What to Check When Renting a Car

Car rental in Dubai may contribute greatly to your overall impression of the city typically associated with wealth, style, and luxury. However, even though the car hiring process may be fast and simple, you’ll need to do some extra checks to ensure nothing will spoil your vacation or business trip. So, what should you check first? In this guide, we’ll list and explain all the steps, from double-checking a service's rental policies to ways to inspect your car's interior and exterior carefully.

Step 1: Check Main Car Rental’s Policies

Of course, if you want to rent luxury car or even a more affordable vehicle, you should first check the policies of the rental company. To make the right choice, consider the following:

1. Deposit terms. Most rentals charge deposits, and obviously, that’ll be an extra expenditure. The amount is usually higher for those who rent Lamborghini, Ferrari, and other luxury car models. Usually, it ranges from $500+ to $2,000+. If you’re lucky, you may find a rental company that doesn’t charge a deposit. For instance, Trinity Rental offers services without charging extra deposit fees.
2. Car fleet. See what the service offers. If you’re seeking a prestigious experience, ensure the luxury car fleet meets your experience and is diverse enough. How many cars is enough? Trinity has 80+ top-notch vehicles in its collection, and this number may be considered a golden standard.
3. Price. First and foremost, it must be reasonable. See what the cost includes — sometimes, the price you see online and the price you actually pay at the end of the trip are very different. For instance, in Trinity's case, the cost includes VAT, 300 km of mileage daily, access to toll roads, and full insurance. So, there’ll be no extra fees. Also, long term car rental will be much cheaper daily than short-term rental.
4. Payment conditions and support. Make sure that you can pay using the method that is convenient for you. Not all rentals in Dubai accept cash, and very few offer additional payment options. Still, at Trinity, you can pay with a card, in cash, or cryptocurrency.

Check the company’s reputation before getting a car and inspecting it. Here’s a bonus tip: See if extra perks or special services exist and ensure the support will work properly. For example, Trinity offers every customer a personal manager, an opportunity to hire a private driver, and a fuel tank as a gift. Such things also improve the experience, though they are not directly related to the vehicle’s quality.

Step 2: Check the Exterior OnceYou Get a Car

When you sign the rental agreement, you expect your car to be in a top-notch condition. Though it’s the default condition, you’ll still need to check if there’s any visible damage — this is the number one point in the rental car inspection checklist.

Here’s what you should pay special attention to:

• Body panels. Ensure there are no scratches, dents, or paint chips. Inspect doors, hood, and the bumpers.
• Windows and mirrors. Obviously, there must be no cracks, chips, or scratches.
• Tires. See if they are properly inflated and if the tread depth is a proper one (see whether or not there are any bald spots), and check the sidewall damage.

Of course, rental cars are driven, but the company still must provide high-quality service and deliver a car in great condition. If you notice any damages, notify the rental company before you get behind the wheel.

Step 3: Check the Interior

Once you ensure that there are no exterior damages, proceed to the interior inspection, paying special attention to the following:

• Car seats. The upholstery must be in good condition. Check if there are any stains, odors, or rips.
• Dashboard controls. Test all the car’s features (and there may be many of them, especially if you rent a luxury car from Trinity featuring advanced infotainment, climate control, and other systems). Start with heating systems and infotainment systems, and check the driving mode selectors. If the car has premium features like heated or cooled seats, ensure they work properly, too.
• Trunk. It must be clean, properly organized, and have a spare tire kit.

It will take time, but it’s another crucially important point in the rental car checklist, so don’t skip it. In the end, this will pay off.

Step 4: Check How the Car Operates

You’ll also need to do a functional check to ensure that there will be no unexpected performance issues during the rental. A quick test drive will allow you to:

• Evaluate the start and sounds. Listen for any unusual noises. If you rent a luxury car, everything must be perfect — the sound must be smooth, and the car must run quietly overall.
• See how brakes work. Of course, you don’t have to go 200 km/h (this, by the way, is illegal in UAE) to check the brakes. Just start the car and check their responsiveness. If there are any issues like grinding or delays, you’ll notice that anyway.
• Ensure the steering wheel is in good working order. Turn it to see if there are any weird vibrations. Strange noises are a red flag, too.

As you can see, it’s not always about visible problems. Functionality is crucially important, and again, if you notice something is wrong, contact the rental’s support. If there are exterior or interior damages, you may notify them and still use the car (without paying for the damages, of course). But we’d not recommend doing it if there are any functional problems.

Step 5: Check the Safety Features

Speaking of things that should prevent you from driving a car, safety features are definitely on the list. That’s why it’s important also to check the following:

• Lights. Test all you have — headlights, fog lights, tail lights, and brake lights. Not only must they operate properly, but they should also be bright enough.
• Signals. Turn indicators on and off to see whether they are functioning properly.
• Seatbelts. The tension must be just right, and there must be no signs of visible damage or even wear.

Once you get into the car, you should be completely sure that everything from hazard lights to belts will work in the case of an emergency. Dubai’s roads are very safe, but things still can happen.

Step 6: Check the Availability of Certain Documents & Accessories

It’s not only about the agreement between you and the rental itself but also about the vehicle’s registration and insurance. You should know you won’t get in any trouble with the law. Also, ask the rental company’s manager about the spare key’s availability and the owner’s manual. The latter may be really helpful for those who are going to ride a luxury car with multiple special features, an advanced infotainment system, etc.

Step 7: Check Fuel and Fluids

First of all, clarify which specific type of fuel must be used for your car. Then check its level. Again, Trinity gives a full tank as a gift, but it’s still better to check it. Also, if the company’s policy allows that, check the engine oil, coolant, and washer fluid.

Step 8: Check Special Features If Any

As noted before, luxury cars have special systems to deliver that ultimately technological and smooth driving experience. Ensure that they also work properly, paying attention to the following:

• GPS. Ensure that the navigation system is operating normally and is able to get you to the destination point.
• Driver Assistance. That applies to cruise control features, sensors, lane-keeping features, and other advanced systems.

Also, check remote features like lock/unlock, truck release, etc.

Step 9: Ensure you know Dubai traffic laws

Before you take the wheel, do some research and get acquainted with Dubai's local laws. There’s nothing extraordinary about them, but they are strict enough. Also, speed limits may vary (we’d recommend checking them for different roads on the Dubai Police official website), and there are cameras everywhere. So, just ensure you know the rules before you start playing the game.

The Final Step 10 & Conclusions

The final check is done when you return the car. Carefully inspect the vehicle to avoid any kind of dispute. Also, if you want to feel more secure, take photos and videos at every stage of the car inspection. In general, the process takes time, but it’s necessary for you to feel completely safe and happy with your vacation or a business trip to Dubai.