Lease car return: how to clean and check your car before it goes back
By Ollie B - SoapX Ltd.
Handing back a lease or PCP car is where small marks turn into bills. The inspector judges the car against a fair wear and tear standard, and a dirty car hides the very things you need to find first. This guide covers what the standard allows, how to clean the car so you can see it properly, and the checks to do well before collection day.
Start ten to twelve weeks before collection
The BVRLA guide advises looking the car over 10 to 12 weeks before it goes back, ideally with a friend. That leaves time to book a smart repair if you find something, rather than paying the lessor's price for it. Wash the car and let it dry first, because water on the paint hides faults. Then check it in good light, crouching at the front and rear to look along the body lines.
What fair wear and tear usually allows
Fair wear and tear is the decline that comes from normal use. Damage from a specific event, such as an impact or neglect, is treated differently. These figures come from a widely published edition of the BVRLA car guide. Lessors use the current edition, so check the version in your own agreement.
| Area | Usually acceptable | Usually chargeable |
|---|---|---|
| Scratches | Up to 25 mm with no primer or bare metal showing | Over 25 mm, or primer or bare metal showing |
| Dents | Up to 10 mm, no more than two per panel, paint unbroken | Any dent on the roof or on a swage line |
| Stone chips | Small areas of chipping, including door edges | Chipping that needs a panel, bumper or trim repainted |
| Alloy wheels | Scuffs totalling up to 50 mm around the rim | Over 50 mm, dents in the rim, or damage to spokes or hub |
| Glass | Light scratches outside the driver's line of sight | Chips, cracks or holes |
| Interior | Normal wear and light soiling from use | Burns, tears, stains, holes in carpets or a lingering odour |
The same guide says the car must be clean enough for a detailed inspection and the interior valeted, with rubbish removed. If the car is too dirty to inspect, collection can be abandoned and a charge applied.
The return clean, step by step
- Pre rinse and snow foam. Loosen the dirt before anything touches the paint. Our snow foam guide covers the set up.
- Two bucket contact wash. The last thing you want is to add swirls the week before an inspection. Follow the two bucket method.
- Wheels properly. Brake dust hides kerb marks. Clean the faces and barrels so you can measure any scuffs. See how to clean alloy wheels.
- Decontaminate if the paint feels rough. Iron fallout and tar spots make paint look tired. Our guide to removing fallout and tar shows how.
- Dry it fully with a plush towel so water spots do not read as marks.
- Interior. Hoover everywhere, wipe plastics and trim, clean the glass inside and out, and air the car if it smells of anything.
Polish only if you know what you are doing. A light polish can soften fine scratches, but polishing through to primer turns a free mark into a paid repair.
Photograph everything
Keep your own record of the car's condition with photos and receipts. The BVRLA's Return Ready advice is to photograph any damage in good daylight on a clean panel, so wipe the area first. Take wide shots of every side and close ups of each wheel and any mark, with something in the frame for scale.
The paperwork and the bits people forget
- The full set of keys, including the spare and the locking wheel nut key.
- The service record stamped, or the electronic record showing the interval reset.
- The V5C, MOT certificate where needed, manual and service book.
- No warning lights on the dash.
- Tyres at or above the legal minimum and the right type, size and speed rating.
- Electric cars: the updated BVRLA standard asks for a full charge at collection and covers the charging cables.
If you disagree with the inspection, the guide says you can pay for an independent engineer, and if the engineer finds in your favour the lessor refunds the reasonable cost.
Quick answers
Should I valet my lease car before returning it?
Yes. The car needs to be clean enough for a detailed inspection and the interior valeted. Cleaning it yourself a few weeks early also lets you find damage while there is still time to get it repaired.
How big a scratch is acceptable on a lease return?
A widely published edition of the BVRLA guide allows scratches up to 25 mm where no primer or bare metal shows. Check the edition named in your own agreement.
Are kerbed alloy wheels fair wear and tear?
The BVRLA guide allows scuffs totalling up to 50 mm around the rim. Dents in the rim or damage to the spokes or hub are usually chargeable.
When should I check my lease car before it goes back?
The BVRLA guide suggests 10 to 12 weeks before collection, after washing and drying the car, in good light.
Kit for this job
- 3 Step Wash Rig Kit
- Wheel Kit
- No.06 Fallout and Tar Remover
- No.10 Interior and Trim Cleaner
- No.09 Glass and Visor Cleaner
- Twisted Loop Drying Towel 1400 GSM
Where the figures come from
- Fair wear and tear and the Standard: BVRLA, fair wear and tear.
- Scratch, dent, chip, wheel, glass, interior, keys, documents and cleanliness figures: BVRLA car fair wear and tear guide, as published by a lender.
- Updated standard for electric cars: BVRLA, standard for cars updated.
- Photographing damage: BVRLA Return Ready.
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Your lease agreement and the lessor's own standard decide what you pay.
More from the Journal
Always read the label. Directions, dilutions and safety advice for every product are here:
