RentLah: Peer-to-Peer Rental Platform for Singapore

Inspiration

One of us wanted to try pickleball but didn't want to spend $100+ on a set for what might just be a one-time thing. But then it turned out that a friend had a barely-used set sitting in their storeroom. That's when we realized that actually in Singapore, there's no centralized platform for renting stuff from your neighbors.

We looked around and found nothing. Carousell and Facebook Marketplace are for selling, not renting. There are some individual rental shops, but they're expensive and limited. So we thought, why can't we just borrow from people nearby who already own this stuff?

What it does

RentLah lets you rent items from people in your neighborhood. Sports equipment, cameras, camping gear, board games - stuff people buy once and barely use.

The platform has:

Listings with photos, pricing, and availability calendars
Search by category or location on a map
In-app messaging to coordinate pickup/return
Stripe payment integration with security deposits
User profiles linked to Clerk authentication

The process is simple: find an item, select your dates, pay through Stripe, arrange pickup, use it, and return it. The security deposit gets refunded when you return the item in good condition.

How we built it

We built the frontend using React with TypeScript and styled everything with TailwindCSS. We integrated Google Maps for the location-based search.

For the backend, we used Supabase for the database and Edge Functions, Clerk for authentication, and Stripe for payments.

The database stores listings, users, rentals, and messages. Edge Functions handle the Stripe checkout sessions and webhook events. We sync user data from Clerk to Supabase so we can display profile information on listings.

The map view shows nearby listings. Users can click a listing, see the details, book their dates, and go through Stripe checkout. It was pretty straightforward once we figured out the payment flow.

Challenges we ran into

Stripe was harder than expected. We had to figure out how to charge the full amount (rental + deposit) but only keep the rental fee and refund the deposit later. It took a few tries to get the webhook handling right.

Syncing user data between Clerk and Supabase was annoying. Users would sign up in Clerk but we needed their info in our database too. We built an auto-sync function that runs on login.

We wanted to add reviews, insurance, and item condition tracking but ran out of time. We had to cut features to get something working.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We got the entire payment flow working end-to-end. You can actually rent something, pay with a test card, and the money flow works correctly.
We built a real-time messaging system so renters and owners can coordinate.
The map interface actually looks decent and makes it easy to find stuff nearby.
Everything is mobile-responsive, which matters since people will probably use this on their phones.
We shipped something that solves a real problem we've personally experienced.

What we learned

Payment systems are complicated. Stripe is powerful but you need to think through refunds, webhooks, and all the edge cases.
Supabase is actually pretty good for hackathons. No server to manage, scales automatically, and Edge Functions are easy once you get the hang of them.
In Singapore, there really isn't a centralized platform for peer-to-peer rentals, so it would be really nice to have such a platform.

What's next for RentLah

Add an owner approval system. Right now payment goes through immediately, but owners should be able to accept or decline requests first.
Implement notifications for bookings and reminders for returns.
Add in reviews and ratings system, which would help people build trust in the platform.
Item condition reports with photos at pickup and return to help protect both parties.
Insurance options for expensive items to reduce risk.
A verification system for trusted users to increase safety.

Long term, we think this could actually reduce waste in Singapore. People buy expensive stuff for one-time use and it sits in their storeroom. RentLah would let them make some money back while helping others try new hobbies without dropping hundreds of dollars.