Best Sites to Rent Out Your Space by the Hour (2026): Peerspace, Giggster, Swimply, Sniffspot & SpaceSkout Compared

Disclosure: SpaceSkout publishes this page, and SpaceSkout is one of the five options below. We have tried to hold ourselves to the same standard as everyone else: every fee figure links to the company's own help-center or pricing page, and our own section lists what we don't do. We have no affiliate relationship with any other platform on this page and earn nothing if you sign up with them.

How we compared them

We looked at five things a host actually feels in their bank account and on their weekends:

• Fit. What kind of renter does the platform attract? A film location scout and a parent planning a pool party search in different places, and listing where your renter already looks matters more than any fee difference.
• Host fee. The percentage taken from your side of the booking, as published by the platform. We did not count guest-side fees against the host, though high guest fees can soften demand.
• Protection. Whether the platform says it includes liability insurance or a damage guarantee on bookings, and who pays for it.
• Payout mechanics. How and when money reaches you.
• Control. Who sets the price, the house rules, and the approval decision.

We did not rank by star ratings or review counts, and we did not test-book any space. Where a platform's own page didn't state a detail, the table says so rather than guessing.

Side-by-side comparison

Fee figures checked against each linked source on October 13, 2026. Platforms change fees; confirm before listing.

Peerspace: best for event, meeting, and production space

Peerspace is the broadest of the hourly-booking marketplaces, and its renters are usually planning something: an offsite, a dinner, a photo shoot, a launch party. If your space is a loft, a well-designed home, a rooftop, or a studio that photographs well and seats a group, this is the renter you want in front of it.

Peerspace's support center says the host service fee is currently 20%, applied to the booking amount plus any additional fees you charge, such as cleaning and add-ons. Listing is free, there's no membership, and the payout (booking minus fee) is processed within seven days of the booking date. Peerspace also says host general liability insurance and a Property Damage Guarantee are included on every booking confirmed on the platform, which is a real benefit if you'd otherwise host uninsured.

Where it falls short: 20% applies to cleaning and add-ons too, not just your hourly rate. And because renters arrive with high expectations for design and amenities, an ordinary backyard or garage may get few inquiries.

Giggster: best for film and photo shoot locations

Giggster's audience leans toward productions: location scouts, photographers, and video crews who need a specific look for a day or several. Productions often book full days, so one job can be worth more than a month of hourly party bookings. They also bring crews, gear, and long hours.

Giggster's help center says it takes a 19% commission from the host's total payout (the location fee plus any additional fees), and it collects a separate processing fee from the renter that isn't taken from the host's share. Its own example: a $1,500 daily rate for a three-day shoot is a $4,500 subtotal and a $3,645 payout. Listing is free.

Where it falls short: demand clusters in production markets, and a shoot asks more of you — parking for trucks, power, neighbors who will tolerate a crew. Our guide to renting your home for a photo or film shoot covers what productions expect.

Swimply: best if you have a pool

Swimply built its marketplace around private pools rented by the hour, and pool renters search there first. If your main asset is a pool, it's the obvious place to be seen.

Swimply's help center says hosts keep 70–80% of earnings, that the exact payout percentage appears in each booking's details, and that it can vary from booking to booking. Its host-recruitment pages have described the commission as 15–25%, so read the breakdown on every booking rather than assuming one number. Payouts are released 48 hours after a completed booking, with three to seven business days for the money to land. The fee funds a host protection guarantee, fraud protection, support, and marketing.

Where it falls short: the payout percentage isn't fixed. And pool hosting carries the highest liability of any category here — read our pool hosting guide and talk to your insurer first.

Sniffspot: best for a fenced yard or open land

Sniffspot rents private yards and land to dog owners who want a safe, fenced place for their dog to run off-leash. It's a narrow niche, but it's one of the few ways to earn from an ordinary fenced yard, with low wear and guests who come back weekly.

Sniffspot's help center lists a 22% Sniffspot fee on most U.S. bookings plus card processing of roughly 2.37% + $0.22 per charge, with no up-front or monthly hosting fees. On its own $15 example, the host keeps about $11.12. Payouts are free for U.S. hosts, and the fee supports Host Protection Insurance among other costs.

Where it falls short: the highest percentage fee in this comparison, on small per-booking prices, so earnings depend on volume and repeat guests. If you'd rather host dog trainers or daycare operators directly, see renting your yard for dog daycare or training.

SpaceSkout (our marketplace): best for keeping your whole rate

SpaceSkout lists any kind of private space — backyards, pools, garages, driveways, kitchens, studios, land — in one marketplace. Listing is free and we take no commission: you keep 100% of what you charge, and the renter pays you directly once you approve the request. We make money from an optional paid Premium listing upgrade, not from your bookings.

Where we fall short, plainly:

• We don't process payments, so there's no platform escrow. You collect via Zelle, Venmo, or cash — read how to get paid safely before your first booking.
• We don't include host liability insurance or a damage guarantee. Your own policy, a deposit, and a renter-purchased event policy are your protection — see insurance and liability for hosts.
• We're newer, so in many cities fewer renters search here than on the specialists above. That's why we suggest listing with us in addition to a specialist, not instead of one.

Which one should you pick?

• You have a pool: Swimply first; add SpaceSkout to keep your full rate on direct bookings.
• Your home or studio photographs well: Giggster for productions, Peerspace for events and meetings.
• You have a fenced yard and like dogs: Sniffspot.
• Your space doesn't fit a niche (garage, driveway, kitchen, barn, vacant lot): SpaceSkout, since the specialists may not have a category for it.
• You already carry solid insurance and want to avoid fees: SpaceSkout, with a written agreement and a deposit.

Doing the fee math honestly

A fee only matters next to the bookings it brings. A platform taking 20% that fills four weekends a month can beat a free listing that fills one. Compare expected payout per month, not percentages. Run the numbers at the rate you'd actually charge — our pricing guide walks through setting it — and remember that a platform's included insurance has a dollar value if you'd otherwise buy a policy yourself.

Two things catch new hosts. First, cleaning and add-on charges are part of the fee base on some platforms (Peerspace says so explicitly). Second, listing in several places creates double-booking risk; our guide to avoiding double bookings covers keeping one master calendar.

Before you list anywhere

1. Call your homeowners or renters insurer and ask how they treat paid, short-term use of your property.
2. Check local zoning, HOA rules, or your lease — our permits and zoning guide lists the usual questions.
3. Write house rules once and reuse them on every platform.
4. Take good photos; they matter more than which platform you pick.
5. Track income for taxes from the very first booking.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Peerspace Support — What is the Peerspace service fee?
• Giggster Help Center — How much commission does Giggster take?
• Giggster Help Center — How is my payout calculated
• Swimply Help — Host Service Fee
• Swimply Help — Getting Paid as a Host
• Sniffspot Help — How much does Sniffspot charge hosts?
• SpaceSkout — How it works