What should a rental car damage claim contain, and which extra fees are allowed?

A damage claim often arrives as a short email: a photo, an amount and a line saying the sum will be charged to your card. That is the start of a conversation, not the end of it. Before you pay or object, check what the claim actually proves.

The three things a claim has to show

1. What is damaged. A clear description and photos of the damage, with the location on the car.
2. That it happened during your rental. This is the core. The ECC Nederland template letter points out that a damage report does not automatically prove that the damage occurred while you had the car. A comparison with the pick-up inspection and a return inspection with date and time are what make the link.
3. What the repair costs. An invoice or quote from a repairer, or the company's published damage price table, so you can see how the amount was reached.

If one of these is missing, you can ask for it in writing before you pay.

Common extra costs

Next to the repair itself, claims often contain extra lines. These are not automatically wrong, but they should be explained and based on your rental terms.

Use our free amount check to see whether the repair amount is in a usual range for the type of damage, and the excess calculator to work out what your insurance or excess cover should pay.

Check the paperwork itself

Beyond the three core points, look at the details. Mistakes here are common and easy to point out:

• Names and numbers. Your name, booking number, registration plate and rental dates should match your contract.
• Dates in the right order. The inspection should be after your return, and the repair invoice after the inspection.
• The invoice. A repair invoice normally names the repairer, the vehicle and the work done. A single total without lines is harder to check.
• The same car. Compare the plate in their photos with the plate on your pick-up photos.

How the claim was detected

More companies now use automated scanners at return, and some claims arrive weeks later. Both affect what you can ask for. If an AI scanner flagged the damage, read damage found by an AI scanner. If the claim came long after your return, see a damage claim weeks after return.

A short example

A claim for €780 arrives with one close-up photo of a dent, a line "repair costs" and a €75 admin fee. There is no inspection date, no photo showing the whole car and no invoice. Your list has three empty cells: when the inspection took place, which car the photo shows, and how €780 was calculated. You ask for those three items and for the clause that sets the admin fee, before discussing anything else.

Normal wear and tear

Rental cars are used hard. The Swedish consumer agency says you should not pay for normal wear and tear, such as the occasional stone chip or small scratches that can be polished away. Many companies publish a damage guide that sets out what they count as damage; check it if your claim mentions very small marks.

Contract terms that seem unreasonable

Rental terms are standard terms that you could not negotiate. Under the EU Unfair Contract Terms Directive, a standard term that causes a significant imbalance to your detriment, contrary to good faith, is not binding on you, and unclear terms are interpreted in your favour. Whether a specific term is unfair is decided case by case, but it is worth checking. Our terms check highlights clauses that are worth a closer look. See also unfair terms in rental contracts.

What to do next

• Write down what is missing from the claim.
• Collect your own evidence: pick-up and return photos, the signed forms, your rental contract.
• Object in writing within a reasonable time. Our guide how to dispute a damage claim explains the steps.

Scratchfair checks a claim against 14 common weak points for free and writes the objection letter in your language and the rental office's language if you want.