By Kathy Kristof • Published on December 19th, 2022 • Last updated on August 15th, 2024
Basics:
RentAFriend connects people willing to work as paid platonic companions with people willing to pay for company
Expected pay: You set it
Husl$core: $$$
Commissions & fees: NA
Where: Nationwide
Requirements: 18 or older
RentAFriend Review:
RentAFriend allows people to connect for platonic friendship and activities.
Theoretically, this is a way to make easy money. The concept is that someone new to the neighborhood (or country) might want to go out and do things that would be more fun with a companion. So they can rent you for pay.
How it works
You — the rented friend — set the hourly rate of pay and collect every dollar of it. The site only makes money off of people who pay a monthly membership fee to meet people like you.
What do you do with your new friend? The friend proposes the activity and pays for it. You simply decide whether or not you want to go, how much to charge, and collect your fee in person.
The site cautions friends to meet in public; don’t do anything you’re uncomfortable with; and be careful. I found no complaints from rented friends on the web, but a blogger at TheGloss wrote a very funny review about renting someone, which is linked below.
Our rating
Then why did this opportunity get an also-ran rating, especially considering the relatively high pay for having fun (presumably) with another human being? I can’t shake the feeling that this would be the perfect place for a serial killer to find his next victim.
RentAFriend’s terms and conditions even bow to the fact that users might get the wrong idea. This is not a dating site. They penalize anyone who acts like a date while “rented.” But you may have to make it clear again — in person.
There are apparently legitimate clients and friends signed up at this site. But if you sign up, carry pepper spray and follow the site’s cautions. And make sure to bring your phone, with location tracking on, so your real friends know where you are.
Recommendations
Notably, there are other “companionship” alternatives, including “cuddling,” which come with the same cautions.
Not sure if this opportunity is right for you? There are hundreds of other opportunities on SideHusl that will allow you to do everything from cooking to writing; acting to web design.
Or consider a site like Fiverr, where you can offer to provide friendly advice over the phone. You can also take the SideHusl quiz on our home page, which will help you match your unique combination of interests, skills and resources to side hustles that would work well for you.
