Fair Wear and Tear Guidelines

When you near the end of your lease, you’ll begin to think about what happens when you return the vehicle. One aspect of the return that you may be concerned about is the vehicle condition and how this will be looked at by the funder.

In order to ensure that drivers aren't over-enthusiastically penalised by lease companies, or that funders aren't stuck with a large bill that they need to pay for a damaged vehicle that’s been returned, the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) gives fair wear and tear guidelines for the vehicle condition at the point of collection. You can request these from your funder or ask us to access a copy for you.

We recommend against waiting until the end of your lease to look at them. It's beneficial to look at the fair wear and tear guidelines before receiving the car so you know the condition you're expected to keep the vehicle in, as well as the regular activities needed during the lease, like servicing that needs to be completed in line with the guidelines.

During your lease, if you do spot any damage or just want to know whether the condition of your vehicle would be acceptable if you considered an early return, checking the BVRLA’s guidelines will answer your questions.

Lease vehicle return process

In general, the collection process will follow these easy steps:

Xcite Car Leasing's top 10 tips for returning a lease

1. Check the funder’s return guidelines so you know what general wear and tear would be allowed and what you could be charged for.

2. Arrange your collection in plenty of time to ensure it's scheduled prior to the end of your contract on a date and time that's convenient for you.

3. Clean your car thoroughly inside and out. This will allow you to buff out any marks and reduce the chance of financial penalty.

4. Inspect the vehicle in natural light, preferably on a nice day to give yourself the best lighting to check for any flaws you can see.

5. Inspect the vehicle when it’s dry if you’ve washed it or there's been rain. This allows you to see any flaws, particularly in the paint, which the water might hide.

6. Look down at the vehicle panels rather than straight on as this will allow you to see any dents more easily.

7. Be objective when looking at the vehicle, and if needed seek a second opinion.

8. Arrange any needed repairs prior to collection to avoid being charged for these from the funder.

9. Document any faults that you do find, taking pictures where possible.

10. Be there for collection if you can, in order to check the inspection report and ask any questions.

For a more detailed look at our top 10 tips check out this blog. 

Fair wear and tear guidelines

As mentioned above, the guidelines are the same across funders as they are directed by the BVRLA industry standard that all leasing companies must comply with.

There are two separate sets of guidelines as the BVRLA and funders separate vehicles, and the expected wear and tear to them, into cars and vans.

Repairing damage to a lease vehicle

If there's any damage to your vehicle that you don't think will be classed as fair wear and tear then you can arrange for this to be repaired prior to collection, provided that it's done by a professional at a VAT registered garage and any replacement parts are genuine manufacturer parts.

If you’re unable to arrange for any necessary repairs, you can still return the vehicle, however the funder will charge you for anything that isn't deemed to be fair wear and tear.