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10 July 2026 · SunnVio

Picking up a rental car: how to check for damage and avoid claims

You land home after a wonderful holiday, and weeks later a charge appears on your credit card: damage to the rental car. A scratch or dent you never caused – but proving your innocence after the fact is almost impossible. The fix takes you five minutes at pick-up. Here is how to inspect the car thoroughly and avoid an unfair charge on your deposit.

Why the check matters so much

Rental companies note existing damage on an inspection form, but it is often done quickly and carelessly: small scratches, stone chips or a minor dent are easily missed. Return the car and the company spots «new» damage, and it lands on your bill – deducted from your deposit or charged to your credit card. Without your own evidence you are empty-handed. The rule of thumb: assume that any damage not recorded will later be attributed to you. Five minutes of checking at pick-up is your cheapest insurance.

Walk around the exterior systematically

Take your time and walk calmly around the car, clockwise, so you skip nothing. Look for scratches, dents, stone chips and paint damage on the bumpers, doors, mirrors and sills – exactly the spots that get damaged fastest. Check the wheels and tyres for scuffs and pressure, and inspect the windscreen for chips or cracks. Look at the roof too (almost everyone forgets it) and under the bumpers. Is the car in a dark car park? Ask whether you can move it into the light, because in the gloom you will miss half of it. Spot damage that is not on the form? Have it noted straight away and only sign once it is correct.

Do not forget the interior, fuel and extras

Damage is not only on the outside. Check the interior for stains, burn holes or tears in the upholstery, and test that everything works: air conditioning, wipers, lights and the infotainment system. Look at the fuel or charge gauge to see how full the tank or battery is and record it – that avoids arguments about the fuel policy at drop-off. Rented any extras, such as a child seat, GPS or snow chains? Check they are present and undamaged. And confirm that the spare wheel or tyre repair kit and the accompanying documents (registration, insurance papers) are actually in the car.

Photos and video: your evidence

This is the most important step. At pick-up, take photos and a short video of the whole car: all four corners, every door, the windscreen, the wheels, the roof and the interior. Make sure your phone records the date and time (it does so automatically in the metadata) and take clear close-ups of every existing mark. If needed, calmly film one lap around the car while saying the location out loud. Keep this footage until your deposit is fully refunded. At drop-off, take exactly the same series of photos – that gives you watertight before-and-after evidence should a claim ever come up.

Found damage? Report it properly

If you spot damage that is not on the inspection form, report it immediately and in writing at the desk before you drive off. Have the staff member add it to the form and ask for a signed copy or photo of it. Never sign an «approval» for a car you have not inspected properly. If you get no cooperation or there is no staff present (at an unmanned desk or outside opening hours), email your photos to the company right away with date and time, so your evidence is at least on record. At SunnVio we arrange transparent rental cars without surprises and explain exactly what to watch for at pick-up – so an unfair claim never gets a chance and you set off carefree.