Leasing your car can be a real good plan if you don't use it much because it's often a good way to amortize the costs incurred for the purchase and maintenance of your vehicle. However, before throwing yourself headlong into renting between individuals, it is important to know who to talk to and how to avoid certain pitfalls. Here are all our tips to help you rent your car quickly and easily
Go through a recognized rental platform
To rent your vehicle legally, it is important to use a recognized rental platform that has already proven itself. This guarantees you a good follow-up of your vehicle, insurance in case of a problem, and, above all, you will have a contact person in case of problems during the return of the vehicle. Among the most efficient platforms today, two have now proven themselves: Drivy and Ouicar.
The concept is simple: you create your own advertisement, set your price (flexible price according to vehicle category, rental period, etc.) and give the dates of availability. To reassure people who want to rent, introduce yourself in a few lines when you create your profile and think about adding a photo of you and your vehicle. Profiles with photos and owner information always have many more rental requests than others.
Give as much information as possible about your vehicle
If your vehicle is no longer of the first freshness and it encounters small technical problems (not serious of course), it is important to notify it in your classified ad. If you don't tell us about your car's minor defects, you may lose credibility when you hand over the keys and the rental may be cancelled on the day.
Finally, give all the details that may be annoying in your vehicle. If you're a heavy smoker, it's important to mention this because some drivers will not tolerate the smell of cigarettes in a car that is heavily impregnated with them. If you do not have room for a baby seat in the back seat, it may also be useful to specify this.
Take a good look at a potential candidate's file
If you have a rental application, take a good look at the applicant's profile. If he has already rented cars on the platform, he should have notes and comments on his record. By reading these elements carefully, you are safe from any unpleasant surprises..
Get in touch with the candidate for rental
Answer quickly when a rental request is sent to you following your ad on the platform. Keep in mind that you are not the only one to offer a vehicle and that the first to respond are the first to rent. Once the reservation is confirmed, you will also have the phone number of the person who will be renting your car. Call her quickly to take stock and reassure her. You will also be reassured by the same occasion on who will drive your car..
On D-Day, be on time
Give a clear and precise meeting point to the person who will rent your car. And, above all, be on time because this person is counting on you and may have important appointments on the same day. If you are late, remember to tell them as soon as possible.
Verify the identity of the person you are renting to
Before handing over your keys, ask to see the ID and license of the person renting your car. If it is not the person who rented the vehicle on the site, if it is a friend, brother, cousin... Do not give the car to him because, even if he has the identity papers of the person who rented it, you are taking a risk. It could be identity theft and you may never see your car again. On this point, it is important to remain uncompromising. But, rest assured, this kind of scam is rather rare because, given the traces left on rental platforms between private individuals, thieves are rare. In reality, you're finally more likely to have your car stolen off the street..
Make a good inventory of the vehicle
Make an accurate inventory of your car as if you were a professional car rental company. This will allow you to make the necessary claims should the vehicle be damaged during the rental. For speed, take pictures of your car with your smartphone just before you rent your car: the date is indicated on the photos, so these pictures will be invaluable to you in the event of damage noted at the time of return.
Note the mileage
Most private car rental platforms have a rate that changes according to mileage. Remind the person renting your car that if this mileage package is exceeded, an extra charge will have to be paid. Finally, once again, to avoid any dispute, think about the photos! Take a picture of your dashboard on the first day of your rental: you will then have my starting mileage.
Leave comments
At the end of the rental, remember to leave a comment on the person who rented the vehicle for you. This is the principle of collaborative tourism: other users rely on you. Try to be synthetic and as objective as possible in your comments, this will help the community of other renters.
