Listings app lets local governments trade equipment

MuniRent wants to encourage city councils to take advantage by pooling their resources and lending them to each other.

Peer-to-peer lending has already hit a wide range of industries, from audio-visual equipment business goods, enabling those who can’t afford to own limited use items to lend them from others in their community. Now MuniRent wants to encourage city councils to take advantage by pooling their resources and lending them to each other.

The platform is available as a free-to-use website and an app for both Android devices, and enables municipalities to list any equipment they’re willing to loan. Each listing includes details such as the make and model, how old it is, whether transportation or an operator can be included, and the price of rental per day. Other local authorities can then browse the app and quickly arrange to hire the equipment they need for a typically lower price than commercial rental. The site currently offers items such as diggers, specialist trucks, street cleaning vehicles and pavement rollers.

Councils often spend money on expensive equipment that is used for occasional projects but otherwise sits in storage. MuniRent helps authorities to cut their operation costs and even create a new revenue source by lending out their unused items. Are there other industries that are still to take advantage of P2P sharing?