Fear wear and tear standards are a set of guides produced by the BVRLA for the vehicle leasing and rental industry which we apply to all our car leasing contracts.
They aim to provide an industry-standard set of guidelines which define acceptable levels of fair wear and tear on a vehicle over the course of a rental or leasing period which the customer would not be held responsible for.
These guidelines factor in that a certain level of wear and tear is a natural by-product of long-term driving and therefore an unavoidable result of an ageing vehicle - even with a customer's highest level of care.
The guidelines also determine levels of wear and tear which are unacceptable and therefore constitute excessive damage which the customer may be held liable for in the form of additional end-of-contract charges. These charges cover loss of value resulting in a failure of adequate care.
Note that this is only intend as a brief example guide and does not constitute the factual guidelines. The full fair wear and tear guidelines are available from the BVRLA or through your car leasing or rental provider.
At the end of the contracted lease, your vehicle will be inspected on the basis of the fair wear and tear guidelines, with all damage being noted. Both you and the representative inspecting must check and agree to the condition results of the inspection.
Normally, any damaged deemed as fair wear and tear under the guidelines will incur no further charges. However, any damage deemed excessive will incur an end-of-contract charge to reflect the estimated loss of value.
Under the guidelines, if there is a dispute about the condition of the vehicle, you have the right to pay for an examination by an independent qualified engineer who is agreed to by both parties. If the engineer goes in favour of your dispute, then any car leasing provider which is a member of the BVRLA will refund you the reasonable cost of the engineer examination you paid for.
If a dispute arises which still cannot be resolved, then it is possible to refer these unresolved disputes to the BVRLA by the customer or car lease provider.
The BVRLA recommends that you carry out an appraisal of the vehicle before you return it. By identifying and repairing any damage which could be considered too excessive to be fair wear and tear, you can resolve it in advance under your own accord and avoid any end-of-contract charges.