Preparing Your Car for Car Sharing Guests: A New York Host Checklist

A well-prepared car earns better reviews, has fewer problems during trips, and takes less of your time once bookings start. You can do most of this work now: Levy hosts can create a draft listing today, and bookings open when the marketplace launches in your area. Work through the sections below, then use the checklist at the end.

Paperwork and legal basics

Registration. Keep it current. A driver may need to show the registration and insurance card at a traffic stop, so keep current copies in the glovebox.

New York inspection. New York requires a safety inspection at least every 12 months, and an inspection expires on the last day of the month punched on the sticker (NY DMV). The car-sharing law adds a requirement: a program can't let a car be shared without proof of a valid inspection from the past 12 months (GBL § 909). If you also host on Turo, its vehicle eligibility rules require New York-registered cars to have an inspection sticker valid through at least the following month. Don't let the sticker run down to the last week.

Safety recalls. Look up your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and get any open recall repaired before you share. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers, and New York law bars programs from sharing a car with an unrepaired safety recall. Our guide to safety recalls for hosts covers the details and deadlines.

Lease or loan. Read your contract for restrictions on sharing, and ask the lender if it's unclear.

Insurance. Talk to your insurer about how your personal policy treats car sharing and covers the car when it isn't on a trip. During Levy trips, the host protection plan you choose for the car applies.

Mechanical check

A breakdown mid-trip hurts your reviews and your calendar. Before your first trip, and on a regular schedule after that, check:

• Tires: tread depth, pressure, and any damage. Know whether the car has a spare or an inflator kit.

• Brakes: have any noise, pulling, or soft pedal looked at before you share.

• Fluids: oil, coolant, brake fluid, and washer fluid.

• Lights: headlights, brake lights, turn signals, and hazards.

• Wipers: replace streaky blades.

• Battery: have the 12-volt battery tested if it's more than a few years old. Keyless unlock depends on it.

• Warning lights: fix anything on the dashboard before a driver sees it.

• Service schedule: note when the next oil change is due so extra miles don't push you past it.

A New York inspection covers some of these items, but it's a yearly snapshot, not a substitute for regular checks.

Winter prep

Winters in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany are hard on cars, and New York City gets its share of snow and ice too. Before the cold months:

• Fill up with washer fluid rated for freezing temperatures.

• Leave a snow brush and ice scraper in the car.

• Consider winter tires if the car is parked where snow is common, and mention them in your listing.

• Test the battery before the first cold snap.

Clean it like a driver will inspect it

On Levy, drivers photograph the car at pickup, so they'll notice what you missed. A clean car has:

• a vacuumed interior, including under the seats and in the trunk;

• wiped-down surfaces that drivers touch: steering wheel, shifter, door handles, screens, and cup holders;

• clean windows, inside and out;

• a neutral smell, without strong air fresheners;

• an exterior washed recently enough to show its real condition in photos.

Put together a small cleaning kit and a routine you can repeat in the time between trips.

Remove personal items and personal data

Treat the car as if a stranger will spend a weekend in it, because one will.

• Garage door openers and building fobs. Remove anything that opens your home or building.

• Saved addresses. Delete your "Home" and "Work" entries and recent destinations from the car's navigation.

• Paired phones. Remove your phone and other family phones from the infotainment system. After each trip, remove the driver's phone too.

• Documents. Take out anything with personal details, other than the registration and insurance card.

• Valuables and clutter. Empty the glovebox, console, door pockets, and trunk.

• Toll tag. Make a deliberate decision about your E-ZPass tag. E-ZPass rates are lower than Tolls by Mail, and Tolls by Mail bills go to the registered owner (MTA). On Levy, tolls from each trip are matched to that trip and billed to the driver. Our guide to tolls and tickets explains the details.

Stock a few useful things

Keep it simple. Useful items for most cars:

• a phone charging cable that fits common phones;

• a short printed card with the basics: fuel type or charging connector, how to start the car, and where to return it;

• a snow brush and ice scraper in winter;

• for an electric car, the charging cable that came with it, if drivers will need it.

Extra steps for electric cars

If you're sharing an electric car, a few more details matter:

• State of charge. Decide what charge level the car will have at pickup, and put your expectation for return in the listing.

• Charging access. Tell drivers where they can charge near the pickup spot, and whether they can use a charger at your garage or driveway.

• Connector type. Name the car's charging connector in the listing so drivers can plan public charging on longer trips.

• Cold weather. Range drops in the cold, so describe winter range conservatively.

Photograph the car

You need photos for two different jobs.

Listing photos. You need at least three to submit your Levy listing for review, and more help drivers choose. Shoot in daylight: the front three-quarter view, the side, the rear, the front seats, the back seats, and the trunk. Show the car as it is.

Baseline condition photos. Separately, keep a dated set for your own records: every panel, each wheel, the windshield, the interior, and the dashboard showing the mileage. On Levy, drivers will also photograph the car, odometer, and fuel level at pickup and return, which gives you a record for every trip.

Set up handoff

• Make sure your connected-car app can lock and unlock the car, and that the subscription is active.

• Test the unlock from the actual pickup spot, including underground garage levels where signal can drop.

• Find out whether the car can start without the physical key.

• Keep a spare key where you control it, and decide who responds if a remote unlock fails.

Our guide to keyless car-sharing handoff covers each step, and the remote car handoff page explains the technology behind it.

Choose the pickup spot

Where the car waits matters as much as the car itself.

• In New York City, confirm your garage lets another driver take the car, or plan street parking and returns carefully. See parking, pickup, and return in NYC and the NYC page.

• In the suburbs, a driveway is simplest. If you want to use a train station lot, check whether it requires a permit. See the Long Island and Westchester pages.

• Upstate, think about plowing and where the car sits during a snowstorm. See car sharing upstate and the Syracuse and Buffalo pages.

Write a listing that prevents problems

A clear description answers questions before drivers have to ask. Include:

• exactly where the car is parked and how to get in and out of the garage or lot;

• where to return it, and what to do if that spot is taken;

• the fuel type or charging connector;

• anything unusual about the car, such as a quirk in how it starts;

• your expectations about smoking, pets, and cleanliness.

The checklist

• Registration current, with copies of the registration and insurance card in the glovebox

• New York inspection valid well beyond the current month

• No open safety recalls on nhtsa.gov

• Lease or loan terms checked

• Insurer consulted about car sharing

• Tires, brakes, fluids, lights, wipers, and battery checked

• Winter supplies in the car, if needed

• Interior and exterior cleaned

• Garage openers, personal documents, and valuables removed

• Navigation history and paired phones cleared

• E-ZPass decision made

• Listing photos and baseline condition photos taken

• Keyless unlock tested at the pickup spot

• Spare key stored where you control it

• Pickup and return instructions written

When you're done, see how hosting works and the host FAQ.

Start your listing

Start your listing to save a draft for your car today, or join the host list to get launch updates for your area. Bookings open when the marketplace launches.