first customers

Questions

Should I start with owners or renters?

Owners. Get 10 to 15 real listings first so the first renter you bring finds something to book.

How do I handle damage and deposits without insurance?

Take a refundable deposit, photograph the item at handover and return, and agree on rules in writing. Add proper coverage once you have volume.

Do I need an app to get the first 10 customers?

No. A simple listing page, a form and manual payment are enough to prove people will rent through you.

What counts as a customer for a rental marketplace?

A completed rental where money changed hands. Signups and listings alone do not count.