Do you have an extra space in your house that can be used as a passive income source? Or perhaps you are looking for a place to store your stuff?
Is a new service that still needs to be improved
Description
It allows people with unused space to make some money but it needs improvement.Positives
- Easy-to-use app, similar to Airbnb
- Ability to earn a passive income, even if you have just a small unused space in your closet
- Adding your place to the listing is free
Negatives
- The company doesn’t really insure you or check any background of the host
- Poor customer support
- Glitches with payment, like charging extra
- Renters might find it hard to find storage space in a small city
Neighbor is an app that connects owners of unused storage space with renters looking for this space to store their belongings or vehicle. So this Neighbor review inspects how legit is the service and if it’s good for both sides.
What is the Neighbor app
Neighbor is a company that developed an app for providing self-storage services. It allows homeowners to rent out the space of different sizes they don’t use. It’s designed for both sides: an owner who wants to get passive income by providing a free space for storage and a renter who is looking for some free space for their stuff.
Neighbor service gets its name from its primary aim to find a neighbor who can help one to with their storage, as this is more convenient than driving across town to a storage unit.
Neighbor was initially designed as a person-to-person platform. But today businesses also can this app–for example, those that weren’t operating during the pandemic were able to list their place.
The company today is operating in the US and Canada, and the majority of storage spaces are available in
Neighbor vs Airbnb Business Models
Neighbor app has a similar business model to Airbnb. The main difference is that you can’t use Neighbor.com for finding a place to live–even though you can find a huge empty room there. Meanwhile, the apps are pretty similar: you can list your space as well as rent someone else, you can use filters to find the space in the needed location within an acceptable price range, and you can use both apps as a source of passive income.
How Neighbor.com works
1.If you are a host
You sign up and add information about your storage space, including photos, description, and the price for your listing.
After it’s approved, you get listed. Your listing then is available in the online catalog on Neighbor.com and users are able to find it using filters and send you storage requests if they’re interested.
Then, you set up the agreement through the website and schedule a move-in.
An owner of storage space is allowed to inspect anything the storage user stores and to reject any offer.
2. If you’re a renter, you just use the website and its filters to find the needed storage space, message the owner, and if everything is okay.
How to sign up on Neighbor.com
You can choose to sign up with your email address or by entering your email and name at the first step.
Then, you need to enter the following information:
- Choose a type of storage space (attic, garage, etc)
- Pick the features your space has (climate controlled, smoke detectors, pet free, security camera, etc)
- Address of your space
- Description of your space, preferably over 140 characters
- Space measurements (length, width, height)
Next, you choose whether renters should contact you before each visit and how ofter if yes.
Then, you set pricing. You can choose between smart pricing defined by the Neighbor’s algorithms or fixed pricing. If you choose the second option, you should first check the recommended price and then define the price.
Next, you need to take photos (four photos recommended).
Finally, you need to enter your personal information, including phone and id verification.
After everything is done, you can find your listing in your account (My Listings -> Published).
How much can you make on the Neighbor app?
Neighbor can be used by different groups of people. For instance, a college student can find a free place for a few boxes and make some $30 per month. Or a garage owner who has a free spot there is able to earn an additional $200 a month.
On average, you can make about $100-200.
Here are some examples of how much you could charge depending on your storage place and location:
Basement in Chicago – $290
Bedroom in LA – $800
Garage in New York – $600
The main factor that influences the price is your location while also the storage type and its size influence it as well.
One of the most popular spaces to rent is parking or a garage, so if you can offer one, especially in a big city, you’ll definitely be able to make money with the Neightbor storage app.
How does Neighbor service make money?
Neighbor.com charges an additional fee from people who pay for storage space. Its fee is almost 5% to cover things like our Host Guarantee.
How to optimize your listing on Neightbor app?
There are some rules that help make your listing more appealing.
- Add quality photos, at least 4 to show your storage space from different angles
- Add a detailed description with over 140 characters; add all possible details such as stairs, hairpin turns, low ceilings, etc
- Share more information about yourself, add your photo, and tell why you’re using Neighbor (e.g. if you’re paying off your mortgage)
- Apply a discount for the first month (you can offer a 50% discount for the first month or choose to charge a full price immediately)
Finally, share your listing on social media and other channels to help people find you.
What are the requirements to list for Neighbor?
There are actually no requirements to place your storage space on the Neighbor list. It can be actually a space of any size, from a parking lot or garage to a room or basement or even a space in your closet.
But your listing has to be approved and you need to pass an ID verification.
What can you store using Neighbor.com?
Actually, you can store almost anything but here is the list of items that are prohibited to be stored using the service: firearms, explosives, toxins, drugs, pesticides, waste, ammunition, and perishable food. A host can inspect the items that will be stored.
Also, the app cannot be used to find a place to live.
How to find storage on Neighbor.com?
You need to sign up and then enter the following details:
- Type of storage (for household items, business inventory, or vehicles)
- Measurements
- Also, you need to choose the location and additionally set the price limits.
For instance, here is what you can find in New York with over 200 storage spaces.
- 10×20 garage costs $300 (Brooklyn, NY)
- 7×20 closet is $45 (Manchatten, NY)
- 20×20 bedroom is $400 (Jersey City, NY)
Neighbor.com Reviews
When you search for customer reviews of Neighbor app, you’ll find a lot of negative ones. They are mostly from renters who have some troubles with hosts and the service itself (like paying extra).
Probably the biggest problem is safety as the company doesn’t really guarantee it so it’s on your side to double-check the person you find on neighbor.com.
However, hosts are in a better position here as risks for them are usually lower. So, there are fewer negative reviews by hosts with a lot of positive or neutral ones.
Meanwhile, it seems that both groups are really dissatisfied with the customer support of Neighbor.com which is not working properly.
Here are some reviews of Neighbor app (taken from Facebook and Trustpilot):
Neighbor app Reviews:
- Customer service
“Their customer service is nonexistent and, if something happens and you miss a payment they send you a text message telling you that they’re going to publicly auction your belongings.”
“Their useless customer service line I called over 20 times with 8 voicemails and I have sent numerous emails, texts and even tweets. And not one response.”
“They don’t actually help when you run into a problem and don’t actually cover anything with their “insurance”. ”
- Security issues
“Although the concept behind the neighbors storage app seems like a good idea, in practice it is seriously flawed and untrustworthy. There are just too many dishonest people out there, both hosts and renters, that make use of this service an exercise in frustration and futility. I have been scammed twice by hosts.”
“I had my vehicle stolen from a neighbor host and the neighbor has refused to make me whole financially.”
- Payment
“The only part I don’t like so far, is the fact forget rent, this company is no on time. I am still waiting for my payment, which was due on 12/14. You can not blame the bank, the company finds a way to be on time if you already got the payment a month advanced.”
“They have attempted to charge my credit card every day for 5 months for a parking spot I don’t rent. And it’s impossible to reach them.”
“The app and the service generally function well, but I was charged for a rental that I didn’t make, and when I contacted customer service for a refund, I spent about a month waiting for further information.”
“Hosted a spot and never got paid. They took the renter’s money too and charged her all kinds of extra fees. ”
- Other Neighbor reviews
“My renter canceled 3 months ago and has yet to remove their belongings. Neighbor refuses to do anything to assist despite all their published policies about reimbursing in the case of non-payment and auction procedures after 30 days. ”
“Overall, my experience was very good. It was not difficult to use the website, they had a lot of listings at various price points, and I found a great place to store my car. Areas to improve: better filters (e.g., covered/enclosed versus outdoor parking spaces), better instructions on how it all works, and more FAQ answered. I would use it again and will recommend it to friends/family.”
Is the Neighbor app good?
Neighbor service is a pretty new service that still needs to be improved; its safety issues, bugs with payment, and poor customer support are the problem. However, it still can be an easy side hustle for people with unused space. Meanwhile, renters need to be cautious and check the hosts carefully before renting the space.