Sarnia father-son duo create sharing economy app

A Sarnia father-don duo have launched a new sharing economy app.

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Called Next-Door Rental, Jordan Huzevka, 28, said he got the idea for the app, which let’s people rent things like tools or lawnmowers to neighbors, when he noticed a trailer rental business with a lot filled with trailers.

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“In my mind, I thought there must be a disconnect in terms of how … frequently they’re rented out,” he said, adding “because they’re obviously not getting to the consumer that well.”

He and dad Mark wrote a prototype app, then contracted developers in India to write the app for Apple and Android, he said.

It took three years and more than $250,000 to develop, but they launched about a month ago, he said.

There’s no charge for people to list what they want to rent out. The Huzevkas handle payment processing, deposits, contracts between the parties for what’s being rented, for how long and for how much, and damage claim mediation if necessary, the duo said.

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They charge 12 per cent commission on successful transactions.

“So, we just take that out of the transaction and we pay you the remainder,” said Jordan Huzevka, calling the business like an Uber for equipment, instead of ride-sharing.

“We’re kind of cutting (out) the middle man,” he said.

“Rental businesses kind of have a monopoly on the supply of rentals and we’re kind of giving the power back to the people, so to speak.”

Hopes are to use revenue from the app to help creating affordable housing in Sarnia, he said, adding there’s nothing like the app that he knows of in Canada.

“There are some competitors, let’s say, overseas that have been doing pretty well,” he said.

“We have patented our (rental) process here in Canada in terms of the geolocation, time-stamped photos and things like that.”

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Mark Huzevka, 59, said he grew up on a farm and has a large number of tools he rarely uses.

Many people might be in similar circumstances but hesitant to rent because they’re wary about how to make it work, how to price their items, and things like that, he said.

“All of these obstacles to sharing that this app gets rid of,” he said.

The elder Huzevka said he’s an engineer and his family owns property in Bright’s Grove they’re hoping to develop.

Jordan Huzevka said he has an applied technology degree in construction management.

This is his day job, he said.

“We really hope to take over and kind of streamline the whole rental process in Canada,” he said.

More information about the app is available at nextdoorrental.ca.

[email protected]

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