Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

We have a large ~20K person BuyNothing community in my area (also NYC), and a few of us have thrown the same idea of a tool library around. We always hit a wall on the discussion of liability & liability insurance. Any ideas on how other organizations solve this?

Minneapolis/St Paul has at least one tool library (with multiple locations). MN Tool Library. Mentioning it in case someone in this thread is interested and lives nearby. Worth it, especially if you know have projects coming up. Lots of tools, indoor and outdoor, and some space for using the tools at their space , and lots of know-how from the staff/volunteers.

Edit: in the same vein, Minneapolis also has a Toy Library that is pay what you can for annual membership and absolutely stocked with toys for every age, and includes outdoor stuff like trampolines and bikes (small sizes) and board games and such. Very worth it for kids that only maintain interest for 2 hours and helps them learn how to give up a toy before getting a new one (similar to adults learning to return a tool…)

The Brooklyn Public Library in Green Point has a tool library, although it isn't very large if that's close to you at all. I'm not sure if it's available at any other library locations but the one in Green Point is fairly new and has great programming.

That's a really good idea. A community-run tool library with donations + a small monthly fee could be a game changer, especially in dense cities. It makes DIY more accessible without the cost or storage hassle. We'll certainly think about how this model could be implemented!!

Seattle has a few non profit tool libraries. Membership is $60/yr. Instead of buying a $200 bulky tool I use once every 5 years that I have to keep sharp and maintain, I just go there.

For items that I use once per month, I still keep handy, b/c driving 20+ minutes is just not worth it.

Their tools are also in good condition and there are volunteers that maintain them. They also help with bike repairs too.

Specifically, I am a member here: https://seattlereconomy.org/

Curious though — when you were lending or borrowing items, did you ever run into any issues or friction? Things like no-shows, damage, or unclear expectations? We’re trying to learn from real experiences to make it smoother for everyone.

Absolutely — couldn’t agree more.

In most neighborhoods, there’s really no need for everyone to own the same tools, especially for things you use once or twice a year. That mindset of sharing over consuming is exactly what we’re trying to support with Patio — whether it's lending for free, renting, or just making it easier to know who has what nearby.

The more we can encourage that kind of local connection, the less we all need to buy — and the better it is for everyone.

Totally fair point — and really appreciate the honest feedback.

Our goal is to build a platform where people can learn, educate, rent, and share tools within a community that loves DIY. The “Explore” section is part of our effort to surface great tutorials and ideas, but we hear you — the rental experience should be front and center.

We’re working on making that more clear from the start. Thanks again for the insight — it really helps us improve.

Tool libraries are starting to take off. Ours is $35/quarter and gives you free access to their full library:

https://mtl.myturn.com/library/inventory/browse

Really appreciate you sharing that example—it perfectly captures the kind of use case we’re building Patio for. DIY is awesome, but yeah, not every tool needs to be owned, stored, or bought new. Renting something like a post hole digger from a neighbor for a few bucks just makes sense. That’s exactly the gap we’re trying to fill—making borrowing as easy as buying, and helping people save space, money, and waste. Thanks again for the encouragement!

> I think DIY is growing, it’s a great way to save money and it’s only becoming easier with YouTube to help you through most any job.

Tangent on DIY... I keep trying and keep needing to call in a professional eventually when I get out of my depth or break something worse. Or youtube isn't quite right.

Youtube seems to only have stuff that's recent. If your model isn't in the last 5-10 years or built that recently. Like I was trying swap out some light switches, on youtube it looked easy, the actual box in the wall I have looked different i guess because it was wired almost 40 years ago now.

What would be an amazing resource is someway to ask a pro for like 10 min so I can go do it my self with some clear personalized instructions. That would probably be expensive since labor is the expensive part of almost every job though.

Yes, thrift store rocks but it's also easy to stack up tools we only use occasionally, they add up fast. We're planning to offer the same kind of base tools for free rental through the platform.

Maybe this home that’s designated as the depot could be staffed regular hours and have giant orange letters on the outside so people could find their nearby Home Depot more easily.

I like the idea of sharing (and freely do with friends already), but as a busy person and pretty avid DIYer, I don’t see the benefit of trying to undercut HD’s tool rental (which is convenient, open lots of hours, rarely any wait and never a no-show, and I’m often buying something there anyway when tackling a project that I’m short a tool for).

AirBnB and even Turo make sense because of the value of the item. “I’m going to coordinate a time to spend 15 minutes picking up and coordinate another time to spend 15 minutes returning a hammer that I can buy for $9 on Amazon with same-day delivery or ‘free’ tomorrow delivery” doesn’t have nearly the same appeal.

Thanks a lot for sharing all of this! That’s a really thoughtful approach — and very aligned with how we’ve been thinking about it too.

The neighborhood-level model is especially compelling — tools within walking distance, built-in trust, and someone local acting as a tool steward or mini-hub. We’ve been exploring similar ideas, including ways to support individuals or organizations that want to take on that role.

Disrupting the traditional tool ownership model while creating new local economies is exactly the kind of long-term potential we see here. Would love to hear more about your original thinking — feel free to reach out at julien@patio.so!

That’s awesome — and exactly the kind of community we want to support.

We’re working on tools to help launch local libraries: policy templates, waivers, safety guides, and yes, even subscription options (e.g. $X/month for unlimited borrowing) to keep things simple and sustainable.

You’d be able to set rules around pricing, consumables, and tool access — and we’re adding features like liability waivers and hazard flags to help reduce your personal risk as a host.

Would this solve most of the questions and concerns?

We just update the top navigation bar on desktop. Now that it's more prominent, it should now be easier to navigate.

Thank you for your feedback — — :) We will definitely improve the desktop navigation discoverability since it's not the first time we heard this issue. I'll also use less "—" in my writing since it seems like people don't really like it much

Great question — this is one of the biggest challenges in peer-to-peer rentals, and something we take seriously.

Right now, we’re working on adding features like optional insurance, deposits, and ID verification to help protect both owners and renters. The goal is to make sure there’s a clear, fair process in place when things go wrong — especially with high-value tools.

Ultimately, we want to build a platform where trust is backed by real safeguards, not just good intentions. If you’ve got ideas or want to chat more about this, feel free to reach out at julien@patio.so — always open to feedback!

Super good point — we're working hard to add security features to make the platform as secure and easy to use. Stay tuned :)

Thanks a lot for the feedback—really appreciate it! Totally agree that ease of listing is key. We're actively working on making the process super simple with AI-powered automation, and also improving how people search and discover listings. Love the idea of integrating store rentals too—that's on our radar!

How does your tool library work? Who organizes it? Sounds really interesting.

We’ve updated the desktop navigation bar to be more prominent and easier to use. Thanks for your feedbacks!

Thanks a ton for the feedback — that's super helpful.

You're absolutely right about the nav getting lost — we’re working on improving the contrast and layout so it’s clear from the start that Patio is more than just content aggregation.

In addition to tutorials and articles, Patio includes a marketplace where people can rent tools and share or sell surplus building materials. There’s also a quiz section designed like Duolingo, where users can learn DIY skills interactively — from electrical and plumbing to woodworking and more.

Were you on mobile or desktop when you noticed the issue? That’ll really help us improve the experience. Thanks again for the great insight!

We will take a look and try to figure out of what is happening there, thanks for your feedbacks, it's really appreciated.

I rent tools all the time they work well but are typically mid tier and 1/5 -1/3 of the price of a new one. There is a lot of labor involved after a rental to clean up and maintain the tool in decent working order though.

You're right, some tool rental service are not perfect! Maybe if they had a better platform and more users, they would be able to update their inventory more frequently. This is also what we aim to help solve.

Haha — we’d love to hear what patio11 thinks too!

You’re totally right: the rental side definitely benefits from network effects, which is why we’re building more than just a rental marketplace. Alongside that, we’ve launched DIY interactive duolingo style quizzes, project ideas, and launching material surplus and tools marketplace — so there’s real value for users even before there’s a large local inventory.

As for users, we’re still early but growing steadily — especially in communities wanting to connect around shared DIY interests. Appreciate the encouragement!

Totally get that — and it’s a big reason why platforms like this haven’t taken off sooner.

We’ve heard the same concern from a lot of people, and we’re working on solutions like optional insurance, ID verification, and clear guidelines to help reduce that risk for everyone involved. The goal is to make borrowing tools feel as natural and safe as borrowing a cup of sugar from a neighbor — but with real protections in place when it matters.

And yes — your example is exactly the kind of use case we’re building for. Tools like planers and jointers are expensive, bulky, and rarely used often enough to justify owning.

> the litigious culture we have

If somebody damages your expensive tool, or you are injured by their faulty tool, and they refuse to compensate you, what do you think should happen?

Thanks so much for the thoughtful feedback! You're absolutely right — connecting rentals directly to DIY tutorials is exactly the vision. We want to turn every tutorial into a “DIY kit,” where you can learn how to do something and rent the exact tools needed nearby.

We’re also going a step further with our quiz section — think of it as Duolingo for home improvement. Instead of just watching tutorials, you learn step-by-step through interactive quizzes across topics like plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and more. It’s early days, but the goal is to make learning and doing as seamless as possible.

https://patio.so/quiz

Great questions — and ones we hear often.

Patio is a community-driven platform that helps people rent and share tools locally while also discovering DIY tutorials and resources. We focus on trust with verified profiles, user reviews, and local connections.

We're also working on adding insurance options to better protect tool owners and renters, along with features like ID verification and deposits to reduce risk.

If you’re interested or have ideas, feel free to reach out at julien@patio.so — would love to chat!

Thank you — really appreciate that, and you nailed one of the biggest problems we’re trying to solve. Those “budget” DIY videos often skip over the fact that the creator is using thousands of dollars' worth of tools most people don’t have — we want to close that gap and make DIY more accessible for everyone.

As for fraud and theft, that’s a key challenge as we grow. Right now, we focus on building trust through verified profiles, user reviews, and local connections. But we’re also actively working on adding insurance options, deposits, and ID verification to better protect tool owners.

We believe people should feel safe sharing their tools — and we’re designing the platform so that responsibility doesn’t fall solely on the host. More to come on that soon!

Hahha, that made me smile too — thank you! We’re planning to add an option for online payments in the future, but we’ll always keep the choice to handle it yourself or just lend for free. And, I agree, Montreal is such a nice city!

This is pretty cool, nice to know that this is commonly used in Sweden!

Hahaha, I don't think this is on our priority list yet tho!

We’ve updated the desktop top navigation bar. It should makes it much easier to navigate now :)

Totally fair feedback — and you're right, the layout feels unexpected on desktop.

We're designing mobile-first, since most of our early users are on phones, but we're actively working on making the desktop experience much clearer and more intuitive too. Really appreciate you pointing this out — it helps us improve!

Totally fair take — and you're right, tool rental isn’t new. We’re fans of tool libraries and rental shops, and we’re not trying to replace them. But many of the tool libraries we’ve spoken to are using outdated software that doesn’t really meet their needs — limited inventory visibility, clunky systems, and not much support for growing their community. That’s part of what we’re building with Patio: something more modern and community-friendly. We’re bootstrapped and based in Montreal, so all of this is really grounded in real-world DIY needs we’ve seen firsthand.

Thanks so much — really appreciate the support!

Totally agree with you. Public libraries and tool libraries are doing great work, but they often have limited inventory or older tools, and can’t always meet the variety of needs people have for DIY projects.

That’s exactly what we’re aiming to complement with Patio — by tapping into the tools already sitting in people’s garages, we can expand access, improve variety and quality, and make it easier for folks to find what they need without having to buy new.

Thanks again for the encouragement — it means a lot!

Totally agree — DIY varies a lot by country, from building codes to materials and even terminology.

Localization is high on our list. We're working on ways to adapt learning content by region, so users see tutorials, terms, and standards that actually make sense for where they live. Thanks for pointing it out — it's a big part of where we're heading.

Glad you liked the banner — and appreciate you taking the time to explore it!

Totally fair question on pricing. We’re working on adding pricing suggestions based on similar tools nearby, so users have a better sense of what’s fair without guessing.

On the legal side — yep, we’re exploring tool condition checkboxes, waivers, and optional insurance to help protect both sides. Power tools come with real risks, and we want to make sure there's enough structure to keep things safe and clear for everyone involved.

Thank you so much for your feedback! We're working hard on improving the UX and this is really helping us pinpoint areas that we should be improving.

I just update the logic and you will now be able to select all subjects if you prefer this way :)

This is a great feedback. Right now, you can select between 2 and 10 categories but we will add this possibility as soon as possible!

Totally valid points — and ones we’ve been thinking about a lot.

The feed isn’t meant to be just another Pinterest-style scroll — we’re curating high-quality DIY tutorials, guides, and projects to help people learn and take action. We also recently added an AI-powered search so you can quickly find relevant content by asking real questions, like “how do I replace a light switch?” instead of just browsing categories. That said, we know the feed needs to feel more purposeful, and we’re actively improving that.

On tool rentals — you’re absolutely right that big stores and tool libraries exist. We’re not trying to replace them, but to fill in the gaps: making it easier to find tools nearby that might not be available otherwise, support neighbor-to-neighbor sharing, and help smaller or underserved communities. We’re also working with tool libraries to modernize their systems and increase their visibility.

Really appreciate the honest feedback — it’s exactly what helps us get better.