A lot of these are non-profit or literally extensions of a public library. My public library has a "Library of Things" that costs as much as it does to check out a book. Free, with late fees if you return it late. It doesn't go as far as expensive power tools, but it has some basic stuff folks might need from time to time, like a basic toolkit.

Yes, private, profit-oriented ones will increase prices to increase profits, but thankfully not all of these are rooted in that.

There are pros and cons to both. Sometimes you should rent, others buy. If you use it every day then buying is often best. If you need it once a decade then rent.

Not exactly. The type of rental discussed in the article is short term, not long term like an apartment.

Also, there will probably be a response in the industry, but it could end up being better overall. For instance, an appliance may end up being designed more for repair and have a longer design lifespan as there are fewer, but more educated, consumers of the appliances. I would expect a steam cleaner that has to run two times a week to be more expensive than one that has to run two times a year.

I don't really see a problem with a model of companies creating fewer, more durable/expensive items that everyone can share.

Better for the environment anyway.