Frequently asked questions.

Presta is a neighborhood marketplace for renting tools. Instead of buying a pressure washer you'll use twice, you rent one from a neighbor for the day or week, and if you have tools sitting idle, you can list them and earn.

When you'll only use it once or twice: a pressure washer for a spring clean, a snow blower for the one big storm, a tile saw for a single bathroom. Renting also covers the in-between moments. Your own mower is in the shop for two weeks and the grass won't wait, or a job calls for a tool you don't own and won't need again. You get it done without buying, storing, and maintaining something that sits idle the rest of the year.

Yes. You need a free account to rent or to list, and you must be at least 18. To list a tool you'll also complete Stripe's identity and bank verification before your listings can accept bookings.

Not yet. Presta runs in your phone or computer's web browser, so there's nothing to install. Everything, including the pickup and return handoff, works right in the browser.

Search for what you need, pick your dates, and send a booking request. The owner has up to 24 hours to approve. Your card is authorized when you request and only charged when the owner approves.

We place an authorization (a hold) when you submit the request. If the owner approves, your card is charged the full amount. If they decline or don't respond within 24 hours, the hold drops automatically and you're not charged.

Presta adds a 15% service fee on top of the owner's rate, paid by the renter. Owners keep 100% of their posted rate. The total (rate, fee, and deposit) is shown before you book. No surprise charges at checkout.

A refundable hold the owner sets to cover potential damage, up to $500 for most tools, or up to $2,500 for trailers and heavy equipment. It's part of the amount charged when your booking is approved.

The moment the owner accepts a clean return, with no waiting period. Once they tap “Accept return,” the deposit is refunded and lands back on your card within a few business days (Stripe's standard timing).

Your deposit stays held and the booking opens a dispute. The owner can claim up to the deposit amount. If you disagree, Presta reviews the photos and timeline and decides how to split the deposit. Damage beyond the deposit is between you and the owner. Presta doesn't provide coverage above it.

You meet the owner in person. They start the handoff and show a QR code (or a 6-digit code if there's no camera). You scan it, take four quick condition photos, agree to the rental terms, and confirm. Once the owner confirms too, the rental clock starts.

They're your protection. The scan proves you both met, and the photos (timestamped and tamper-evidenced) capture the tool's condition. If there's ever a dispute, this record is what settles it fairly for both sides.

You start the return and show your code; the owner scans it and inspects the tool. They either accept the return (your deposit is released right away) or report damage (the deposit is held while it's reviewed).

Tap “Owner not available” on the return screen and add a photo and a short note about what happened. We log it as a return attempt and flag it for Presta to review. Nothing about your deposit is decided automatically, so you're not left waiting on an unresponsive owner.

Not formally yet. The owner accepts on their own account. If they can't be there, the return-attempt option above keeps you covered while Presta sorts it out.

Yes, before pickup. Cancel more than 24 hours before the scheduled pickup and everything is refunded: rate, fee, and deposit. Cancel within 24 hours and the rate and service fee are non-refundable, but your deposit is still returned.

No. Once the tool is in your hands, ending early isn't a cancellation, it's a return. You can start the return any time, and the owner releases your deposit when they accept it.

You receive a full refund of everything (rate, fee, and deposit), no matter the timing. Owners who cancel often may lose search visibility.

Yes. Every owner completes Stripe's identity and bank verification before any listing can accept bookings. Their name, phone, and bank are confirmed up front.

Listings show only the neighborhood publicly. The exact pickup address is shared after a booking is approved.

No. Presta doesn't offer damage protection above the deposit. Treat rented tools as your own, inspect carefully at pickup and return, and for high-value rentals consider arranging additional security with the owner directly.

Create an account, complete Stripe onboarding (identity + bank), and post your listing with photos, a rate, and a deposit. When a rental completes, your earnings go to your connected bank on Stripe's standard payout schedule.

At return, instead of accepting, choose “Report damage,” enter an amount and description, and submit. The photos you just took become the evidence. The booking moves to a dispute and the deposit stays held until it's resolved.