Van De-Hire Charges and How to Avoid Them

The best way to avoid de-hire charges is to ensure your van is regularly maintained and serviced throughout the lease contract duration. Vehicle maintenance should start from the first day of your lease and continue throughout the leasing period. 

To keep on top of general maintenance, consider the following:

• Keeping the interior clean and tidy 
• Having the vehicle valeted regularly helps reduce the impact of any stone-chip damage, eliminate traffic grime, and make routine washing easier.
• Checking for stains and rips to the fabric and repairing accordingly 
• Installing seat covers to avoid damage to the fabric 
• Checking for scratches to the trim and repairing accordingly  
• Installing ply lining to the inside of the van to avoid damage when loading and offloading tools and machinery

You should inspect the outside of your vehicle at regular intervals, looking for dents and noticeable scratches (25mm and over in length). You should also check all glass for cracks or chips, and for any damage to the wheel or the trim. If you encounter any damage, consider correcting it as quickly as possible so it doesn't get any worse. 

For small areas of damage such as scratches, chips and dents, a SMART (small and medium area repair technique) repair may be more appropriate. However, before you organise for any maintenance work to be carried out, it is important you speak to your finance provider to determine whether approval is required. 

Keep documents, as well as some other pieces of equipment, in a safe place so you're able to surrender them on the day of collection. This includes:

• Any radio and security code cards
• All original wheel caps and locking wheel nuts
• A full set of keys, including master and spares
• All documentation, such as the owner's manual, service book, and MOT certificate

Before you hand back your van, you must completely remove any signage, graphics, decals or roof fittings. Any removal of livery should be completed to a professional standard, and any bodywork surface damage should be corrected, including the removal of glue and any residue that may have been left behind. You must do this because if the finance provider has to remove them, you may be charged. 

To avoid charges for missing, late or incomplete service records, find out your van's service and maintenance intervals and make a note in your diary. 

On the day of the service, make sure the vehicle service book is fully date-stamped by an authorised repairer. For service records that are held electronically, ask for a printout of the service/maintenance report for your own records. This can then be used as proof if your finance company ever require it. 

Finally, if you're unhappy with any of the damage charges issued by the finance provider, don't be afraid to challenge them on their findings. To do this, you'll need to contact them directly, usually in writing, explaining the issue and how you would like them to put things right.

If the problem is still unresolved and the financial provider's final response is deemed inadequate, you can escalate your complaint to the BVRLA Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), provided that they are a BVRLA member. The BVRLA dispute resolution team will investigate your complaint and will respond within five working days in keeping with their Code of Conduct.