Relay Rides lets you cash in on renting your car

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- There's a new company that will help you make money off the vehicle that is already sitting in your driveway.

For the last eight months, Houstonian Quincy Hilliard has been offering his 2007 Toyota Prius for rent through a company called Relay Rides. The car share service is now operating in 49 states. Vehicle owners use the app post their wheels for rent at a price of their choosing.

Hilliard found it to be a great way to supplement income.

"I'd probably say somewhere in the neighborhood of $300-$400 a month," Hilliard said. "Otherwise it would be just sitting around gathering dust."

Relay Rides keeps 25 percent of each transaction. Customers who use the service say it still ends up being cheaper than a traditional car rental bill in many cases.

"It actually cost me half of what it would have cost to rent on Enterprise," said Relay Rides renter Deirdre Amola.

Amola just moved back to Houston and needed a vehicle while she shopped for a new car. She found Hilliard's Prius within minutes of hopping on the Relay Rides app. Owners like Hilliard then deliver the cars to the renters, which Amola says is part of the allure of the service.

"It makes it more accessible and definitely more convenient for sure," Amola said.

Relay Rides offers 24-hour roadside assistance and carries $1 million liability insurance.

Some of the renters say they are actually more careful with the private vehicles here because they have to return them and see the owner eye to eye.

"You have to see their face. And then you don't want to mess their car up and end up being their neighbor, seeing them at a bar...you just never know how your paths may cross again," Amola said.

To learn more about how Relay Rides works, visit check out the FAQ on its website.