Everything people ask before renting a person who does nothing

Nothing is a platform where you rent a verified, friendly person who does nothing with you. They sit with you, walk with you, or wait with you — and nothing else. Strictly platonic, 18+, public places only.

The idea comes from Shoji Morimoto, Tokyo's "rental person who does nothing". We're bringing it to cities worldwide, with proper verification and safety tooling. The waitlist is open now.

It means paying for someone's presence, not their effort. A Nothing turns up, exists next to you, and makes no demands.

They'll keep you company at a café, be your plus-one at an event, sit with you while you wait, or walk with you. They won't give advice, do chores, perform a job, or be a date. The whole product is a person who is there.

No. Nothing is strictly platonic. No physical contact, no romantic or sexual requests, no private residences, public places only. Requests that cross those lines end the session without a refund and can close the account.

If you want a comparison: it's closer to renting a quiet friend than to anything else on the internet.

No more than hiring a personal trainer, a tour guide or a dog-walker — you're paying for someone's time and presence. The boundaries (strictly platonic, public places only, no obligations either way) are exactly what make it feel normal and safe.

People have quietly wanted this for years. Shoji Morimoto has done it thousands of times in Tokyo since 2018.

No. A lot of people book because they don't want to perform or make conversation. Sitting together in comfortable silence is a completely valid session — your Nothing follows your lead.

Rent-a-friend platforms mostly sell activity partners and hand you a phone number to arrange things off-platform, with verification left largely to you. Nothing sells presence only, keeps everything in-app, verifies every provider (ID + selfie + human approval), uses flat per-session pricing shown up front, and enforces a strict platonic line with an SOS button behind every session.

See the full breakdown: rent-a-friend apps compared.

Be present. In practice that looks like:

• Sitting with you at a café, park bench, or food court
• Walking alongside you — a stroll, a commute, a museum
• Waiting with you — queues, appointments, airports, results
• Coming along as a plus-one to a public event
• Watching a film in the cinema (the seat next to you, filled)
• Listening without offering an opinion

They respond if you talk and stay quiet if you don't. See 50 things people do with a Nothing.

• Chores, errands, physical work, moving boxes
• Childcare, elder care, pet care
• Professional services, counselling or therapy, advice of any kind
• Visit private homes, or share contact details before a confirmed booking
• Anything romantic, sexual, or illegal

Both the client and the Nothing can end a session at any time with the in-app End or SOS button.

One flat price per session length, set for your city and shown before you book:

• 🫧 A Little Nothing — 1 hour of pure presence
• ☁️ A Proper Nothing — 2 hours. Cafés, parks, benches.
• 🌙 A Whole Lot of Nothing — 4 hours. Half a day of blissful company.

An hour costs roughly what a nice lunch costs in your city. Tax is included, tipping is optional, and you cover any tickets, transport or food during the session — same rule Morimoto uses. Exact local prices arrive in your launch email.

1. Join the waitlist — free, about 20 seconds.
2. When your city opens, you get an email. Create an account.
3. Pick a session length (1, 2 or 4 hours), a public meeting place, and a time. Pay in-app.
4. When you meet, you both tap Check-in. The session starts. That's it.

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start. 50% refund inside 24 hours. No refund after the session starts. If your Nothing declines or doesn't turn up, you get a full refund. Refunds go back to the original payment method within 5–10 business days. Full text: Refund & Cancellation Policy.

Yes — this is one of the most common reasons people book. The event needs to be in a public or ticketed venue and the role is platonic. A Nothing will accompany you, stand beside you, and make the evening feel a lot less exposed. You cover the ticket or invitation and any food or transport during the session.

Nothing is launching city by city, worldwide. The waitlist is open to everyone, everywhere — wherever you are, you can join.

Add your city when you sign up: demand decides which cities open first, so every sign-up helps move yours up the queue.

Yes. You can set a same-gender pairing preference, and in regions where local customs call for it that preference is on by default (with sessions pausing for prayer times where relevant). Everywhere else, filter as you like.

Meeting a stranger deserves real safety tooling, not a disclaimer. Here's what ships on day one:

• 🪪 ID + selfie verification for every Nothing, approved by a human
• 🏙️ Public venues only, with messaging kept in-app
• 🚨 SOS button for both people — shows your local emergency number, ends the session, refunds the client and alerts our safety team
• Either party can decline or end a session, no reasons needed

Longer answer: Is it safe to rent a friend? Policy text: Safety.

18 or older — to book and to become a Nothing. Every provider is ID-verified and the app won't accept anyone underage.

No. A Nothing is company, not care. They aren't counsellors and they don't give advice. If you're struggling, please talk to a qualified professional or a local helpline. Nothing can sit beside you; it can't treat you.

Join the waitlist as a provider. When your city opens: verify your identity (ID + selfie, human-approved), set your availability, and accept the bookings you like. Show up. Exist.

You keep 85% of every session, paid weekly, and you can decline any booking or end any session without giving a reason. Read how to get paid to do nothing and the Provider Agreement.

The Tokyo man who, since 2018, has rented himself out as a "person who does nothing" for a flat fee of around ¥10,000 per session. Clients have asked him to sit with them at cafés, watch them run marathons, witness difficult moments, or simply fill a seat. His story has been covered by the BBC, ABC, Fortune and Vice, and inspired a TV drama and a book. Read the full story.

We're in pre-launch and open city by city as each waitlist fills. Join and you'll get an email the moment your city goes live, with exact local prices.

Message @rentanothing on Instagram. Safety reports get a response within 24 hours.