This summer, Orlando residents learned about Uber, the smartphone ride-hailing service that allowed regular Joes and Jills to earn extra cash by turning their cars into part-time taxis.

Uber isn't the only way people are using their personal property to supplement their income. Just ask Barrett, who estimates she made an extra $22,000 in 2014 by renting out spare bedrooms in her Audubon Park home to travelers via Airbnb.

"I tried it to see if I could make a side income while I was teaching because I had all these bedrooms I didn't have roommates in," Barrett said. "It's been amazing. It has transformed my life, honestly."

The sharing economy, sometimes called the peer-to-peer economy, uses technology to connect someone who can provide goods or services to someone who needs it, usually for a fee. Airbnb and rival services such as Homeaway are a good example: The websites don't own any property, but they allow travelers to find people with empty homes, apartments or rooms to rent, bypassing the hotel chains of the traditional economy.

The sharing economy picked up steam during the recession, when high unemployment and stagnant wages prompted more people to view their belongings as potential sources of extra income.

Though the economy has improved, the popularity of peer-to-peer options has continued to rise. At the same time, governments are playing catch-up to make sure these startups aren't evading the taxes, fees and regulations that traditional businesses face.

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