Hiring a vehicle has become a very widely used and popular method for getting around on holiday or at home. A huge amount of people every year hire vehicles all over the world for numerous different reasons, as on the whole it’s an inexpensive, simple and often very convenient way of driving a new, expensive car or just getting yourself from A to B.

It’s important however to understand exactly what your responsibilities are when you hire a vehicle in the UK or abroad. Basically, you will be considered to be responsible for anything that happens to the vehicle whilst it is in your possession. That would include any type of damage, from a small paint chip to a completely destroyed vehicle. Even if you get into a collision that wasn’t directly your fault, you will still end up responsible for the damage. This does not mean you’ll be expected to pay for all the repairs should you be rear-ended by another driver, but it doesn mean you will be required to complete the post-crash procedure with insurers, authorities, etc.. This is the same regardless of the vehicle you’re hiring too, whether it’s car, motorbike or van contract hire.

Because all damage is your responsibility, you need to be very aware of clauses in your contract, as well as the state of the vehicle before you take it off the lot. It is then extremely important and highly recommended that you fully inspect the vehicle before you take it off the lot. Look all over the car, both inside and out, and make sure every single scratch, dent, rip or imperfection is properly recorded by the car leasing worker. By doing this you can be confident that the hire car company cannot charge you for any imperfection that was already on the vehicle when you took it out.

The best thing you can do is ensure you properly and fully read your contract before leasing a vehicle. The only way you can know what your responsibilities are and exactly what’s expected of you is to take the time to read the contract. Try not to get too tempted by inexpensive car leasing deals to just put the pen to paper on the contract. If the car hire representative has nothing to worry about or try and hide fro you, then they shouldn’t have any problem with allowing you the time to read your contract before signing it.