Van & minibus fair wear and tear

At the end of your van or minibus leasing contract your vehicle will be inspected for any scuffs, dents or damage.

Finance companies accept that normal usage can inevitably result in a few scratches and bumps and will allow for a certain amount of imperfection. This allowance is called ‘fair wear and tear’ and outlines the minimum standard your vehicle should be returned in.

The fair wear and tear guide is an industry standard created by the BVLRA (the trade body for the leasing sector) and no matter which finance company your lease is with, the BVLRA guidelines will apply to you.

The guidelines below apply to vans and minibuses.

For cars, please see our Car Leasing Fair Wear and Tear guide.

General Advice

It is advisable to perform a thorough check on your vehicle at least one month before the end of your leasing contract. This will give you time to recognise and rectify any damage that falls outside of the fair wear and tear guidelines prior to your vehicle being collected.

You should thoroughly clean the van or minibus, both inside and out prior to checking it. Perform your vehicle inspection during the day to have the best chance of spotting any damage that may need to be repaired.

Where relevant we recommend deleting any personal information from the satellite navigation system (such as regularly visited destinations) to protect your personal data. Remove all your personal belongings - check under the seats and in all the storage areas.

What you should return

The golden rule here is – if it came with the vehicle, send it back with the vehicle!

This includes but may not be limited to:

  • Keys, including the spare and both must be functional so flat batteries must be replaced
  • Owner’s manual
  • Service history record
  • Any radio code cards supplied
  • All emergency equipment supplied e.g. warning triangle
  • Spare wheel or tyre mobility/inflation set
  • Valid MOT if this applies to your vehicle
  • Any optional equipment ordered that is not fixed such as tow bars, roof rails etc.

Outside the vehicle

Accepted Wear and Tear

  • Small scratches measuring up to 100mm that could be removed with mechanic polishing
  • Any dent measuring up to 20mm whether on a bumper, grille or panel
  • Stone ships covering less than 25% of the panel
  • Any scuff or scratch up to 100mm on any non-painted or textured bumpers
  • Any discolouration on a bumper, grilles or panel that is due to normal external factors (such as the weather)

 

Unacceptable Wear and Tear

  • Stickers and/or any glue residue from stickers
  • Any more than 2 dents per panel
  • Stone chips that are developing corrosion
  • Any scratch over 100mm on a bumper, grille or panel - whether it can be polished out or not
  • Any dent over 20mm on a bumper, grille or panel
  • Corrosion of any type
  • Incorrect repair work or any repainting work that shows a colour difference
  • Any paint discolouration that is seen to be caused by non-normal factors (e.g. incorrect chemical usage)
  • Any breaks or cracks in a bumper or grilles

Tyres and wheel rims

Accepted Wear and Tear

  • Tyres with a legal minimal tread of 1.6mm
  • 1 scratch, scuff or abrasion on the face of the wheel trim measuring under 100mm
  • 1 scratch, scuff or abrasion on the border of the wheel rim that measuring under 100mm

Unacceptable Wear and Tear

  • Any scratch, scuff or abrasion measuring over 100mm
  • Any bulges, cracks or cuts on a tyre
  • Any deformity of the tyre, wheel trim, wheel cap, wheel rim or alloy
  • Any tyre with a tread under the legal limit of 1.6mm

Windows, lights and external mirrors

Accepted Wear and Tear

  • Any stone chip under 10mm on the windscreen that is not in the driver’s line of sight
  • Stone chips to the surface of light casings that have not caused a break in the casing
  • Any scuffing, scratches or abrasions up to 50mm on mirror casing

Unacceptable Wear and Tear

  • Broken glass or non-operational lights
  • Any chip or crack larger than 1cm regardless of where it appears
  • Any deformation of the mirror and/or mirror case

Interior

Accepted Wear and Tear

  • Any stains that will be successfully removed by general cleaning
  • Seats that show deterioration due to normal usage
  • Discolouration due to day to day usage
  • Any added phone fixings can be left so long as they are properly fitted

Unacceptable Wear and Tear

  • Any unpleasant odour or soiling that is unlikely to be removed by general cleaning
  • Any abrasion, cut, tear or deformation of interior materials (e.g. seats, carpets and floor mats)
  • Any holes, spaces or gaps left from the removal of equipment
  • Any missing seats or mirrors

Loading area, sills and seals

Accepted Wear and Tear

  • Any scuff, scratch, deformation, dent or bump of the loading area sills and seals that will not be seen from the outside and does not interfere with the function of the doors
  • Any additional fittings can be left on the vehicle provided they have been fitted correctly

Unacceptable Wear and Tear

  • Any large abrasions or dents caused by improper loading or poorly secured goods
  • Any area of corrosion
  • Any holes in the loading floor
  • Any damage to the interior lining that impacts upon the use of windows, doors or any other fitting
  • Any missing lining or lining that has been ripped or torn

Please note

This guide provides a snapshot of the BVRLA fair wear and tear Guide which was accurate at the time of publication. For up to date details please get in touch.

Ask an expert

Need expert advise regarding leasing? Submit your question now

Send a Question

eNews Signup

Our best vehicle leasing deals delivered direct to your inbox

Signup now

Callback Request

Request a callback from an experienced vehicle leasing advisor

Request callback

More from our blog…

Trustpilot LogoExcellent - 5 out of 52289 Verified Reviews

Kevin Chapman TrustPilot 5 Star

Great attentive service and worked hard to get us back on the road after issues with our first order. Recommend.

Added 6 hours ago

MD: Moniru Islam TrustPilot 5 Star

it is my best choice.

Added 17 hours ago

Darren Cooper TrustPilot 5 Star

Yet again a first class service, hassle free, always on ha d to answer any questions quickly, I would t go anywhere else .....:: Jordan Naylard...

Added 2 days ago

Gillian Chruszcz TrustPilot 5 Star

This was my first experience of leasing a car and the information, help and support I received from both James and Megan was excellent. From...

Added 3 days ago

Clare Tower TrustPilot 5 Star

Thanks very much Daniel. Your help was much appreciated.

Added 3 days ago

Paul TrustPilot 5 Star

Helpful and generally good service. Very happy with and hope to deal with again.

Added 3 days ago

Nicola TrustPilot 5 Star

Jake gets me such good deals on my cars. The switch over for my old car and new car has been seamless.i cannot recommend enough.

Added 4 days ago

Mrs Foulger TrustPilot 5 Star

Car was delayed due to the COVID-19 but we were kept informed through the whole process. So even though the car was later than expected we were...

Added 7 days ago

Sergio Torres TrustPilot 5 Star

Very professional company. All went really smoothly, Paul and Jim were great in assisting me with all the questions.

Added 7 days ago

Monika TrustPilot 5 Star

Really pleased with Rivervale services! Getting a new lease car couldn’t have been easier. Particular thanks to James and Megan, they were...

Added 7 days ago

Arval Lex Autolease Alphabet BVRLA Seagulls Leaseplan Leasys Hitachi Santander ODO Fleet Insight

We use cookies to make the website work as well as possible and improve our services.

OK Or find out about managing cookies