Car rental
A
car rental agency or a
rent-a-car (
car hire in
British English) is a company that rents
automobiles for short periods of time (ranging from a few hours to a few weeks) for a
fee. It is an elaborate form of a
rental shop, organized in numerous local
branches, primarily located near
airports or busy city areas.
Car rental agencies primarily serve people who have a car that is temporarily out of reach or out of service, for example
travellers who are out of town or owners of damaged or destroyed vehicles who are awaiting repair or
insurance compensation. Because of the variety of sizes of their vehicles, car rental agencies may also serve the self-
moving industry needs, by renting
vans or
trucks.
Car rentals are subject to many conditions which vary from one
brand to another. The vehicle must be returned in a good condition and must not exceed a maximum driven distance, otherwise extra fees may be incurred. Additionally, some companies set up a minimum age for the vehicle driver, which in some cases is as high as 25, even in countries where the
age of majority is much lower. Recent conditions have utilised
GPS technology to limit maximum speeds or driving to specific regions.
