# The economics of the car-rental business **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [August 30, 2024, 3:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018 "2024-08-30T03:11:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 5:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/41 "2024-09-02T17:21:43Z")
> [@old\_mopar\_guy](#): > > My dad asked me to install a fan to ventilate the attic. There were two windows one in each gable. I was installing a window fan in one of them and i saw my dad outside talking to someone… Do the work over the weekend or at night. Not everyone works according to code, or even sensibly. Especially in a shared building dangerous wiring or plumbing can come at the expense of neighbors. The real danger with HOAs is that they avoid costs. The Surfside Condo in Florida that collapsed, killing 98, had a board that recommended the necessary repairs beforehand. The members voted them out in favor of ostriches who wouldn’t. Most people hope to sell out before the damage from postponed maintenance happens. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 6:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/42 "2024-09-02T18:00:11Z")
> [@RandomTroll](#): > > The real danger with HOAs is that they avoid costs. The Surfside Condo in Florida that collapsed, killing 98, had a board that recommended the necessary repairs beforehand. The members voted them out in favor of ostriches who wouldn’t. Most people hope to sell out before the damage from postponed maintenance happens. A friend of mine is in that situation. There are structural repairs necessary in his unit, as well as others in the development, but the HOA doesn’t seem to want to do anything, and it may get to the point where he has to sue the HOA. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 7:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/43 "2024-09-02T19:51:06Z")
Kind of a meandering conversation. First off I wouldn’t go to the bank on an npr investigation. But yeah normally for Disney I would rent a car, but last year we just used Uber and that was a lot less hassle. Mileage I think just depends on who you rent from. 15 years ago we had a fairly high mileage rental out of a hotel. Thrifty or somebody. Hoa though are like bars. Some good and some bad. A couple winters we rented a condo with an hoa. Pretty suffocating with their rules. Garage doors must be shut. Only white for street facing blinds, etc etc. one guy hired a band for a block party and next day an email saying this was not allowed. But friends have a duplex with one and don’t have to worry about lawns and snow shoveling. Just depends but I don’t like them. But yeah the car rental business is also a used car business, just like farming is also a real estate business. Either way when thing go bust, you can end up with the short stick. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 8:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/44 "2024-09-02T20:01:39Z")
> [@RandomTroll](#): > > The real danger with HOAs is that they avoid costs. We have some special HOA’s because of the homes historical value. You buy one of these homes in this type of HOA - you are restricted as to what color paint you can use. Absolutely NO external add-on structures (some only restrict this to the front of the house). Some are real strict, like if you make a repair to the siding - you MUST use [cut nails](https://tremontnail.com/tremont-steel-cut-nails.html). No cars allowed to park in the street or in the driveway after 9pm. No boats or RVs of any kind can be parked in the driveway. Restrictions on what kind of decorative lights you can use on the outside of the house. Some don’t even allow a paved driveway - only dirt and stone. Most don’t have restrictions on the inside, but some do. No carpeting. No poly of any kind on any wood (linseed oil is the preferred treatment). No stand-up showers. Needless to say - I’d NEVER EVER buy a home with those restrictions. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 8:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/45 "2024-09-02T20:06:45Z")
> [@Nevada\_545](#): > > You described the services of a condominium. The owner of a house doesn’t receive these services via a homeowner’s association, each landowner is responsible for their own maintenance and upkeep. Not true everywhere. There are HOA communities around me that do nearly everything @Rainflurry listed except maintain personal pools and repair the homes (roof, ect) as well as provide cable and internet connections. They also restrict parking, plantings and changes to your home… As long as you are OK with the rules before you buy, an HOA can be a OK. And some can be hell. All depends. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2024, 2:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/46 "2024-09-03T14:04:12Z")
> [@bing](#): > > First off I wouldn’t go to the bank on an npr investigation. But yeah normally for Disney I would rent a car, but last year we just used Uber and that was a lot less hassle. Mileage I think just depends on who you rent from. Two things. First, I trust NPR and public television to provide factual reports more than almost all other news organizations. The major stories are not biased. Their liberal bias shows up in the reports that aren’t mainstream. Second, we took many trips to Disney World over the last 25 years. We decided the best way to do it is fly to Orlando and take a dedicated bus to our Disney hotel. We then take the Disney World buses to the parks for the day’s activities. The hotel and transportation at the park are all in the price of admission. Your choice of course. Our daughter and her family of four used the extra cost Minnie Buses (Chevy Tahoes) to get around the park. They dislike the crowded buses, especially at night, enough to pay extra for a private ride. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2024, 2:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/47 "2024-09-03T14:15:34Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > As long as you are OK with the rules before you buy, an HOA can be a OK Unfortunately, some people fail to read (or to comprehend??) the rules prior to purchase. Many years ago, I was the President of a small HOA, and despite the fact that we had few restrictive rules, some of the residents refused to comply with _anything_ in our list of rules. One nitwit replied, “I’m a homeowner and you can’t tell me what to do”, when we notified him that continuing to park his car in front of the garbage dumpster would result in his car being towed. We had to pay the waste collection firm even though they couldn’t empty the dumpster when he blocked that container, and on a few occasions that dumpster overflowed with garbage. It was only when we finally towed his car that he gave up on that detail, but then he frequently blocked other people’s driveways. Keeping up with that guy’s obstructive behaviors was almost a full-time job, and I wasn’t being paid for my elected position. The day that I bought a SFH and moved away from that condo community was one of the happiest days of my life. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2024, 5:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/48 "2024-09-03T17:32:08Z")
I have been to Disneyland and Epcot . I still want that time back . ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2024, 7:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/49 "2024-09-03T19:38:04Z")
We started going there every year since 1981. We started at the campground for $19 a night and then the hotels when camping became less fun. It was a great place and often other families joined us. The last few years though things have really changed and not sure it’s a good place for kids anymore. Walt would turn over in his grave for what they have done, imho. ---
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2024, 4:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/50 "2024-09-04T16:42:15Z")
> [@VOLVO-V70](#): > > I have been to Disneyland and Epcot . > [@bing](#): > > We started going there every year since 1981. I went in 1958. The monorail had just opened, went back and forth. No ‘Small World’. ---
**Author:** ![william969](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ec9cab/32.png) [@william969](https://community.cartalk.com/u/william969)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2024, 8:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/51 "2024-09-04T20:07:39Z")
The hell with the car: I wish I wasn’t on my death bed. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2024, 8:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/52 "2024-09-04T20:11:36Z")
I’m happy I did my travelling earlier in life. Airplanes, hotels, taxis and the like are best avoided in the current Covid era. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2024, 3:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/53 "2024-09-05T15:47:06Z")
> [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > Airplanes, hotels, taxis and the like are best avoided in the current Covid era. It depends on your health. While I have health issues, I’ve had COVID-19 and got through it OK. I don’t worry about travel except for physical attacks. From your past posts, you seem to have health issues that are more likely to result in serious consequences if you get COVID-19. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2024, 4:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/54 "2024-09-05T16:01:04Z")
> [@jtsanders](#): > > From your past posts, you seem to have health issues that are more likely to result in serious consequences if you get COVID-19. I think that you’re probably right. My Oncologist has warned me that my immune system is extremely weak, and that I have to guard against all types of infectious diseases. ---
**Author:** ![bcohen2010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bcohen2010](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bcohen2010)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2024, 4:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/55 "2024-09-05T16:07:32Z")
> [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > I’m happy I did my travelling earlier in life. Airplanes, hotels, taxis and the like are best avoided in the current Covid era. While disease is certainly a concern, I don’t like to travel, _especially by air_, because of all the intrusive “security theater” due to 9/11, etc. I don’t like the intrusive and silly requirements to remove shoes, belt, and jacket, I don’t like the idea of “scatter radiation” machines which can literally see you naked (though subsequently, those machines were updated to only display a “cartoonish” view), and I don’t like the idea of facial recognition tech which is being rolled out. I’d rather stay home, or drive in an older car which I own. I wouldn’t drive a rental, which might be loaded with surveillance equipment, even if the price was free. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2024, 6:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/56 "2024-09-05T18:35:25Z")
Yeah I dunno. A friend (not really) just got back from a cruise where there was significant illness. Negative test but same symptoms. She claims they were exposed in the plane. Not in the air where they have made filtration improvements, but on the ground, waiting. Then natural school incubators. Someone explain the whole long Covid with people getting it two or three times? No immunity? Constant mutations? Continual boosters that don’t seem to have much effect. We didn’t have the same issues with polio. Just sayin don’t discount travel modes, ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2024, 6:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/57 "2024-09-05T18:40:49Z")
> [@bing](#): > > Someone explain the whole long Covid with people getting it two or three times? That’s not what long Covid is. It’s a single case that last, well, a long time. [Long COVID - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_COVID) ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2024, 7:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/58 "2024-09-05T19:01:42Z")
Covid seems to have morphed into a weaker variant that has far less mortality than the original much like the Spanish flu did. Compromised immune systems should take greater precautions than the rest of us but the risk is essentially the same as the regular H1N flu. I had the latest Covid version… it was not as bad as the last H1N flu I got. Just to note; I meet, converse with and tour museum guests from all over the world and I just take the normal precautions… wash hands, don’t touch my face…But I am wary of people who mask up alone in their cars! 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2024, 7:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/59 "2024-09-05T19:04:52Z")
Alternate explanation: the vaccines have worked, and folks are much less likely to have a bad case of covid. At my age I’m getting 2/year. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2024, 7:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018/60 "2024-09-05T19:26:17Z")
I don’t want to get into it again but I remain unconvinced that it is the same disease reappearing again and again. The hospital has signs plastered all over and hand sanitizer everywhere even though I think it was concluded an airborne issue. I suspect mutations and compromised immune systems, ineffective shots, and ineffective treatment. I just don’t trust we are getting the whole story. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018.md?page=2) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-economics-of-the-car-rental-business/196018.md?page=4)