Your questions answered

• Storage
• Parking
• General

• Are my things protected? GUARDHOG provides specifically designed insurance to cover Renters' items when being stored with My Hippo Space Host. GUARDHOG is underwritten by Hiscox Limited, a global insurer with an A+ rating by Fitch.
• Can I store anything? No, there are items that are not permitted for legal and safety reasons. These include:
  • Weapons, guns, explosives, munitions or fireworks
  • Flammable items including petrol, gas, oil, paint, white spirit or lighter fluid
  • Illegal items including any class of drug, drug paraphernalia, stolen property or anything which was obtained illegally or can get you arrested for possessing it
  • Food, drink or perishable goods, including fruit, vegetable, meat and cheese
  • Animals, plants, insects, fungus or bacteria
  • Items that produce strong smell, produce gas, leak or are damp
  • Containers of liquid
  • Hazardous items including toxic, polluted, contaminated or radioactive
  • Items that create noise
  • Items that generate heat
  • Items that may increase in size and/or burst or explode
  • Items that are damp, mouldy, rotten or moth infested
  • Any cash or securities
  • We would not recommend to store valuable items such as jewellery, items that are irreplaceable, high value, antiques or collectables
• How can I access my things? When Host is listing a storage space we ask for Storage Accessibility. This will be either anytime, arrangement or own keys. Each Host defines days and times that are best for accessing your things. You can see these on the space detail page under the Accessibility tab.
• What happens after I sent my storage request to the Host? Hosts have a limited time to respond to storage requests (from 2 to 48 hours). Host can send an offer to store your items or decline the storage request. After you receive an offer you can accept or decline.
• Can I inspect Renter’s items? Host may inspect contents with Renter’s consent. If Renter refuses and you would like to cancel the storage booking, please contact us immediately and we will help resolve the situation.
• What if Renter abandons stored items? In the unlikely event that Renter abandons stored items we will make multiple attempts to contact the Renter and do our best to solve the issue. Should all proper channels of contact fail, and we do not hear from the Renter within 30 days of the first contact attempt, their items will be considered abandoned, and will be removed, donated, recycled or sold by one of our partners. Please do not attempt to handle or remove Renter’s items by yourself, doing so may cause potential legal issues.

• Do I need to display proof of my booking? No, you don’t have to display any proof of your booking. The Host will have your booking information including your vehicle registration.
• Can I change any booking details? Unfortunately after you make a booking you can’t change any details on the booking.
• Why do you need my vehicle registration number? Your vehicle registration number is provided to the Host once your booking is processed and confirmed to ensure you are easily identified when parking.
• Are there any additional fees? No, the price shown on our website is the price you will be required to pay to book the parking space. There may be additional fees to pay if you overstay.
• How many parking spaces can I rent out? Some local councils in England have deemed renting out your parking space a ‘change of use’ to your property, asking for a planning application fee. The Department for Communities and Local Government says that renting out a parking space is not a change of use that needs planning permission.
• Can I extend my booking? Yes, 2 hours before the departure your booking will change its status to Expiring. You will get email / text notification. On the booking detail page there will be Extend button and you will be able extend your parking further.
• How do I get a receipt for my booking? Receipts are sent automatically to your email every time you pay for a booking.
• How do I contact the Host? You can message the Host when you log in, under Bookings and then selecting the booking.
• What if I can’t find the parking space? After you complete your booking, you will be provided with the full address. We would recommend contacting the Host before leaving for your destination to get further clarification.
• What if I’m running late? When you book a parking space, you are guaranteed that space for the duration of the booking period. For example if you book a parking space from 10:30am until 6:30pm no one else can book that same space for the duration.
• What if I arrive early? If you are going to arrive up to 30 minutes earlier for your parking space we would suggest contacting the Host to see if there are any bookings prior to yours and if it would be possible to park a bit earlier. In cases where you arrive hours earlier then you may need to book the parking space to cover the extra time (if there’s space available) or you may need to wait.
• What do I do when I arrive at the parking space? Unless instructed otherwise by the Host, you can just park and get on with the rest of your day.
• What if my vehicle is damaged? Any damage done to your car whilst parked should be covered by most personal vehicle insurance policies as standard - just like parking on a road or in a commercial car park.
• Who pays the congestion charge? If the space is in the congestion zone, you are responsible for paying the congestion charge directly to TFL on their website.

• How do I leave a review? After your booking ends you will receive a notification to review your experience. You can also login to your account, under ‘Reviews’ you will be able to see all outstanding reviews.
• What type of space can I rent out? You can rent out storage, parking or desk space as long as it is your space to rent out. Storage - cupboard, wardrobe, beach hut, garden shed, loft/attic, spare room, driveway, single garage, double garage, conservatory, outbuilding. Parking - driveway, single garage, double garage, private car park.
• How and when will I get paid? We make payouts to the Host automatically within 10 minutes after Renter pays for your space booking. We offer payouts via Stripe. Before you can list your space you need to connect with Stripe on your Settings page. Renters will then be able to pay using Stripe payment gate that accepts all major credit and debit cards and Apple Pay.
• Do I have any responsibilities as a Host? We ask all Hosts to respond to storage requests or other enquiries within 24 hours or as soon as possible. It’s the Host’s responsibility to look after Renter’s items and treat it like it was their own. It’s the Host’s responsibility to make sure the space is well maintained to avoid any potential damage.
• How do I know how much space I have? This is all done automatically and you can see the space occupancy on your Dashboard! We calculate space occupancy for your storage, parking and desk space.
• How much can I earn by listing my space? This depends on the type of space you have and its location. If you live in an area where a big event is held you can potentially make more during this time (for example a parking space in Wimbledon could make more when there’s The Championships)
• Do I have to pay tax on my earnings? It’s your responsibility to declare any income and pay tax on your earnings. The rules differ for each country, you should check with your local tax office before listing your space.
• What’s the minimum booking period for a space? Host defines the minimum booking period for each space when listing it. It can be days, weeks or months. However, the most popular minimum booking period is 1 day.
• Do I have to do anything after listing my space? Once you have listed your space our team will review it. If all the information about your space meets our guidelines then it will be approved and visible on the website / mobile app. If there are some details missing or need updating then one of our team members will contact you so you can update your space. You can spread the word by sharing your space on social media.
• How do I improve the chances of getting my space rented out fast? We would recommend including as much information about your space as possible. Photos and videos are the biggest converting factor together with the price.
• How much should I charge for my space? Search our site to see how much others are charging for similar space and location. If you want to stay competitive you charge a bit less. When setting the price, we add a commission on top which is paid by the Renter. You’ll see how much the Renter will pay. If you are new to My Hippo Space and listing your first space we recommend pricing it low to get it off the ground. You can then build a great reputation and earn excellent reviews to encourage future bookings. You can change the price later on by logging into your account, under My Spaces and editing your space.