What to Check When You Collect Your Rental Car

Most problems with rental cars don't start at the checkout desk. They start at the forecourt.

Taking a few minutes to inspect the vehicle properly before you drive away can give you a clear record of its condition at collection — which may be useful if any question about damage arises later. This is the routine I'd suggest before you pull out of the rental yard.

Photograph and Video the Vehicle First

Before you do anything else with the car, get your phone out.

Take photographs from all four corners of the vehicle. Take close-up shots of anything you notice — not just obvious damage, but any marks, scuffs, or blemishes on the bodywork. Then record a slow, steady walkaround video that covers the whole car.

Your device will automatically stamp the date and time on each file. The more clearly you document the vehicle's condition at collection, the more straightforward it becomes to establish what was already there if a question arises later.

Inspect Each Body Panel Carefully

Small dents and dings can be surprisingly easy to miss if you simply stand and look straight at the side of the car.

Instead, try this:

• Bend down and look along the length of each panel from an angle
• Crouch slightly and allow light to reflect across the surface
• Walk around the car and view each panel from several different positions

This can make shallow dents, ripples, and surface creases much easier to spot than a straight-on inspection.

Check the Lower Parts of the Vehicle

It's easy to focus on the parts of the car at eye level and miss what's closer to the ground.

Pay particular attention to:

• Front and rear bumper lower edges
• Side sills below the doors
• Lower corners of bumpers
• Wheel arch edges

These areas tend to pick up more knocks than most and are straightforward to overlook during a quick walkaround.

Tyres and Wheel Rims

Inspect all four tyres, the alloy wheels or wheel trims, and the tyre sidewalls. Where a spare tyre is supplied and accessible, check that too.

Look for:

• Scuffs or kerb marks on alloys
• Chips or scratches on wheel trims
• Cuts, bulges, or visible tears on tyre sidewalls
• Any other damage to the wheels themselves

Take a clear photograph of each wheel, even if nothing obvious stands out.

Windscreen and All Glass

Check the windscreen, rear window, all side windows, and the mirrors.

Look for:

• Stone chips
• Hairline cracks
• Star-shaped chips or spreading cracks
• Scratches on any glass surface

Glass damage can be difficult to see at first glance, particularly in poor or flat light.

Take Your Time

Rental locations can be busy — particularly at peak collection times — but you should still give yourself a few minutes to go over the vehicle properly before you leave.

A short, careful inspection at the start of the rental can give you a much clearer record of the car's condition. There's no need to rush it.

If You Notice Existing Damage

If you spot a mark or area of damage during your inspection, here's what to do:

1. Photograph it clearly, close up, from multiple angles.
2. Take wider shots that show where on the vehicle the damage is located.
3. Check the rental company's vehicle condition report, app, or paperwork to see whether it has already been recorded.
4. If it isn't listed, bring it to the attention of a member of staff before you leave, where reasonably possible.
5. Ask for it to be added to the vehicle condition record or otherwise acknowledged in writing.
6. Keep copies of any photographs, app records, emails, or other documentation relating to it.

The process varies between rental companies. What matters most is that you have a clear photographic record and, where possible, you've flagged anything unrecorded before you drive away.

Pre-Departure Checklist

Run through this before you leave the rental yard:

• Phone out — photographs and video taken before moving the car
• All four corners photographed from a distance
• Body panels inspected at an angle (not just head-on)
• Lower bumpers, sills, and wheel arches checked
• All four tyres and wheels photographed
• Windscreen, rear window, and all side glass inspected
• Mirrors checked for chips or cracks
• Any existing damage noted and verified against the condition report
• Unrecorded damage flagged with a staff member, where possible
• Condition report, rental agreement, and any relevant emails saved