Car rental between individuals and insurance: Insurance precautions to be taken

Car rental between individuals is growing. Internet sites connect car owners and tenants. Renting without an intermediary is also possible. Here is what you need to know about insurance precautions.

You go through a rental company between private individuals

Private car rental companies, accessible on the Internet, insure vehicles for the duration of their rental. If you want to know more about private car hire, visit drivy.co.uk. Whether you are an owner or a tenant, it is important to find out about the insurance offered by the company:

• Does it cover all drivers without conditions (seniority of the license, experience and background of the driver...)?
• Does it cover vehicles without conditions (mileage, age of the car, use of the car...)?
• Does it include assistance coverage in the case of a breakdown or accident?

More often, car rental intermediaries between private individuals offer damage insurance for all accidents.  In addition to the mandatory civil liability coverage, the insurer covers vehicle material damage, fire and theft.  Compensation limits and a deductible, the amount of which is borne by the driver, are generally provided for.  This insurance allows the vehicle owner to keep his bonus if the person who rented his car is responsible for an accident.

The driver of the car

In all cases, all drivers must drive with valid documents. Indeed, in the event of an accident, if the driver responsible is under the required age or does not have the appropriate license, the insurer may refuse to cover the damage caused to the vehicle and to the driver.

You rent from private individual to private individual without going through an intermediary

Before you start renting a car from one person to another, you should take a few insurance precautions. Whether you are an owner or tenant, it is particularly important to check the following points:

• Does the auto contract allow the vehicle to be used for commercial purposes? It should be noted that this is rarely the case in private motor insurance contracts.
• Who are the declared drivers? Some insurance contracts have an exclusive driving clause that commits the insured declared in the contract to be the sole driver of the vehicle. In this case, in the case of an accident caused by a driver who is not the one declared in the contract, an increased deductible may remain the responsibility of the insured.
• In addition to the mandatory liability coverage, are vehicle damage, fire and theft covered? Could an assistance guarantee be provided in the event of a breakdown?

If you are the owner of the car, contact your insurer to study these points with him and adapt your contract in order to be able to rent your car. It should also be noted that you are not liable in the case of a traffic accident caused by the driving fault of the person who rents and drives the vehicle. On the other hand, if the driver was held liable in an accident, a penalty could be applied to the vehicle's insurance contract. If you wish to rent a car, it is important to ask the owner to provide you with an insurance certificate that specifies these different elements.