Randy McRentals sports a mullet, hard hat and polarized Pit Viper sunglasses. And he is recognized by some locals as the guy who once Rollerbladed along the riverfront, using a leaf blower to rocket himself forward.
"He's got an old-school 1990s look, and he loves a good one-liner. I would say he's kind of goofy," says Michael Love, who created and plays the character - a mascot of sorts - to help market Chattanooga startup Rent My Equipment.
Launched in 2019, Rent My Equipment is an online marketplace for peer-to-peer short-term rentals - similar to Uber or Airbnb, says Love, but "for the equipment you have sitting around that's underutilized."
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Meet 'Randy McRentals,' a Chattanooga tech mascot helping DIYers everywhere borrow the tools they need
For example, available to rent near Chattanooga are extension ladders, generators and trailers, all of which, Love says, are among the most rented items on the app. There are household tools, from drills to saws, and even event rentals, from grills and smokers to inflatable bounce houses.
"A couple of months ago, someone listed a champagne fountain," Love says of a more unique item.
With experience in video production and a penchant for wearing costumes, Love joined the company as vice president of marketing in December 2020 and has since become a shareholder. "Randy McRentals" made his social media debut - first on Instagram then TikTok - around the same time. In his first video, he Rollerbladed the riverfront with a leaf blower, wearing a bright yellow blazer and matching hard hat. Since the video's launch, Rent My Equipment has grown beyond the greater Chattanooga area to all 50 states and five countries.
The app is free to download, and anybody can join, browse local listings or post available equipment. The equipment owners choose the rate, the times the item is available and whether it will be picked up by or dropped off to the renter. In addition to the rental cost, the renter pays a 10% fee, helping cover the company's equipment protection plan, which insures items for up to $25,000.
Randy McRentals' tagline, "Anything is a rental if you're brave enough," is partly in jest.
"You should only rent out what you're comfortable with. If you're worried about it, if you have an emotional attachment to it - don't list it," Love says.
But for all his character's quirkiness, the company's mission is no-nonsense.
"The cost of goods and scarcity of goods is at an all-time high right now," Love says. "Utilizing rentals is not only a cost-saving option, but it reduces our consumption and that has a positive impact."
Ready to get started on a DIY project but lacking the proper tools? Here are a few rentals near Chattanooga, available on Rent My Equipment.
Photo contributed by Rent My Equipment / Aluminum extension ladder available to rent in Chattanooga through Rent My Equipment.16-foot Aluminum Extension Ladder
Uses: Painting projects; cleaning gutters; or finally taking down your holiday decorations
Located in Chattanooga
Rents for $15/ four hours, $24/ eight hours, $70/ weekly or $200/ monthly on Rent my Equipment
Similar product retails for $159 at Lowe's
Photo contributed by Rent My Equipment / Garden tiller available to rent in Chattanooga through Rent My Equipment.Garden Tiller
Uses: Turning, breaking and loosening compact soil
Located in Hixson, Tennessee
Rents for $50/ four hours or $75/ eight hours on RME
Similar product retails for $899 at Lowe's
Photo contributed by Rent My Equipment / Dump trailer available to rent in Chattanooga through Rent My Equipment.14-foot Dump Trailer
Uses: Hauling heavy junk
* note: A 2 5/8-inch ball is required to pull this trailer
Located in Chattanooga
Rents for $100/ eight hours, $375/ weekly or $1,000/ monthly on RME
Similar product retails for $9,499 at sleequipment.com
Photo contributed by Rent My Equipment / Yakima Skybox available to rent in Chattanooga through Rent My Equipment.Yakima Skybox 18 Carbonite
Uses: Carrying cargo on your vehicle's rooftop
Located in Chattanooga
Rents for $35/ daily or $175/ weekly on RME
Similar product retails for $729 at yakima.com
Saris Bike Rack
Uses: Transporting up to four bikes on your hitch
Located in Signal Mountain, Tennessee
Rents for $50/ daily, $150/ weekly or $325/ monthly on RME
Similar product retails for $1,000 at REI
Inflatable Double Water Slide
Uses: Splish-splashing in the summertime
Located in Hixson, Tennessee
Rents for $250/ daily on RME
Similar product retails for $1,699 on amazon.com