How to start a self-service trailer rental business

Are you interested in starting your own business? Or do you already have your own business and are looking for something to expand and complement your existing business?

With Rentalbuddy, customers book, pay and unlock your trailers around the clock, all year – the upkeep stays with you.

How does an unmanned station work?

An unmanned station is a self-service rental setup where your customers handle everything – booking, payment, pickup, and return – without you needing to be there. With Rentalbuddy, you get the booking system and lock integration to make it happen.

1. Book online or via QR code

   Straight from your website or on-site signage.

2. Pay and receive unique code

   After payment, the button in the confirmation email opens the customer’s unlock page, where their unique unlock code shows shortly before the start.

3. Unlock and use the trailer

   The customer unlocks the trailer with the code and uses it during their booked time.

4. Return and re-lock

   When the customer is finished, the trailer is returned and locked.

You see everything in real time – bookings, rentals and returns – via Rentalbuddy’s admin tool.

How to launch your own unmanned trailer rental – step by step

With Rentalbuddy you get everything you need to rent out trailers – without being there. Here are the steps:

1. Choose a location and trailer

   Set up outside a store, gas station or any visible, accessible location.

   Tip: one is enough to start, but we usually suggest three to five trailers in two models – an open trailer and a covered one – so customers can pick the one that fits the job.

2. Create an account and set up your rental

   Start a 30-day free trial – no credit card. Add your trailers, prices and opening hours, and connect your own Stripe account.

3. Connect a digital lock

   Hang an Igloohome padlock on each trailer’s hitch lock. You buy it once from Igloohome or a reseller and pair it in the Igloohome app, and Rentalbuddy creates a unique code for every rental.

4. Add booking to your website

   Add a booking button or QR code – customers can book, pay, and unlock trailers completely on their own.

What it costs to start – and what it can earn

• The trailers: a new unbraked 750 kg open trailer such as the Fogelsta FS1425 costs from about 14,000 SEK incl. VAT (PriceRunner, October 2026), plus a hitch lock that takes a padlock, from a trailer or hardware shop.
• The locks: one Igloohome Padlock 2 per trailer – €159.99 in Igloohome’s EU shop (October 2026) – bought once, plus Igloohome’s code fee of about 20 SEK a month per lock.
• Rentalbuddy: 299 SEK a month excl. VAT for up to 6 trailers at one location, with no commission.
• What renters pay: usually about 150–250 SEK for a few hours and 300–500 SEK for a full day. Närsläp in Höganäs charges 149 SEK for up to 4 hours and 289 SEK for 24 hours for a mesh trailer (narslap.se, October 2026).

At about 3 bookings a week each at 250 SEK, three trailers could leave about 86,000 SEK a year after VAT, fees and the plan – an estimate, before your own costs such as insurance and upkeep. When would they pay for themselves? →

Check that your insurance covers the trailers while they’re rented out – private trailer insurance often doesn’t. Insurance, damage and late returns →

Where to put them – and who to share them with

Outside a store, a hardware store or a petrol station, every renter comes by twice – to pick the trailer up and to bring it back. A sports club, a community association or a company can host a trailer too and share the income, as Hyr Av Bröderna’s hosts do in Östergötland. How Hyr Av Bröderna works with clubs →

Want to see it from the renter’s side first? Rent our showroom trailer in Kristianstad, from 99 SEK.

Why choose Rentalbuddy?

• Keep 100% ownership – no franchise fees, no middlemen
• Low start-up cost – easy to start, easy to scale
• All-in-one system – booking and digital locks in one platform
• Flexible setup – works with your existing website
• Setup help included – call or email us, 8:00–17:00 CET/CEST

Real example: Närsläp at ICA Höganäs

Närsläp rents out trailers at ICA Höganäs with no staff. Customers book on narslap.se, and every booking gets its own code for the Igloohome padlock on the trailer’s hitch lock.

Read the full Närsläp story →

Frequently asked questions

How many trailers do I need to start?

One is enough. We usually suggest three to five, in two models: customers pick the one that fits the job, and if one comes back late you can move the next renter to another free trailer.

What does Rentalbuddy cost for a trailer rental?

A fixed monthly price with no commission on your bookings: Starter is 299 SEK a month excl. VAT for one location and up to 6 trailers. On top come Stripe’s fee per payment, Igloohome’s code fee of about 20 SEK per lock a month, and the locks, which you buy once. No lock-ins, no hidden fees. See pricing

Do I need an app or a new website?

No! The booking flow can be easily added to your existing website. Customers book directly in the browser – no app needed. No website? Every location gets its own booking page and a QR code.

Are you a trailer dealer?

Sell your trailers ready to rent out: your buyer hangs an Igloohome padlock on the hitch lock, connects it to their own Rentalbuddy account, and every booking gets its own code.

Our platform gives your customers a seamless way to turn their trailer into a 24/7 rental service.

Let your customers earn from day one – with the trailer they buy from you.

Interested in offering Rentalbuddy with your trailers? Talk to us about a dealer partnership – with a partner account, your team can also run the booking systems of the customers you sell to.