Whether you\u2019re a member of the car rental company\u2019s loyalty program or you walked up to the rental counter, when you drove away in a vehicle you entered into a contract with the car rental company.<\/p>\n
Plan your route<\/strong><\/p>\n Allow plenty of time for your drive. Rental companies charge penalty fees for late car returns, so check when the car is due back. Online maps can predict journey-times. If you\u2019re not sure where to go, give the rental company a call. You\u2019ll find their number in the rental paperwork.<\/p>\n Gather all your things<\/strong><\/p>\n As well as the boot, it\u2019s worth checking the glove compartment, door buckets, underneath the seats, and back-seat pockets. Apart from your own belongings, it\u2019s also a good idea to take all the paperwork the counter staff gave you. These documents are handy if anything comes up afterwards.<\/p>\n If there\u2019s an agent in the car park<\/strong><\/p>\n Wave at the rep to come over when you\u2019re ready. Hopefully they will check the car with you, give you the end-of-rental paperwork (often called \u2018check-in form\u2019) and take the car key. Once they are sure everything is fine, they will unblock or refund your security deposit (although this can take up to two weeks to come through).<\/p>\n If you can\u2019t see an agent in the car park <\/strong><\/p>\n Look out for a drop box for car keys. It will have the rental company\u2019s name and logo on it. The drop box is useful for when there aren\u2019t any staff available or the office is closed.\u00a0 If you can\u2019t see a drop box for car keys, check the office door for information or a phone number.<\/p>\n Record any damage<\/strong><\/p>\n If the vehicle was damaged during the rental, the car company is going to require a Condition Change Report. Take photos so you have proof of exactly how extensive the damage is. Unless you have an accident report showing another party is wholly responsible for the damage, the rental car company is going to come after you for damages. Even if the car was not damaged during your rental, it\u2019s always a good idea to take photos when you return the car as proof in case there is ever a claim.<\/p>\n Taking photographs of the car’s condition when it’s returned might help if there are any issues over damage after a rental.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019re safely parked up, take a photo of the fuel indicator and the mileage. Then step outside to photograph the car\u2019s front, rear and sides.<\/p>\n These will come in handy if you get unexpected charges for any additional damage, mileage or missing fuel.<\/p>\n Get a receipt<\/strong><\/p>\n Whether printed or emailed, a copy of the return receipt shows the vehicle was returned at a set date, time, odometer reading, and fuel level.<\/p>\n How to Return a Rental Car After Hours<\/strong><\/p>\n The upshot is that there are a lot of scenarios where the rental rate can change due if you return the car at a different time than planned.<\/p>\n Contract Modification Fees<\/strong><\/p>\n If you return your rental car at a time other than what is on your rental agreement, the company might charge a Contract Modification fee. While the rental car company will ordinarily charge only for days used, there might be additional fees involved with changing the contract after pickup.<\/p>\n Early Return and Late Return Fees<\/strong><\/p>\n You may assume a rental car company would love to get its car back early. But remember the rental car contract? If you return a vehicle early, the company may not be able to rent it out for those days. There\u2019s also depreciation, the vicious daily expense for rental car firms.<\/p>\n Early return is a situation where the renter returns the rental vehicle before the agreed drop-off time. The supplier may give the renter a refund or charge an Early Return Fee, depending on the supplier\u2019s terms and conditions. For this reason, it is important to read the terms and conditions before returning the vehicle early.<\/p>\n