Want to become a driver with Uber or Lyft, but don’t have access to a qualifying car? Many drivers will have to buy or rent a car to use for ridesharing. What’s the best choice?
The good news is that you can be approved to drive with Uber or Lyft even if you don’t currently have access to a vehicle. You can apply and see if you pass the background screening before you go through the trouble of accessing a car.
Article Contents
- How to Rent a Car For Uber
- How to Rent a Car For Lyft
- Other Rideshare Rental Options
- Should You Buy a Car For Uber & Lyft?
When you decide to get a car to drive with Uber or Lyft, is it smarter to buy a car, rent a car, or lease one? And what companies currently offer rideshare rentals? This article covers all of your vehicle options for Uber and Lyft: Upsides, downsides and how to get started.
How Uber and Lyft Drivers Get Qualifying Vehicles
- Use a car you already own
- Rent a car for Uber through their partnerships with rental agencies
- Rent a car for Lyft through the Lyft Express Drive program
- Rent a car through HyreCar, a peer-to-peer service
- Buy a car, typically a used hybrid or compact
What Type of Vehicles Qualify for Uber and Lyft?
Requirements vary among cities, but these are the general Uber and Lyft vehicle requirements:
- Must have 4 doors and 5 factory-installed seatbelts
- 10 years old or newer in most cities (See requirements articles below for exact model year requirements)
- Must pass a mechanical inspection and be in good cosmetic shape
- Read more about Uber vehicle requirements and Lyft vehicle requirements
How to Apply With Uber or Lyft When You Don’t Have a Car
Here’s a common dilemma: You want to become a driver, but you don’t currently have a qualifying car and you’re not sure if you will pass the background check and driving record check.
Uber and Lyft allow you to apply even if you don’t currently have access to a qualifying car.
Uber: Visit this application and select “I need a car” to find out if Uber will hire you without having to provide vehicle information on the application.
Lyft: Visit Lyft.com/expressdrive to apply with the Express Drive rental program.
Find the Cheapest Insurance Quotes in Your Area
For Part-Time Drivers: Use the Car You Already Own
If you already own a car that qualifies for Uber and you’re planning to drive part time, use it! Even accounting for vehicle depreciation, it can be wise to use the car you already own as long as you don’t drive full time.
But for full-time drivers putting 1000+ miles on their car each week, rideshare rentals may be the best option. At that point, vehicle depreciation and maintenance become major expenses that might not make sense for your everyday vehicle.
- Uber vehicle requirements – See if your car qualifies for Uber
- Lyft vehicle requirements – See if your car qualifies for Lyft
How to Rent a Car Through Uber and Lyft Vehicle Rental Programs
Both Uber and Lyft partner with rental companies to provide weekly rental cars in many cities. With an Uber or Lyft rental, you pay a weekly fee to rent a newer model car. Insurance and unlimited mileage are included in the weekly cost of the rental.
One limitation to remember is that you can’t use your Uber rental to drive with Lyft, or your Lyft rental to drive for Uber. Drivers who use a personal vehicle don’t have that limitation.
To sign up for a rental, you can select the “I need a car” option during the application process. If you’re already a driver, you can see rental options in the Vehicles section of both your Uber and Lyft driver profiles.
Upsides to renting: You can drive for Uber and Lyft without having to purchase your own car. Insurance is included. You can get approved for some rentals with no credit or bad credit. You don’t have to be concerned about depreciation or maintenance.
Downsides to renting: Very high weekly cost. Not available in all cities. Rentals are in high demand, so it can be hard to get a car in busy cities.
How to Rent a Car for Uber: Uber Rental Programs
Uber currently partners with Hertz, Getaround, and Avis in many cities across the country to provide rental vehicles for Uber drivers.
- Hertz rentals for Uber: $200 refundable deposit, weekly rates around $215 per week
- Avis rentals for Uber: Around $215 per week – No deposit
- Getaround rentals for Uber: Rent cars by the hour with Getaround, a peer-to-peer vehicle rental network. More about Getaround
Covid Update: Uber lowered the price of some weekly rentals to ~$150 per week.
Basic facts about Uber rentals
- Cost of rentals for Uber is $200 per week and up
- To qualify, you first need to sign up to drive and pass background screening
- Age requirement is 21 or 25, depending on the rental service you choose
- A refundable deposit is required, typically equal to one week’s rent
- The deposit is returned after you turn in the car
- Rental fees are deducted from your weekly pay
- Insurance is included price of the rental
- Unlimited mileage. Personal use is allowed
- Routine maintenance is included
- You can’t always reserve your car in advance. First come first served
- You can’t use your Uber rental to drive for Lyft or other services
How to see which Uber rental options are available to you
Uber rental options aren’t the same in every city. To see what is available to you, open the Uber Driver app, tap the menu icon in the upper left, then Account, then Vehicles. A button labeled “View Rental Options” should appear. Tap that button to see a list of all rental options in your area.
Find rental options in the Uber Driver app
The current Uber rental options in Los Angeles
How to Rent a Car for Lyft: The Lyft Rental Car Program
Lyft offers a vehicle rental program for drivers called Express Drive. Much like Uber, you pay a weekly fee that includes unlimited rideshare miles, insurance, and vehicle maintenance.
Currently Lyft partners with Hertz and Flexdrive. Lyft rentals cost around $200 – $240/week. You rent the car on a weekly basis, and renew the car each week or return it. You can only use your Lyft rental to drive with Lyft.
You must be 25 years or older to qualify for Lyft Express Drive rentals.
Express Drive cost and Rental Rewards in Orange County, CA
Can you use an Uber rental for Lyft, or a Lyft rental for Uber?
No. You can only use a rental from Uber to drive for Uber, and you can only use a rental from Lyft to drive with Lyft. The rental agreements for both Uber and Lyft strictly prohibit using the vehicle to drive for another platform. It is a major limitation of the vehicle rental programs because it’s often most profitable to drive for both companies.
This rideshare rental platform allows you to use a rental vehicle for more than one platform:
Other Rideshare Rental Options
Many drivers choose to rent vehicles through Uber and Lyft, but there are several third-party companies that also offer rentals for rideshare drivers.
HyreCar, a Peer-to-Peer Rideshare Rental Service
HyreCar is a vehicle marketplace that allows you to rent Uber-approved vehicles from private owners and use the car to drive for Uber. After you create a HyreCar account and show them that vou’re an approved driver, HyreCar gives you the registration and insurance information you need to add the rental car to your Uber account. They also provide insurance for you as soon as you take possession of the rental. It’s a good option if you want to try Uber before you buy a car, or if you need a car temporarily.
I am affiliated with HyreCar. We receive incentives to link to their service.
Maven Gig: Rideshare & Delivery Rentals [Closed 2020]
Note: Maven Gig is no longer available. It was closed in April 2020.
Maven Gig is a vehicle rental service for rideshare and delivery drivers that allows you to rent a car and use it on any platform you’d like. You can use it for Uber, Lyft, delivery apps, or any other on-demand app. Like other rental options, you pay a fairly high weekly fee that includes unlimited miles, insurance, and maintenance.
Getaround: Hourly & Weekly Rentals (Uber Only)
Getaround is a peer-to-peer vehicle rental service that rents cars for Uber drivers. Renters can rent the vehicle by the hour or by the week. Getaround uses technology that allows renters to find and get inside the car with a smartphone, so you never have to meet up with the vehicle owner to hand off car keys.
Getaround for Uber is currently available for drivers in Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, Washington D.C., and Portland. Sign up for Getaround here. We are affiliated with Getaround, and may receive a commission for referring you.
What’s the Difference Between Uber Rentals, Lyft Rentals, and Other Rideshare Rentals?
Now that there are several rideshare rentals options, it’s hard to keep track of all the benefits and drawbacks of each service. The table below shows the features of each major rideshare rental service to help make it easier for you to see which one might work for you.
| Uber | Lyft | Hyrecar | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$200 per week and up | ~$200 per week and up | ~$30/day and up, $200/week and up |
| Deposit | $200 refundable for Hertz, $500 non refundable for Fair | $250 refundable | $200 refundable |
| Rental Period | Weekly | Weekly | Daily, weekly, or monthly |
| Insurance | $1000 deductible | $1000 deductible | $2500 deductible |
| Use for other services? | No | No | Yes |
How to Rent a Car For Uber or Lyft on Craigslist
Some fleet owners offer their vehicles for rent to use on higher end services like Uber Black. The car will already be registered with Uber, and the owner will have to list you on the vehicle insurance policy. This is a common way to drive for Uber Black.
How to rent a car for Uber on Craigslist
- Search your local craigslist for “Uber rental” “Uber Black” or similar keywords
- Contact the owner and review any offered leasing arrangement
- The vehicle owner will then add you to both the vehicle’s insurance policy and their Uber Partner account
- If you haven’t already, you will have to undergo background screening
Renting via Craigslist is one way to get experience driving for Uber without having to make a big investment in a new car or figuring out the complexities of becoming an Uber Black driver.
Should You Buy a Car for Uber & Lyft?
Owning your own car to drive for Uber can be the cheapest option, with fewer restrictions than leases and weekly rentals. The car will be yours to do with as you want, and the monthly payment will almost always be cheaper than the monthly cost of rentals.
If you decide that buying your own car for Uber is the way to go, buy the type of car that can realistically make you money with current Uber rates: An older used car in great condition that costs $5,000–$10,000 will be nice enough to please your riders and won’t dig too deeply into your weekly ride earnings.
Always make sure to closely check Uber vehicle requirements before you purchase a car, and email Uber just to make sure your car qualifies, especially if you’re aiming to use your car for UberXL or Lyft XL/Select.
Upside: You’ll own the vehicle, so you can use it as you wish, sell it whenever you want
Downside: If the vehicle is too expensive and Uber isn’t very lucrative in your area, you might get stuck with a car payment you can’t afford
Don’t buy a car until you’re approved to drive!
Some readers have gone out and bought a car before they were approved to drive by Uber or Lyft. In a lot of cases, these people were confident they could pass the driving record check and background check, so they went ahead and got the car before Uber approved their application. Then something happened in the application process — delays, or a rejection — and now they’re stuck with a car payment that they may not be able to afford. Don’t put yourself in that position.
Get approved to drive before you get the car! The initial application process — providing your personal info and passing the background check — should only take a few days, or up to a week. Both companies now have a “I need a car” option when you sign up, so you won’t need to enter vehicle information to complete the application. You can figure out how to get the car after you’re approved.
Is it Worth Buying a Car Just to Drive With Uber and Lyft?
Buying a car exclusively to drive for Uber or Lyft is a big investment that may not pay off if your market isn’t busy with ride requests. According to our research about how much Uber drivers make, you should expect to make around $10–$20/hour after expenses. Many drivers are able to make money with an affordable used car ($10,000 or less), but other drivers who splurge on a more expensive model find that it can become a breakeven or a loss.
Try before you buy: If you’re new to Uber and you’re not sure how strong the local market is, try renting a car through HyreCar or Getaround to see if the gig is right for you.
Marcus says
Thanks for this read! I have a car that is almost paid off (less than a year left). I’m interested in getting a new car anyway, so I was hoping to trade in the car to get a new one as a part of getting a job driving for Uber or Lyft. Is this something I could work out with them?
DougH says
Lyft and Uber currently only offer rentals. You could use your new car for them, but they won’t offer anything special for it.
LORENZO says
You need to update this information with everything that is going around.
DougH says
As far as I know most of the rental options are the same, but the cost has gone down. Let me know if you which info seems inaccurate or outdated! Thank you.
Sharae says
Is there a down payment o n renting a car to lyft??
DougH says
There is a deposit, but it’s not a down payment. The deposit is around $250 and you can get back when you return the car