A car rental company, rental car, or car rental agency is a business that leases cars to the public for short periods of time, usually from a few hours to a few weeks. It is often organized with many local agencies (allowing the user to drop off the car to another location) and is mainly located near the airport or a busy urban area and is often supplemented by a website that allows reservations. online.

Car rental agencies primarily serve people who need a temporary vehicle, such as those who don’t have their own car, vacationers away from home, or owners of damaged or broken vehicles awaiting repair or assurance compensation. Car rental companies can also meet the needs of the self-driving car industry, rental vans or vans, and in some markets other types of vehicles such as motorbikes or scooters as well. may be provided.

In addition to the basic car rental service, car rental companies often offer additional products such as insurance, global positioning system “GPS”. navigation systems, entertainment systems, cell phones, portable WiFi and child safety seats. 

Rental conditions

Car rental is subject to a variety of conditions that vary from country to country and from company to company. In general, the vehicle must be returned in the same condition as when it was rented and should generally not exceed the mileage limit, otherwise additional charges may apply.
In all cases, you must have a valid driver’s license to rent a car, and some countries require an International Driving Permit (IDP).

Most car rental companies require the use of a credit card to charge an additional fee if the vehicle is returned defective or tolls, car-related fines, or low on fuel. Instead of a credit card, some companies ask for a large amount of cash. Some companies allow debit cards for deposits, often accompanied by proof of return tickets eg. plane, bus or train ticket. 

Insurance/Exemption

Typically, when renting a car, you’ll be offered a variety of optional top-up insurance and/or damage waivers for an extra fee. There are several types of insurance:

Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) – covers the cost of damage to the rental vehicle, up to the full value of the vehicle, in the event of an accident. As a rule, LDW covers 100% of costs with no additional deductible costs. Note that LDW/CDW insurance is not insurance and does not provide the same coverage as property and casualty policies.
Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) – Usually covers the costs of accidental damage while in transit. As the name suggests, non-collision damage is generally not covered. In many cases, in the event of an accident, charges or deductions will apply.
Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) – covers medical expenses and accidental death of the tenant and passengers in the event of an accident during the rental period. Car rental companies operate by buying or renting several fleets of vehicles and renting them out to their customers for a fee. Rental car fleets can be structured in a number of ways – they can be owned directly (they are referred to as “risk vehicles” because the rental car operator bears the risk on the price the vehicle will cost). sold upon removal of service).