Depending on whether you are renting as a private individual or as a business, there are several formalities to complete before you collect your vehicle.

Unless the vehicle is going to be used outside the UK, there are no restrictions on mileage.  If you do want to take a vehicle abroad you will need our permission.

Business

For general day to day use business people are always on our insurance, although local authorities and businesses can also use their own insurance.

If a business is using its own cover, we would need to see a copy of the insurance certificate. Once a vehicle is assigned to the company, they would need to inform their insurer of its registration number.

While there are no specific restrictions on use, we do ask the purpose for which the hirer will be using the vehicle. This is particularly the case for vans and trucks.  We would not supply a brand new vehicle if a business was going to use it to transport builders’ rubble for example.

We expect our business customers to check their drivers’ licence details with the DVLA.

Personal rent

Before we agree to rent a vehicle to a private user we do a licence check with the DVLA on the customer’s behalf.  It is important because it can affect the insurance cover.

Often people don’t know how to do it or do not have the time, so we do it in-house as it can be a frustrating and lengthy process. It can be difficult to get onto the DVLA website, which can be down for several days for maintenance from time to time. Occasionally using the website for no obvious reason there is no trace of a particular licence.

If that happens we will ask the customer to bring their licence into the office and then try the alternative checking method of telephoning the DVLA.  This has its own problems when we have to wait in a queue – an expensive option at 95p per minute! – but not a cost we pass on to our customers.

We need to check people’s licences because our rental vehicles are covered by our own insurance and licences bearing endorsements with more than 2 speeding or parking offences may need clearance from our insurance company.

There are other conditions attached to renting vehicles and you can check them in the terms section of our website.