Do you have to clean rental car before returning hertz

This heavily depends on the country and the rental agency.

Major agencies in the US care very little about dirt that is removable, and in hundreds of rentals I have never been asked to pay anything (and some of those cars went two weeks through offroad and mud...).
The cheaper and shadier a rental company gets, the higher is your chance to get milked for some extra money, and returning a car even slightly dirty is an easy reason to claim - after all, they already cleaned it when you get a chance to disagree, and you are typically already far away.

In Europe, rental car companies are generally much more picky - they try to make you pay for every little dent, scratch, and fly speck (even the ones the previous renter already paid for), and anything more than some dust can result in "extra cleaning needs". Again, the chance for pickyness (and shadyness) increases with cheaper agencies.

Either way, you'll hardly find a clear definition beyond 'more than the usual usage dirt'. If you want to avoid that they milk you, you can ask them when returning the car, take some photos on their site, and have them confirm that it is clean enough. If they say it needs extra cleaning, drive it back out and clean it yourself (even if you pay for that service, you'll probably save money). But it doesn't guarantee that they don't charge you anyway, just because they can.

Spain

This charge is to be billed based on the price billed to the owner by the vehicle cleaning company selected.

Italy

Calculated on the basis of time and material required, with at least a minimum fixed amount for this service.

Australia

cleaning fee assigned at the discretion of the lending Thrifty location

Tips to Avoid Car Hire Valeting Fee

  • Empty the car the day before returning so you can clean any obvious marks / soil / sand etc
  • Sweep out any sand from footwells / boot where possible – vacuum if possible
  • Wipe any obvious dirt / bird poo marks from bodywork / windows
  • Don’t park under trees if possible (bird poo)
  • Remove as much sand from beach as possible before getting in car
  • Take care with food / drinks in the car
  • Have the car hand car washed before returning / roadside car wash

Can I put a rental car through a car wash?

Yes you can, however any damage caused would be your responsibility. If you do need to get the car washed before you return it, we’d recommend a road side hand car wash, a quick shampoo and vacuum should be more than enough, no need for a full car detail here! This will likely cost less than £10 (10EUR/$10) and be significantly cheaper than the rental agent valeting fee.

What If I Return my rental car dirty?

If the car is considered excessively dirty, either inside or out you’ll likely find yourself on the receiving end of a car rental cleaning / valeting fee. Whilst this is often subjective, we recommend you take photos of the car inside and out for future reference if you are charged a valeting fee and wish to dispute it. It’s also useful should you cause any damage to a rental car as a record of what was damaged.

How much is the car rental valeting / cleaning fee?

It varies from rental agent to agent and indeed location, a typical fee would be around 50 EUR, however it depends on the severity of the clean required and how long it takes. 100 EUR isn't unheard of for some of the worst cases and we've even heard of a case where 350 EUR was charged, however this would certainly be an extreme case and likely include damage as well as cleaning.

Car rental advanced valeting fee

Some rental agents will offer an ‘advanced’ valeting fee, usually significantly cheaper than the same service if you pay at the end of the rental. We were recently offered this advance service from Firefly when hiring a car at Bordeaux Airport for 8 EUR when collecting the car and advised that a valeting fee of 21EUR would be charged if the car was returned early. We rejected the 8 EUR fee and returned the car in reasonable condition and no further charge was made. Unless you think you’re likely to return the car excessively dirty, we’d recommend rejecting the offer, you can always have it cleaned yourself if you do get it excessively dirty, or challenge any subsequent fee.

There are many reasons to rent a car. A rental is always clean when you get into it. But do you have to leave it back as you get it? In this article, we’ll look at the do’s and don’t of car rental.

A rental car does not need to be thoroughly cleaned before returning, however, it must be returned in close to the same condition you received it. For example, remove candy wrappers, etc from the interior. If not deemed clean, the hiring company may add a cleaning fee to your bill.

Nobody wants to incur extra charges when renting a car. Read on to find out what will generate extra charges on your account.

Do you have to clean rental car before returning hertz

Picking Up and Returning Your Rental Car

Whether you are picking up a rental for a couple of days as part of a trip or a longer rental due to your own car being unavailable, the first thing you should do is take some photos.

This is proof of the condition you received the rental initially. Your rental should be clean, inside and out. It shouldn’t have any trash and there shouldn’t be any nasty odors. Especially cigarette smoke. If there is then you need to inform the rental company immediately.

On returning your car, you now know how the rental company expects to receive it. All trash should be removed. If possible give the car a quick wash. This is not 100% necessary, it really depends on where you have been. It’s best to do this the night before returning it so you’re not under any time pressure that may incur an extra cost.

I advise that you use a hand wash facility as opposed to a brush wash. A brush wash can leave marks on the paintwork that can also incur an extra charge on return. Again take photos inside and out. This will future proof your case if charges are added.

Items that Will Add a Charge

Do you have to clean rental car before returning hertz

There are certain things that are not allowed in your rental or there may be conditions attached to them.

Pets

Pets are permitted in most rental cars but you should check on your rental agreement first. Don’t just assume it’s allowed. All pets should be placed in an appropriate cage or housing if permitted. All hair, fur, or animal mess from a pet must be removed before returning the car.

You generally don’t need to give advance notice about carrying a pet but best to check with your rental company’s website as to their exact pet policy.

If you return a car with hair/ fur or any pet-related mess you will be charged a Valeting Fee / Cleaning Fee. This is quite the expense, as most companies charge up to and above $250 for a pet clean.

Smoking

Smoking in a rental car is an absolute no-no. As I said if you sit in your rental and smell cigarette smoke you need to notify your rental company immediately. The valeting cost for the removal of smoke odor can be up to $400. If you are a smoker, I strongly advise you to step out of the vehicle if you are going to light up.

Sand / Leaves / Bird Poo / Tree Sap

The last items that will add a cleaning charge to your bill are dependent on where you are traveling and where you park overnight.

If traveling to the beach, sand is going to be an issue. It gets everywhere! Try and limit the amount that enters the car. Not always that easy I know. If your rental has a lot of sand you definitely need to remove it. The same goes for mud and leaves (which are easier to remove than sand). The content is owned by moc.sotuaytsur. Sand and leaves can incur a valet charge of up to $250 (Avis / Thrifty and Budget) and SIXT can charge up to $350.

This is also the case for tree sap and bird poo. Try not to park under trees overnight or for long periods of time. Tree sap can be difficult to remove and sometimes won’t always disappear with a regular car wash. However, this can also add a hefty fee to your rental agreement, so definitely worth removing.

Advanced Valeting Fee

Rental companies are all about making a profit. All the suggested extras are there as a way for them to make extra money. Advanced Valeting Fee is one of these extra charges. All rental cars are cleaned regardless of how you return to them, and you will only be charged extra if a deep clean needs to be done. So paying in advance for that is not something I would advise, as they are not going to reimburse you if you bring the car back clean. They will claim they had to do a deep clean regardless.

I would advise against agreeing to this unless you are traveling to the beach. Sand is very difficult to remove from the car carpet.

What I will say about renting a car is that you must read the T&Cs. It can take up to 6-8 weeks for charges to appear on your credit/debit card. So as I said at the start, make sure you take plenty of photos on receipt of your rental car and also as you return it. If you have no proof that your car was clean then you have no comeback if you have a valeting/cleaning charge slapped on your account.

Covid 19

The last small thing I’ll say is in this current Covid pandemic all rental companies are ensuring that after each use they are completing a deep clean of each vehicle. This may well be the case but you don’t know for certain. To be on the safe side bring some anti-bacterial wipes with you and clean all the most commonly used parts – steering wheel, transmission, door handles.

In Conclusion

It’s a good idea to give your car rental back in the same condition as you received it. Rental companies will have all your payment details on file and have no problem adding a couple of hundred bucks to your bill if they feel they have more cleaning to do than necessary.

You may find the following posts helpful:

Car rental- Things you should and should not do

Dollar vs Thrifty

What to do when a rental car is towed?

Avis vs Budget

National vs Enterprise

Why are dollar rental cars do cheap?

Can you return a Hertz car dirty?

You may incur additional charges if you return the vehicle at a different time or place agreed or if it is in an excessively dirty condition or with excessive odour. Smoking in the vehicle is prohibited.

Do I have to vacuum my rental car Hertz?

No; however, we expect rental cars to be returned in the same clean condition that they were first rented in. If a vehicle requires excessive cleaning or special cleaning products, a cleaning fee will be applied to your overall rental cost.

What happens if you dirty a rental car?

If a driver returns a car that is particularly dirty, the rental company will spend longer cleaning it, and they may even have it professionally valeted elsewhere. This cost is passed on to the driver as a cleaning fee or valeting fee.