Ways To Get a Car To Drive for Uber or Lyft

It’s no secret that you need a car to drive for Uber and Lyft. It’s what makes driving for rideshare services unique in the world of driving for public transportation. At the same time, it makes things challenging when you don’t own a car yourself. Fortunately, there are ways to get a car to drive for Uber or Lyft if you don’t have one already.

Buy a Car

The most obvious option is to buy a car. After all, if you have a car that’s all your own, you can take rides any time you want. You also don’t have to worry about answering to a company for any damage that comes to it. Not to mention, the car is yours, meaning you can use it for your own purposes as well.

But buying a car is a huge commitment. You will likely be making car payments for several years if you buy a relatively new car, and repairs and maintenance costs all fall on your shoulders. If you live in a large city, such as New York City, car ownership can be especially complicated. If driving for Lyft or Uber is only a side hustle for you, this may not be the option you are looking for.

Rent Through Lyft and Uber’s Partners

Realizing that not everyone has a car, both Lyft and Uber have partnered with various rental services to help provide cars for potential drivers. These rentals are usually low commitment, lasting between a few weeks to even a few hours, and are not nearly as expensive as buying a car. On top of this, most rental services provide roadside assistance and maintenance support.

The one caveat is that these kinds of car rentals often require you to meet certain ride quotas for you to continue the rental. You also may have a set amount of “personal miles” that you can use the car for outside of giving rides, so you can’t simply use the car whenever you want.

Rideshare Rental Services

Renting through Uber and Lyft is not your only rental option. There are rental services specifically branded to provide rental cars for rideshare drivers. These services have the same benefits as other rental companies—roadside support, vehicle maintenance, low-commitment contracts, etc.—and on top of that, the car is effectively yours throughout your entire rental contract. There is no ride quota and you may use it for your own purposes during that time. Even here in NYC, a notoriously difficult city to get and keep a car in, there’s TLC car rentals from Brooklyn to the Bronx.

If you are wanting to drive for rideshare companies but don’t have a car, don’t despair. There are plenty of ways to get a car to drive for Uber or Lyft, and it isn’t difficult to find one to fit your needs.