Book by the Hour, Keep What You Earn — How SpareSpace Works for Guests and Hosts
The traditional way of renting creative spaces in India has always had the same problem from both sides. If you are the guest - a photographer, a workshop organiser, a podcaster, a brand - you are forced to pay for a full day even when you only need a few hours. If you are the host - a studio owner, a gallery operator, a space manager - you either rent to one person for the whole day (leaving money on the table during idle hours) or deal with the chaos of managing bookings yourself through WhatsApp and cash payments.
SpareSpace built something that works for both sides: hourly booking with transparent pricing, secure payments, and zero middlemen eating into anyone's earnings. Here is what that actually means in practice — for shoots, workshops, events, and everything in between.
For Guests: Stop Overpaying for Time You Don't Use
Think about how you actually use a rented space. A product photoshoot takes 2–3 hours. A podcast recording takes 90 minutes to 2 hours. A pottery workshop runs 3 hours. A birthday party lasts an evening — maybe 4 hours. A brand pop-up needs an afternoon. None of these need a full day.
Yet traditional venues in Delhi NCR force you into half-day (₹15,000–₹25,000) or full-day (₹25,000–₹50,000+) minimums. A photographer needing 3 hours pays for 8. A workshop organiser needing an afternoon pays for the whole day plus mandatory catering. The gap between what you need and what you pay for is where your money disappears.
On SpareSpace, that gap does not exist. Book 2 hours, pay for 2 hours. Book 4, pay for 4. The rate is per hour, it is visible on every listing, and there are no hidden charges stacked on top.
| What You Need | Time | Traditional Cost | SpareSpace Cost | You Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product photoshoot | 3 hrs | ₹15,000 (half-day) | ₹4,500 | 70% |
| Podcast recording | 2 hrs | ₹20,000 (full-day) | ₹4,000 | 80% |
| Pottery workshop (20 ppl) | 3 hrs | ₹30,000 (full-day venue) | ₹9,000 | 70% |
| Birthday party (30 ppl) | 4 hrs | ₹40,000 (venue + catering min) | ₹16,000 | 60% |
| Brand pop-up evening | 4 hrs | ₹50,000 (full-day) | ₹24,000 | 52% |
| YouTube filming | 2 hrs | ₹12,000 (half-day) | ₹3,000 | 75% |
Average saving: 50–80% across every use case. That is not a discount code — it is the structural advantage of only paying for hours used.
And the savings compound. A workshop organiser hosting twice a month saves ₹42,000/month — over ₹5 lakh a year. A freelance photographer booking weekly saves ₹40,000+/month. A brand running monthly content shoots saves ₹1–2 lakh annually. The hourly model does not just save money on a single booking — it changes the economics of running a creative practice or business.
Book by the hour on SpareSpace →
For Hosts: Your Space, Your Rates, Your Earnings
Most space owners in Delhi NCR either rent full-day to one client and hope it covers bills, or manage bookings through WhatsApp and cash — spending more time on admin than their actual work. SpareSpace gives hosts something different: a platform where you set your own hourly rate, manage your availability, and keep what you earn.
You set the price. Not SpareSpace. Not a venue agency. Set ₹1,500/hr weekday mornings, ₹2,500/hr Saturday evenings. Offer half-day discounts. Charge premium during peak season. Your strategy.
You keep your earnings. Traditional aggregators take 15–25% commission plus subscription fees. SpareSpace charges a transparent platform fee — hosts are not sharing profits with a middleman who dictates their rates.
You fill hours that were empty. A studio empty 6 hours/day, filling just 3 through SpareSpace at ₹2,000/hr, earns ₹1,20,000/month in pure incremental revenue from hours that generated zero before. Multiple bookings per day — a shoot in the morning, podcast at lunch, workshop in the afternoon.
SpareSpace handles the rest. Discovery, booking management, real-time calendar, secure upfront payments, guest verification, damage coverage, cancellation terms. You handle the space. SpareSpace handles operations.
List your space on SpareSpace →
Why Hourly Works Across Shoots, Workshops, and Events
Shoots: Photographers need 2–4 hours, not a full day. Hourly means more frequent shoots at lower cost. Hosts get multiple shooting clients daily instead of one.
Workshops and Classes: A pottery class runs 3 hours. A yoga session runs 90 minutes. Hourly means organisers price tickets without absorbing ₹30K+ venue overhead. Hosts earn from gaps between weekend events.
Events and Gatherings: A baithak, birthday, pop-up — all time-bound. Guests pay for 3–4 hours their event lasts, not 12 hours of unused venue time. Hosts earn premium evening/weekend rates without blocking the entire day.
Recordings and Filming: Podcasters and YouTubers need focused 2-hour sessions. Hourly means weekly studio sessions instead of monthly — more content, faster growth. Hosts get regular repeat bookings.
The Win-Win That Traditional Venues Cannot Offer
Full-day venues create a lose-lose: guests overpay, hosts under-earn (one booking blocks the whole day). SpareSpace's hourly model flips this — guests pay less per session, hosts earn more per day through multiple bookings.
| Traditional Full-Day | SpareSpace Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| Guest pays for | 8–12 hours (uses 2–4) | Exactly hours used |
| Guest cost | ₹15,000–₹50,000 | ₹3,000–₹16,000 |
| Host bookings/day | 1 | 2–4 |
| Host daily revenue | ₹15,000–₹25,000 | ₹12,000–₹32,000 |
| Host sets own price? | Often dictated by aggregator | Yes — full control |
| Idle hours monetised? | No | Yes |
Join SpareSpace — as a guest or a host →
Frequently Asked Questions
How does hourly booking work?
Guests book by the hour, pay only for time used. Hosts set their own rates. No full-day minimums.
Do hosts share profits with SpareSpace?
No. Hosts keep their earnings. SpareSpace charges a platform fee — not a profit share.
Why is hourly better for guests?
Most activities need 2–4 hours. Hourly saves 50–80% vs traditional full-day pricing.
What can I book hourly?
Studios, podcast rooms, event spaces, workshops, galleries, fitness studios, filming locations — everything on SpareSpace.
SpareSpace — Book by the hour. Keep what you earn. Spaces from ₹500/hr.