Returning a Hire Car: What You Need to Know

Don’t allow your experience of hiring a car to be marred by receiving additional fines and fees that could easily have been avoided; follow UK Car & Van Rental’s guide to returning a hire car to ensure you have the most stress-free rental possible.

Arrive in plenty of time

Arriving late can result in hefty late charges, so set off back to the rental dealership early, allowing extra time for unexpected hold ups or traffic that could cause the journey to be longer than normal. You should aim to return the vehicle at least 30 minutes before the check-in closes to give the attendee enough time to thoroughly check the vehicle.

Fill up the fuel

If you are contracted to return your hire vehicle with a specific amount of petrol in the tank, make sure you have met this requirement. It’s best to fill up at a garage as close to the dealership as possible to avoid running down the petrol on your journey, but if you do fill up a little further away, allow for extra petrol to make the journey.

Inspect the vehicle for damage

We’re sure that you will have taken good care of your vehicle, and certainly would have noticed any damage your driving could have caused, but it is best to check the exterior of the car for any bumps or scratches that could have been caused by pedestrians or other drivers that you may not be aware of – the attendee who checks the car will be quick to enquire about any imperfections to the vehicle.

Collect all of your personal belongings

Your personal belongings can spread far and wide without you realising, especially in a moving vehicle! Take the time to carefully remove all of your belongings, including phone chargers, sat navs and their mounts and any other connectors. Don’t forget to check under the seats, in the boot and in the dashboard for items you may have forgotten about, and check you’ve taken CDs out of the player!

Clean up after yourself

Remove all evidence of your time in the vehicle before you return it to the rental. They won’t appreciate cleaning up your crisp packets, rubbish bags or empty bottles, and can issue you a cleaning charge if they feel it necessary. This goes for the car exterior, too; if the vehicle has gotten dusty or muddy over your rental period, take it to a car wash before you return it. It’s not just good manners, in some cases it’s a necessity.

UK Car & Van Rental offer affordable rentals of high-quality vehicles across Crawley and the surrounding areas. Our huge fleet covers everything from cars to MPVs, mini buses to vans, so we’re guaranteed to have a vehicle that suits your purpose. For more information on our vehicles and services, contact a member of our award winning customer service team here and we’ll be happy to discuss your requirements in more detail.