# Returning your rental car through the key box: 6 things to do first

> Before you drop the keys: refuel and keep the receipt, park in the marked zone, film a slow walk around the car, photograph each side, the wheels and the dashboard, photograph the keys going into the box, and back everything up the same day.

Updated: 2026-10-22 · Source: https://scratchfair.com/en/blog/key-box-return-checklist

Out-of-hours returns are handy, but nobody inspects the car with you. ECC-Net warns that you can then be charged for damage at a later stage. ==Ten minutes at the drop-off spot can save you weeks of emails.==

## 1. Refuel close by and keep the receipt

With a full-to-full policy you pay for missing fuel plus an admin fee, as the ECC Malta leaflet explains. A receipt from a petrol station near the drop-off, with date and time, shows you returned it full.

## 2. Park where you were told

The ECC Malta leaflet advises to park in the zone indicated to you. Photograph the bay number or a sign, so it is clear where the car stood.

## 3. Film a slow walk around the car

One round from two metres away, one round close to the bodywork. Say the date and time out loud. Keep filming the wheels and the lower edges of the bumpers.

## 4. Take the detail photos

Each corner, each side, the windscreen, the roof if visible, the dashboard with fuel and mileage, and the interior. Our free [evidence mode](https://scratchfair.com/en/evidence-mode) stamps date, time and location on every photo.

## 5. Photograph the keys going into the box

Or at least the box with your phone's clock visible. It marks the moment the car left your hands.

## 6. Back up the same day

Upload the photos to cloud storage or email them to yourself before you board. A claim can arrive weeks later.

## Plan the ten minutes into your morning

Most key box returns go wrong because people are in a hurry. Work backwards from your flight, and give the return its own slot:

| Time before departure | What to do |
|---|---|
| 3 h 15 min | Leave the hotel, with the luggage already out of the boot area you need to film |
| 2 h 45 min | Refuel at a station close to the drop-off and keep the receipt |
| 2 h 30 min | Park, film, photograph, drop the keys |
| 2 h 15 min | Walk to the terminal, back up the photos on the way |

Adjust the times to your airport, but keep the return slot. Rushing is when people skip the wheels and the roof.

## If something goes wrong at the drop-off

- **The marked zone is full or closed.** Park as close as you can, photograph the signs and the place you used, and email the company before you leave with the exact location.
- **The key box is jammed or full.** Do not leave the keys in the car. Call the number on your contract, and if no one answers, email the company and keep the keys until you get an instruction.
- **You notice damage you did not cause.** Photograph it close up and in context, and mention it in an email to the company before your flight. The timestamp shows you raised it at return.

> [!TIP]
> Write the parking bay number in the email subject line, for example "Key box return, booking 12345, bay 14, 06:05". Searching for it later takes seconds.

## A short example

Your flight leaves at 09:30. You leave the hotel at 06:15, refuel at 06:40 three kilometres from the airport and keep the receipt. At 06:55, you park in bay 14, film the car and take the detail photos. At 07:05, you photograph the keys going into the box. On the shuttle to the terminal, your phone uploads everything to cloud storage.

## Got a claim anyway?

Read [who has to prove the damage after a key box return](https://scratchfair.com/en/knowledge/return/key-box-return-who-proves-damage) and use the [pick-up checklist](https://scratchfair.com/en/tools/pickup-checklist) on your next trip.

## FAQ

**How long does this take?**

About ten minutes. Plan them in when you calculate when to leave for the airport.

## Sources

- [ECC Malta: Car rental leaflet (PDF)](https://eccnetmalta.gov.mt/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Car-Rental-leaflet-EN-version.pdf)
- [ECC-Net: Car rental, your rights](https://www.eccnet.eu/consumer-rights/what-are-my-consumer-rights/travel-and-passenger-rights/road-travel-rights/car)