Latest news with #rental
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oakmont residents prepare to provide housing for U.S. Open visitors
While an estimated 200,000 people are headed into Oakmont for the U.S. Open, many Oakmont residents are headed out. With few hotel options in Oakmont, renting out homes near Oakmont Country Club is big business. Advertisement Homeowners like Linda Culleiton, who live within walking distance to the course, find themselves sitting on some of the hottest properties in the region. 'Every day you wake up and you're happy here,' said Culleiton. She and her husband put their hearts into renovating their Oakmont home for retirement. Friends of theirs told them they could be sitting on a golf goldmine near what will be the center of the golf world in just three weeks. 'At first I thought no, I would never do that,' she said. 'Then, when it got closer, I thought I could do this. You know, we could do this.' She listed the home with realtor John Marzullo, an Oakmont resident himself who rented out his own house for the 2016 U.S. Open. Advertisement 'Everyone focuses, obviously, on the money and those numbers and hearing about those great numbers, but it's a big undertaking to get your house prepared for someone else to occupy it,' Marzullo said. That means essentially moving out, taking your clothes and family photos, as well as buying new bed sheets and towels. For those willing to do it, it's a small inconvenience for a potentially big pay day. Rental prices from Marzullo's site range from $10,000 to $60,000 just for the week. 'It kind of falls in line with similar thoughts on short-term rentals and other vacation markets,' Marzullo said. 'Really, that's what Oakmont becomes. It becomes a vacation spot for a week for a lot of people from all over the world, really.' Advertisement However, it's not a vacation for everyone. It's a work trip for the 156 golfers in the field, all with their own unique preferences for their stay. Many of them go through Howard Hanna's Bob Friend, who works directly with the USGA. He also has more insight than most into what players want as a former PGA Tour player himself. 'They want to be comfortable, and they want to make sure that they have all the elements there that they're comfortable doing,' Friend said. 'A lot of them will want to come with a personal trainer. They might want to come with a personal chef. So, we have to make sure that when we speak with the managers, we understand exactly what their needs are.' Advertisement It's a high-stakes and high-demand industry with high price tags, but for almost anyone involved, it's also a chance to show the world what makes this corner of western Pennsylvania so special. Friend believes it will bring new residents to the area in the long run. 'I think you're going to have an awful lot of people going to see this as a community that people might want to move into,' he said. 'It's also a great way to showcase our fantastic city and a great storied old golf course. So, there's an awful lot of pride there.' Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Motor 1
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Hertz Will Rent You a Jeep Wrangler With Rubber Ducks Hidden Inside
For those not in tune with the Jeep Wrangler community, there's a thing called "ducking." In short, Wrangler owners carry rubber ducks around, and when they see another Wrangler parked, they put a duck on the hood. It's a friendly gesture from one Wrangler owner to another, but the history of how this all started isn't important right now. What is important is that you could partake in the whole Wrangler-duck thing without owning a Jeep . Hertz now has brand-new Wrangler 4xe hybrids in its rental fleet for the summer. And some will have ducks inside. Photo by: Hertz "We are thrilled to add the Jeep Wrangler 4xe to our expansive lineup of new cars, trucks and SUVs for rent at Hertz and give customers a taste of what it's like to be a Wrangler owner," said Hertz Executive VP of North America Henry Kuykendall. "The Jeep Wrangler is iconic and always in high demand for the summer. With the perfect blend of ruggedness and the latest tech features, the 4xe models are sure to delight those who are seeking ultimate freedom and adventure in their travels." While there are ducks inside some Hertz Wranglers, you may not want to give them away. They are part of a special promotion for renters, and if you find one, you could get some discounts or upgrades from Hertz. As for exactly what that means, Hertz doesn't specify. But the ducks are apparently branded specifically for this Hertz-Jeep mashup, and you can keep it for some actual Jeep ducking should you find one. This certainly isn't the first time Hertz has offered specialty vehicles to the public for rent. The infamous Shelby GT350H Mustangs appeared in the 1960s and have returned periodically since then. Most recently, Hertz had a fleet of Shelby-branded Mach-E electric Mustangs . Camaros and Corvettes have also been offered from time to time. The Jeep Wrangler promotion comes as Hertz fights to restore its public image after problems with renters getting falsely arrested for vehicle theft. The rental company ultimately agreed to a $168 million settlement in that case. It's A Jeep Thing: The Jeep Wrangler Willys 41 Edition Rules. But There's One Big Catch Don't Stare Directly at These Bright Green Jeeps Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Arab News
17-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi startup Ejari plans to scale as demand grows
RIYADH: Property tech startup Ejari aims to build a full-service real estate 'super app' as it positions itself at the center of Saudi Arabia's rapidly digitizing housing market with its rent-now, pay-later model. The company, founded in 2022, is moving beyond flexible rental payments to offer furnishing, maintenance, and relocation services through integrated third-party partnerships. In an interview with Arab News, CEO Yazeed Al-Shamsi said Ejari's approach is reshaping the renter experience by offering a streamlined, digital alternative to the country's traditional leasing system, where tenants are typically required to pay six or 12 months upfront. Al-Shamsi said the platform is now preparing to widen its offering beyond residential rentals, targeting commercial and industrial leases as part of a broader plan to become a real estate super app. He told Arab News that the idea for Ejari was sparked by his personal experience as a student in the UK, where he struggled with upfront rental payments demanded by landlords. 'That was the first time I ever struggled with rent,' Al-Shamsi said. 'The solution was that an insurance company would come in and guarantee your rent.' After returning to Saudi Arabia, and facing similar rigid payment structures in the local market, he and his co-founders set out to address the challenge head-on. Ejari's core business model centers on leasing properties from landlords in bulk payments, then subleasing them to tenants through installment plans. 'We pivoted six to seven times before landing on our current model, which allows us to lease the property from the landlord with a bulk payment and then lease it back in installments to tenants with a higher price,' Al-Shamsi said. This structure, he added, creates a win-win dynamic: landlords receive their payments upfront, while tenants benefit from affordable monthly payments. The plan is to start activating different types of rent on the offices, shops, malls, as well as the industrial sector. Yazeed Al-Shamsi, Ejari CEO The platform, which currently operates in 17 cities across eight regions in Saudi Arabia, is part of a growing cohort of startups targeting financial accessibility in the real estate market. In its first year, Ejari reported generating over $30 million in service demand and has since seen that figure rise above $50 million, all with minimal marketing investment. 'This is off a very modest marketing spend of probably just over a hundred thousand dollars,' Al-Shamsi said. Despite being in operation for less than two years, Ejari is already seeing strong financial indicators. 'Our revenues are very healthy. Our loan book is very healthy. We've grown probably over 10 times between 2023 and 2024,' Al-Shamsi stated, noting further growth early in 2025. Still, he acknowledged the challenges in achieving profitability. 'We're a long way from profitability, but it is something that we've been keeping on top of mind. The current phase is growth.' Al-Shamsi emphasized Ejari's differentiated approach compared to traditional financing companies. 'Banks, financing companies — they're doing 20, 30, 40 things at one time,' he said. 'Versus us, where we're just trying to do one thing. And as soon as we perfect it, we can then start doing other things.' The vision for Ejari extends well beyond rent facilitation. The company's long-term strategy is to become a real estate super app, providing a full suite of services throughout the customer lifecycle. 'Today, we're helping the customer with payment facilitation. The customer moves into the apartment — it's an empty apartment. We help them furnish it. They live in it. A light bulb goes off — we help them fix it. Tomorrow they want to move — we offer a button they hit, then a team comes and helps them move,' Al-Shamsi explained. The company aims to enable this ecosystem through partnerships with existing service providers, integrating their offerings into Ejari's platform. The company is also expanding its focus to include commercial segments such as offices, shops, malls, and even industrial spaces later this year. 'The plan is to start activating different types of rent in the offices, shops, malls, as well as the industrial sector,' Al-Shamsi said, adding that the company balances growth with operational focus to ensure it doesn't 'have our efforts captured around too many things, then the value of that doesn't become additive.' To drive its customer acquisition strategy, Ejari is leveraging real estate marketplaces. Al-Shamsi cited an ongoing partnership with a platform he described as 'the local version of Property Finder in Dubai,' which has an 80 percent market share and 3 million unique monthly visitors. Ejari's recent $14.65 million seed round reflects growing investor interest in Saudi Arabia's maturing proptech sector. Alongside Partners for Growth, BECO Capital, and Alinma Pay, other investors included Rua Ventures, anb seed, Vision Ventures, and Aqar platform. The round, held in October, comprised both equity and debt, with the latter provided by California-based PFG. The capital will be used to enhance its core technology platform, scale team capabilities, and expand into value-added services. Looking ahead, Al-Shamsi said the company's immediate focus for the first half of 2025 is to deepen market penetration and build internal capacity. 'The focus remains on the current product in a very big way,' he said. 'Growing the team, building capabilities, building the technical capabilities that we need to be able to expand to whatever we want to.' While the company's default rates remain high — hovering at 13 percent to 15 percent — Al-Shamsi appeared undeterred, stating that this was due to a planned and carefully executed strategy to test the market. 'But again, when we started, we thought that this play would be mainly in the major cities. But surprisingly, the market takes you where it wants to go. We have demands from small villages, small cities in the north and south and east.' With demand increasing from both urban and rural markets and a substantial seed round now secured, Ejari is preparing to consolidate its position in Saudi Arabia's evolving rental economy. Al-Shamsi expects revenue growth to remain strong through 2025, forecasting another significant jump. 'I'd say close to that 10 times figure. But maybe 8 or 7 times.'
New York Times
17-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
How Much Notice Do You Have to Give Your Landlord?
Q: I sublet a market-rate rental apartment in Brooklyn on a month-to-month basis. There is nothing in my sublet agreement with the prime tenant that states how much notice I have to give before I move out. A previous subletter moved out with only a few days' notice, and the prime tenant withheld their security deposit, claiming it had to be used for the uncovered next months' rent. Are they legally able to do that? Am I bound by some law requiring that I give more notice if we haven't agreed upon it? A: Technically, the law does not require that you give the prime tenant, who is also your landlord, a certain amount of notice before you move out. But there is some nuance here. 'If a judge thought it was unfair or inequitable — that there was lack of notice, even if it wasn't legally required — it could bear on the decision,' said David A. Kaminsky, a real estate lawyer in Manhattan. Mr. Kaminsky said he does not agree with those decisions, but sometimes they do happen. Giving notice of a full calendar month is both courteous and a way to protect your security deposit. 'If you wound up in small claims court, it would be helpful to be able to say you have given the landlord sufficient notice as you were able to provide,' he said. Cory L. Weiss, chair of the landlord and tenant practice at Tarter Krinsky & Drogin LLP, agreed that if your deposit were not returned, and you attempted to recover it by suing your landlord, a judge would consider the facts of the case, including your actions. 'The court often rules based on what it believes to be fair and equitable, notwithstanding the black letter law,' Mr. Weiss said. The law states that within 14 days of your departure, your landlord must return the security deposit to you, or give a detailed accounting of how they used it to pay for damages other than reasonable wear and tear. If you feel you've acted in good faith and the landlord tries to keep any portion of your deposit by claiming that you were late in giving notice, then you should consider legal action, said Mr. Kaminsky. 'I suggest taking the prime tenant to court to recover double the amount of deposit wrongfully withheld,' he said.
The Independent
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
London e-scooter trial extended to cover more of the capital after five million trips
E-scooter rental trials have now been expanded across a third of London boroughs, offering the only legal way to drive electric scooters on roads in the capital. Wandsworth is the latest to join the trial run jointly by Transport for London (TfL) and London councils, with operators Voi and Lime. It is illegal to use private e-scooters on public roads because they have no required minimum safety standards, whereas rentals have a 12.5mph speed limit and lights that always come on. The trial is set to run until 25 September 2025, but it could be extended by a year. Since the trial launched in June 2021 five million trips have been taken, totalling more than 10 million kilometres – which is enough to travel around the world 250 times. According to the figures provided by TfL demand for e-scooters is increasing, with a 27 per cent increase in customers taking more than one ride. Wandsworth Council's inclusion in the trial from this week adds 35 km² and around 170 rental e-scooter parking bays to the borough, a TfL spokesperson said. The total trial area is now approximately 300km² with 1,300 bays. London's trial is one of the largest trials running nationally, with a fleet of more than 4,000 vehicles. TfL said the data revealed 0.0004 per cent of rental e-scooter trips have resulted in serious injury, with the risk rate decreasing year-on-year. There have also been no fatalities. Will Norman, London's walking and cycling commissioner, said: 'The data clearly shows that the rental e-scooter trial has helped to boost sustainable and active travel transport in our city, with over five million journeys made since it launched, and it has also laid bare the significant difference in safety between private and rental scooters.' The trial is testing new, innovative technology, such as pavement riding detection and AI, to improve parking compliance and look at how TfL can improve the experience of London's rental e-scooters. However, long-term regulation is needed to provide cities with the power to manage rental e-scooter schemes permanently, and regulate private e-scooters with the minimum hardware standards on par with rental e-scooters. The Independent analysed Department for Transport figures at the end of last year, which found six people were killed and hundreds more were injured in e-scooter crashes in 2023, sparking calls for more regulation of the privately owned vehicles which are not capped for speed. TfL's e-scooter trial lead Helen Sharp said: 'We continue to put safety at the heart of the trial and regularly review trial performance to ensure that the scheme works for both users and non-users of the service. 'Working closely with operators and people across London, we will continue to build on what we've learnt to date, to ensure that everyone benefits from using rental e-scooters across the capital.'
