What is a Car Rental Agreement?

A car rental agreement is a document that an individual who wants to rent a car has with a car rental company. Not all of us have the means to go everywhere with the comfort of a car. We may want to go to some place and we need a vehicle that can make it possible. Or we have an extravagant event and we want a good car that can escort us. Whatever is our reason for renting, the car rental companies have a variety of cars that we can choose from for the event that we are going to have. Whether we are going to have a simple car rental agreement, an enterprise car rental agreement, a budget car rental agreement, a long-term rental car agreement, or a car lease rental agreement, we can depend on the car rental company for our needs to have a vehicle to use for the place that we are about to go. A car is a must when we have to go places. Even if you are an employee who needs to go to your work every day, you may need the help of a car rental company. The only basic thing that you have to do is to make payment for the car. Auto rental or vehicle rental is offered by many car rental companies. You can even rent a car with a budget rental. You just need a contract and you can have a short-term or a long-term rental. Even if you need a month-to-month car needs, the car rental companies can accommodate your needs. Whether for personal use or company use, many cars will be available to you. It is easy to rent a car if you just have money and you can enter a car rental agreement. You can have what you need, without sweating to get it.

Elements of a Car Rental Agreement

Before you fill up a car rental agreement form or a personal car rental agreement form, you should first be aware of the important elements of a car rental agreement. This way, you will know if you are entering the right agreement. Know the elements so that you can check if you are going to have a good agreement. Read the following and learn the elements of a car rental agreement:

Information of Parties

The details of the two parties who are going to enter the agreement should be written in the car rental agreement. You should write the name of the person who is going to rent the car and all his or her important contact information. You should also write the business name of the car rental company and its contact information. If you are having a car rental agreement between friends, you should write the name of the person who owns the car and his or her contact information.

Car Description

You should have a full description of the car in the agreement. This is important because the renter should return the same car that he or she has borrowed. You must include the model of the car, its make, its color, the year it has been made, its identification number, and all other essential things. If the car has any existing dents or damages, you must be clear about it in the agreement. This way, you will acknowledge that your car has already been damaged and you cannot blame the borrower for it.

Duration of Agreement

You should write the duration of the agreement. It is the date when the renter will start renting the car and the date when he or she will return the car. The renter must return the car on the said date or he or she may pay more fees for not adhering to the contract. The renter can also face some legal actions from the owner or the rental company because of not returning their property.

Scope of Use

There should be a scope of use that is written in the agreement. The location of use should be detailed. This section states the limitations for the vehicle user. This is important so that the renter will know that he or she cannot use the car any way that he or she wants. The car rental company can protect its cars by stating scope of use. The renter can only use the vehicle in the applicable ways that can be permitted by the car rental company.

Rental Fees

The rental fee is the amount that has to be paid to the car owner. Usually, cars can be rented by price per day, but some can be rented by price per month or even priced by the whole length of the agreement. You should also agree to the payment for maintenance. Usually, it is the renter’s responsibility to pay for the day-to-day maintenance. Though it is the responsibility of the car rental company to pay for preventative maintenance. You must agree on prices and fees that the renter has to pay for the rental, including late fees and deposits.

Disclosure Statement

This section is for a statement that the renter has to make for the rental property. The renter is responsible to disclose the mileage that the car will reach. The renter has to sign the paper that he or she will not hide the whereabouts of the rental property. Hiding the whereabouts may seem like theft of the property, so the renter has to make a disclosure statement that he or she will tell the location where he or she will go.

Fuel Details

There should be certain information about the fuel condition. If the renter has borrowed the car having a full tank, he or she must return it in the same condition. It is the renter’s responsibility to see that the car is in the full tank when he or she will return it.

Insurance Information

You should be clear about the insurance details. Both of you should know what to do if ever theft, violations, or accident will happen. You should be clear about who will pay the damages. This will prevent you from having disputes if ever unexpected will happen.

Tips on Car Rental Agreement

Are you going to have a car rental agreement with a company? You may want to have a car rental agreement sample so that you can have some tips that you can use in your dealing. If tips are what you are searching for, you can have the following tips and apply them as you enter a car rental agreement:

No Additional Drivers: Additional drivers can cost you an extra charge. If you can drive the car yourself, you should not get any additional driver. If you will get someone who will have the wheel for you, the car rental may become pricy. It can double the cost that you have to pay. If you know how to drive, there can be no reason for you to get a driver. Drive the car yourself and you can save a lot of money. Though, if you need to get a driver, you must be careful in choosing a driver. Younger drivers are more expensive, especially if they are between the age of 21 – 24 years old. You can try having drivers who are a little older. Many older drivers are good at driving. They have been driving for years and they can be better in the field. Just do not get an overly old driver and you will not experience any stress. Older drivers can be masters of the road. You can try some of them and pick the best one who can do the service for you. There is nothing wrong with choosing the right drivers. Your life on the road is in their hands so you must select them carefully.Book Early: Booking a car early has many advantages. You can choose the car that you want if you will book early. Other customers may have already rented the better cars if you will book late. You will not also experience stress if you will book early. You can relax before your event or trip knowing that everything will go alright. Being in hustle is not good. You may pick the wrong car if you will book at the time of your trip. If you will book early, you can examine carefully everything about the car rental agreement. You may not tend to forget anything. You will be reminded of what is important in your trip. Being early is always good, and it is also advisable when you are having a car rental agreement.Prefer Local Companies: There are many available websites that can offer car rental agreements. But to have what is best for you, you must consider the local companies near you. You do not have to look further. Local companies are near to your place. It is easy to reach the car that you will rent. Though rented cars can be delivered to your place, it is still better to choose local companies. They are a lot cheaper than international companies. If you need to save money or if you want to rent a car for a long time, the option that you should have is to prefer local companies. They have a good offer that will not fail you. Just choose the company that you will have an agreement with.Consider Extra Charges: Before choosing a rental company that you will deal with, ask about its prices. Does it have many extra charges? If it is a rental company that asks for so many extra charges, then you should think twice. Choose a company that has a good offer. Choose something that has good packages in car rentals. You cannot rent in a company with too many charges. Before you know it, your bill is so high. Or you have to pay a large amount of money in advance. Research for good companies first before engaging with a car rental agreement. This way, you can avoid the headache of paying too much.Inspect the Vehicle: Before getting a car to rent, you must inspect it first carefully. Does the car have any damage? If there is, you need to state that in the agreement. Is the car good enough for your trip? You need to be sure so that it will not fail you on your trip. Be sure that you are getting a good car that can give you convenience for your trip and not a headache.

How to Engage in a Car Rental Agreement

Seeing a car rental agreement sample, you may see that it has certain rules for you to follow to make the agreement successful. But how do you truly engage in a car rental agreement? What are the things that you need? Consider the following and have some steps that you can follow in having a car rental agreement:

  • Step 1: Choose a Vehicle

    The first thing that you have to be sure of when you want to have a car rental agreement is the type of car that you will want to rent. Have a specific car in mind so that you can search for rental companies that offer this car. You can consider the trip that you are about to have. Will your children go with you? Do you need a family car? Do you need a large sedan or SUV? Or do you have a special event at work that requires a luxury car? You have to know the event that you are going to have so that you will know the type of car that you will rent. After knowing where you will go and what is the importance of your trip, you can select the right car for it.

  • Step 2: Book the Car

    The next thing that you have to do is to search for car rental companies. Research on the internet and find the best company that you can have. Pick something that can give your need. You may want to consider local companies first because they are cheaper. You can save a lot of money by choosing them.

  • Step 3: Understand the Agreement

    After booking, it will be time for you to enter a car rental agreement. Negotiate all the terms with the car rental company. Make the company agree with something you have in mind. This way, you can get what is best from the agreement. Also, you have to agree with the terms of the car rental company.

  • Step 4: Agree with a Price

    After you agree with all the terms, you must set a price for the rental that you will have. Agree on a price and state it in the agreement. If everything is settled, check the agreement and see if everything is fine. Then you can sign the contract. Then pay the amount you owe to the company if you need to give a deposit or full payment in advance. Then you can start to have the car for a while.

  • Step 5: Pick up and Return

    After you are done with the agreement and the payment, you can pick up the car. Be sure that you will update the company on the location of the car. You can use the car according to your agreement. After you are done using it, you can return it to the car rental company, having its same condition when you have picked it up. If you can return it properly, you can rent with the car rental property again and you will be a good client. You should do that so that you will have an available car to rent all the time.

FAQs

How much is a car rental?

The usual cost for a car rental on average is $10 – $25 per day. The cost depends on the time of day and the type of car that you will rent. There are low-cost rentals that can let you rent a car for $5. But if you want a quality car, you can pay more.

How much are the late fees for returning the rented car late?

A grace period of 29 minutes is given to the renters. But when they return the car 30 minutes late, late fees and taxes will apply. If the car is returned 90 minutes late, the renters have to pay a full-day late charge. Usually, the fee for late returns is $10 per day.

When you need a car and you do not own any, your best resort is to get the help of car rental companies. Before entering into a car rental agreement, be sure that you will be aware of all the terms that can be included in it. It is a binding document that you will sign, so you should have enough knowledge of it. Anyway, do you need a template for a car rental agreement? This post has 15+ SAMPLE Car Rental Agreement in PDF | MS Word. You can refer to any of these templates. Wait no more! Download now!