The vast majority of van hire companies are reputable and law abiding. However, as in any industry, there are those who will take shortcuts in order to cut costs or save time.

As a hirer, you have a limited ability to find out about these problems but there are some things you can do. This is especially important as in some cases, any fault found would be your legal responsibility as the driver – regardless of who owns the van.

Here are a few things you should check when collecting a hire a van (or car):

1. Confirm that the hire company’s insurance provides cover for you while you the van is hired to you. In some cases, hire companies expect you to provide your own insurance and charge extra for providing insurance cover on their own policy. If you are taking the van abroad, make sure the insurance covers you for all of the countries in which you will be driving. Driving without valid insurance is an offence, whoever owns the vehicle.
2. Ask what the insurance excess payment will be if the van is damaged at all while you are using it. If you think this is too high, you may be able to pay an additional ‘waiver’ that reduces this excess.
3. Check that the van has a valid tax disc displayed in the windscreen. It is a criminal offence to use an untaxed vehicle.
4. Check that the tyres appear correctly inflated and are not visibly damaged. Tyre damage is often charged to renters, regardless of blame.
5. In a van, make sure the total height of the vehicle is marked on a label in the cab. If not, ask what it is. Damage to the roof – e.g. tree and bridge strikes – is usually blamed on and charged to the renter, regardless of insurance arrangements.
6. Remember that technically, rental drivers are responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of rental vehicles while they are using them. Typically, this includes checking tyre pressures and oil and water levels. This is especially worth remembering with long-term rentals.

Taking a few basic precautions is always worthwhile when hiring a van. Although the majority of companies are honest and keep their vehicles in very good shape, some don’t, and sometimes mistakes get made.

The last time I rented a van (from a large, multinational rental company),the tyres looked all right, but once I had finished loading it, I could see that one tyre was very flat. I thought it might be a slow puncture but fortunately, once I had pumped it up, it stayed up – so it must just have been sloppy maintenance.

On the other hand, if I had not have pumped it up it would have been quite likely to puncture and might have affected the van’s handling, too…