It is the most prominent example of a huge new "sharing economy", in which people rent beds, cars, boats and other assets directly from each other, co-ordinated via the internet.

Bedrooms and cars are the most obvious examples, but you can also rent camping spaces in Sweden, fields in Australia and washing machines in France

And it is not just individuals: the web makes it easier for companies to rent out spare offices and idle machines, too.

Airbnb says hosts in San Francisco who rent out their homes do so for an average of 58 nights a year, making $ 9.3000.

Car owners who rent their vehicles to others using RelayRides make an average of $250 a month; some make more than $1,000.

The same may happen with the sharing economy, which also provides new opportunities for enterprise, Some people have bought cars solely to rent them out, for example

People who rent out rooms should pay tax, of course, but they should not be regulated like a Ritz-Carlton hotel.

The man's apartment is ready for rent.

The woman should rent a nicer apartment.

She has got camping gear for rent.

The person who was supposed to rent it just backed town to take a room on campus.