What can you borrow from your neighbours?
The useful test is not price, it is frequency. If you will use something fewer than about five times and then have to find space for it, it is a good candidate for borrowing. In a flat, where storage is the scarcest thing you own, that covers more than people expect.
Below are the categories residents in Indian apartment communities most often share. These are examples to give you the idea — what is actually available depends on your own community, so have a look at what is listed near you.
Tools and DIY
The classic case. A drill gets used for about twelve minutes in its life and then occupies a shelf for a decade.
- Drills and drill bits
- Step ladders
- Screwdriver and spanner sets
- Angle grinders and jigsaws
- Pressure washers
Ask for the bits or attachments at the same time — a drill without the right bit is not much use.
Browse tools →Events and gatherings
Birthdays, housewarmings, a match on a big screen. Almost all of it is single-evening equipment.
- Folding tables and extra chairs
- Serving dishes and large vessels
- Projectors and screens
- Bluetooth speakers
- Fairy lights and decor
Worth asking a week ahead. Festival weekends get busy in most societies.
Browse party and event items →Babies and children
Children outgrow things faster than the things wear out, which makes this the category most worth sharing within a society.
- Strollers and prams
- Travel cots
- High chairs
- Carriers
- Toys and ride-ons for a visiting cousin
Check condition and cleanliness in person, and be honest about wear when you lend.
Browse baby and kids items →Travel and outdoors
Gear that comes out once or twice a year and takes up a whole shelf in between.
- Large suitcases and duffels
- Tents and sleeping bags
- Trekking poles and rucksacks
- Coolers and ice boxes
Agree the return date before a trip, since the lender may need it for their own.
Browse outdoor gear →Household and kitchen
Appliances bought for one recipe or one guest visit, then rarely opened again.
- Garment steamers
- Air fryers and sandwich makers
- Vacuum cleaners
- Sewing machines
- Extra mattresses and folding beds
Return appliances clean. It is the single thing lenders mention most.
Browse electronics and appliances →Books and games
Low-risk, easy to hand over, and the usual way people start using LendNest at all.
- Novels and non-fiction
- Competitive exam guides
- Board games
- Musical instruments to try before buying
These are often given away rather than lent. Worth checking Give Away too.
Browse books and hobbies →Cannot find it listed?
Most things in a society are not listed anywhere — they are simply in somebody's store room. Post a community request saying what you need and when, and let your neighbours tell you who has one.
How Ask Your Community worksCommon questions
- What is worth borrowing instead of buying?
- As a rule of thumb, anything you will use fewer than about five times, that costs more than a takeaway meal, and that you would then have to store. Drills, ladders, projectors, strollers, large suitcases and party equipment all fit. Things you use weekly usually do not.
- How do I find one of these nearby?
- Browse the Borrow section for items listed by verified residents of your community. If nobody has listed what you need, post a community request and let neighbours tell you who has one.
- What if nobody in my community has it?
- Post a community request anyway. Plenty of things sit in store rooms without ever being listed, and a request is often how they surface.
- Is borrowing free?
- It depends on the listing. Some residents lend free, some set a small daily amount, and some items are given away permanently. The listing says which before you request.
- What should I check before borrowing something?
- Inspect it together at handover, agree the return date, and ask about anything specific — a missing attachment, a knack to starting it, a part that is fragile. Meet in a common area such as the lobby or clubhouse.