Due to the influence of the coronavirus, I think that there are more cases where people who do not usually have a car are temporarily using it for travel and daily life.
Therefore, in this article, we have summarized what you need to know and necessary insurance when renting a car in the UK.
How to rent a car in England
- There are three main ways to rent a car in the UK.
- car rental
- Car sharing (Zipcar, etc.)
- lease agreement
In this article, I will mainly write about the use of rental cars and car sharing.
Things you need when renting a car
Depending on the car rental company, the required documents are slightly different, but in general, there are three documents required to rent a car in the UK: a driver’s license, an ID, and the card used for payment (credit or debit card).
If you have a UK driver’s license, you will need to present your driving license information, which is valid for 3 weeks, in addition to your driver’s license.
You can apply for free from the Gov.UK link, so print it out and bring it with you.
View or share your driving license information
By the way, if you use an international license obtained in Japan, do not forget to bring your Japanese license together with the international license.
Some car rental companies require proof of address, so be sure to check the necessary documents required by the car rental company before renting.
Do I need insurance when renting a car?
Rental car insurance is quite complicated and difficult to understand, so I will explain it carefully.
First of all, a typical rental car in the UK comes with the following cover when you rent a car.
Third-Party Liability
Insurance that applies when you injure someone while driving or damage someone else’s car or property
It is basically included in the price of the rental car because it is an insurance that must be taken out in the UK. If you are driving based on the rental car contract, it will be applied and there is no Excess like other insurance, so you do not need additional insurance.
Damage waiver protects
Insurance against damage and theft of the rented car, such as scratching the car body, puncturing the tire, or having the car stolen while renting.
In general, car rental companies have insurance, but Excess is often expensive, ranging from £500 to £2,000. Excess can be eliminated by paying additional insurance.
Roadside Assistance Protection
Insurance applied when road service is required. Like Damage Waiver, car rental companies are insured, but Excess is often expensive, ranging from £1,000 to £2,000. Excess can be eliminated by paying additional insurance, but please note that third party insurance may not be applicable.
Misfuelling and car key cover
The cost of putting in the wrong gas or losing your car keys. If you do not pay additional insurance when you rent a car, you will basically be charged the actual cost. Prices range from £200 to £400. Often covered by additional insurance.
In conclusion, when renting a car in the UK, there is no need for additional insurance for Third party Liability, and other items have a high Excess, so it is recommended to purchase additional insurance
By the way, I will also touch on cases where insurance does not apply.
Breach of contract, drugs and drunken driving are not covered, but in the UK most insurance companies, including car rental companies, do not cover mechanical damage to the car (e.g., a broken clutch). increase.
Well, it’s a rare occurrence, but even if you didn’t break it yourself, if it breaks down while you’re riding, you’ll be billed and your insurance won’t cover it.
How to get additional insurance (Excess Cover)
As for how to get additional insurance, the easiest way is to get it through a rental car company.
The advantage is that the car rental company will do the payment procedure for Excess all at once without interacting with a third party.
Basically, third party insurance will be billed after paying Excess to the car rental company, so temporary payment will occur.
Therefore, for those who are worried about communicating in English or who want to avoid troublesome interactions, it is quick and easy to get Excess Cover at a rental car company.
The disadvantage is the height of Excess Cover. The market price is 10 to 15 pounds per day, so if you rent it for 10 days, it will cost you 100 to 150 pounds just with Excess Cover.
If you want to keep costs down as much as possible, and if you don’t mind communicating in English, we recommend using Third Party Excess Cover.
