Your stuff can earn while you don’t
Rent Out What You Own
The closest thing to genuine passive income on this site: a spare room, an empty driveway or a loft with space in it can earn every month with almost no ongoing effort — including up to £7,500 a year tax-free from a lodger.
What you can rent out
Ranked roughly by earning power.
A spare room
The big one. A lodger typically pays several hundred pounds a month, and the government’s Rent a Room Scheme makes the first £7,500 a year completely tax-free. Sites like SpareRoom match you with lodgers — Monday-to-Friday-only lodgers are a popular halfway house if you want weekends to yourself.
Your driveway or parking space
Near a station, hospital, stadium or town centre? Apps like JustPark and YourParkingSpace let commuters and matchday drivers book your empty space — well-placed driveways earn up to £200 a month for doing absolutely nothing.
Storage space
An empty garage, loft or spare room can undercut commercial self-storage and still pay you nicely every month. Platforms like Stashbee handle listings, payments and agreements.
Clothes, gear & gadgets
Designer outfits, cameras, tools and camping kit all rent by the day on peer-to-peer apps — wardrobe rental platforms like By Rotation and Hurr are booming for occasionwear. Best when you own something premium that others need occasionally.
The tax perks (genuinely good)
Two allowances do the heavy lifting. The Rent a Room Scheme covers furnished rooms in the home you live in: the first £7,500 a year is tax-free (halved if you split the income with a partner). Separately, the £1,000 property allowance covers income like driveway or storage rental — under £1,000 a year and there’s usually nothing to declare at all.
Earn above those levels and it’s a self-assessment return, not a problem — the allowances still apply. Rules have detail to them, so check GOV.UK for your exact situation.
Check these before you list
Renters and leaseholders usually need the landlord’s or freeholder’s written permission — for lodgers especially, and sometimes even for driveways. Check your mortgage terms if you own, and tell your home insurer in every case: an undeclared lodger or paying stranger’s car on your drive can invalidate a policy.
Taking a lodger also has legal basics — right-to-rent checks in England, gas safety certificates, deposit arrangements — and may affect council tax discounts and benefits. None of it is difficult, but do it before the person moves in, not after.
No spare space to rent?
Turn unused belongings into cash instead — most homes are sitting on hundreds of pounds’ worth.
Sell Your Stuff instead →