The sharing (or peer-to-peer) economy has been gaining steam for several years. You’re probably familiar with Uber, Airbnb and Lyft, but there’s a newcomer to the world of sharing-economy apps: Nookzy.
The San Francisco Chronicle has called Nookzy “the Airbnb of backyards,” which is a fitting description for a peer-to-peer platform where hosts rent out their nooks, or “uniquely inspiring spaces” — which include small urban outdoor spaces like a backyard, porch or rooftop — for as little as 30 minutes or as long as eight hours.
Nookzy says it is testing its unique space-sharing concept in a selection of backyard-based spas and saunas in San Francisco. It hopes to add pool spaces and other outdoor amenities in the near future.
According to a flier acquired by the blog SFist, Nookzy is trying to woo San Francisco residents to become hosts — renting their outdoor spaces to strangers — by offering to lend them a free (inflatable) hot tub or sauna. Nookzy will also send a designer to a potential host’s space to help them figure out “how to make the most” out of their little nook.
According to its website, Nookzy’s goal is to “make the city more multifaceted, interesting and equitable by optimizing its uses in a multi-modal way.”
So, what happens if you sign up to be a host and your backyard gets trashed by a renter?
“In the unlikely occasion that anything goes wrong, Nookzy will do its best to rectify it,” its site reads.
Hmmm. That’s not quite reassuring.
“It is, to be sure, an idealistic concept and perhaps a niche that some think needs filling,” Jay Barmann writes on SFist. “But I would guess that there are far more people willing to borrow a backyard or stink up a hot tub for a few bucks than there are owners of backyards or hot tubs eager to invite strangers to use them. And if you rent, prepare to find out that your neighbors and/or landlord really don’t appreciate you doing this.”
What do you think of Nookzy? Would you be willing to rent out your private outdoor spaces to complete strangers? Sound off below or on our Facebook page.
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