Essential Checklist For A Stress-Free Vehicle Hire

Written by VMS Vehicle Hire on 27th April 2017

Essential Checklist For A Stress-Free Vehicle Hire

Renting a vehicle is a great and easy way to keep you moving, whether you are delivering goods, travelling with your family or looking to arrive somewhere in style. 

In order to make sure you have a great hiring process, we have put together a list of items you need to check before picking up your car:

  • Age Limit

Verifying that you are the right age to drive should be the very first step. Most rental companies consider 21-75 as being a suitable age range to hire a vehicle.

  • Legal Documents

Here at VMS, we will ask for an original ID (ie., driving licence or passport) for yourself and any named driver, proof of home address and a DVLA validation Code.

  • Driving Licence

Always travel with your driving licence. In case you do forget, however, don’t worry! You can still hire a vehicle from VMS by getting an online ‘check code’ and paying a small fee.

  • Extra Drivers

If you wish to share the route with other drivers, have their original ID ready and register them as officially named drivers.

  • Equipment

Think of any additional equipment that you may need during the drive such as satnav, roof bars etc. and check with your vehicle provider ahead of the hire if these are available. 

  • Tolls, fines or penalty charges

For most rental companies, it's your responsibility to pay any congestion charges, tolls or fines. Careful paying these in time as you will be charged admin fees if the rental company has to process them for you!

  • Total Rental Charges

Always verify the included services of the total rental charges before purchasing a rental vehicle. This will avoid frustrating checkout surprises, as many rental companies try to cover up costly extras. Instead, choose all-inclusive rates like VMS, covering:

• Daily Rental Charge

• VAT

• Insurance Cover

• 24/7 Accident, Maintenance and Breakdown Cover

  • Vehicle inspection & return

Before driving off, it is your responsibility to fully inspect the vehicle and any accessories and report any pre-existing issues. For returns, a rule of thumb is to return the vehicle in a clean and tidy condition with a correct level of fuel.

This checklist should hopefully assist you to be better prepared to hire any kind of vehicle and have a stress-free journey. As these conditions vary for each vehicle hire company, make sure to discuss all the eight checkpoints above with your rental company before starting your hire.

To view the wide VMS vehicle fleet, including car, van, 4x4, HGV and dual control hire visit www.vmsvehiclehire.co.uk
 Back to News

Recent News