Requirements that we must meet when renting a car: A car rental company was once a rare, even exclusive place, targeting its offer only to people “who could afford it”, and therefore simply a bit more affluent. Today it has become almost something standard, something that can be found in almost every slightly larger place in our country.
Due to the increase in popularity, competition in the market has also increased, therefore the offers of subsequent rental companies have become more and more attractive. Currently, it’s hard not to be tempted to rent a car – especially if you don’t have your own and need one at the moment. But is it all that simple? What do we need to know about the requirements that are imposed on us by both the law and the landlord?
The rental and its duties
While the owner of the car rental company does not directly drive the cars they are renting, they are fully responsible for them – at least that’s what the law says. This is where almost all the requirements that we will meet when renting a car come from. It is an offense to sign a vehicle rental agreement to someone who is unable to drive – either because of their age or because they simply do not have the appropriate permissions to do so.
What requirements do we have to meet to enjoy the borrowed car?
Before we even go to the car rental company to borrow a car for ourselves, we must answer the question whether we will not be let in with the proverbial “receipt”. To prevent this from happening, let’s make sure that we meet the following absolutely basic and universal requirements for every rental company:
- having an ID card or passport – in the case of renting a car for yourself, we must be of legal age – it is absolutely necessary to sign the rental agreement; age must be confirmed by means of an ID card or passport – in this case, the driving license may not be sufficient;
- having a driving license – it must be the driving license appropriate for the vehicle you want to rent. For example, if we plan to rent a passenger car, we must have a category B driving license. It is obvious that it must be valid.
Of course, apart from the requirements resulting from Polish law, there are also internal ones, determined by the rental company itself, usually to protect its property. Because no landlord would like his car to be stolen or damaged. Therefore, additional requirements that rental companies often set include:
- – appropriate age of the borrower – very often, rental companies require both a minimum age (usually within 20 years) and a maximum age (usually up to 70 years);
- – driving experience – car rentals trust people with driving experience more;
- – certificate of solvency – it is necessary to confirm that we are able to pay for both the rental itself and any damage we may cause – it may be a certificate of employment or a bank statement documenting permanent income; its equivalent may be a credit card;
- – deposit – to rent a car, it is usually necessary to leave a deposit in the car rental company, usually depending on the model of the car you choose; the deposit can also be introduced by blocking cash on the customer’s card – however, everything depends on the specific rental company and its model of operation;
What to pay attention to before renting?
It is very important to look at the condition of the car you want to drive before renting. Although it happens extremely rarely, some of the less trusted car rental companies give us the keys to the car that has “something wrong” (therefore you should also review the opinion on the selected place). Usually, the rental agreement includes a point in which the conditions for accepting the car after rental are listed and any penalties imposed by the car rental on the lessee if the condition of the car is different from the condition before the rental.
Above all, however, we should look carefully at the contract we are going to sign, checking whether it is beneficial for us and does not contain any ambiguities and understatements that could be used against us in the event of random events (such as a bump or accident). Of course, we must not become paranoid, but we must also remember that a contract is a binding and legally binding document.
Summary
When using the services offered by each car rental company, we must be aware that we will have to meet a number of specific requirements before we actually receive the car keys. However, it should be as natural for us as possible – after all, the rental company must properly protect itself and cannot base its business on trust. Therefore, we should not be afraid of standard procedures, but of course, we should be vigilant when signing any form.
