The Excess Fee for Damage on Car Hire, Explained in Plain Words

What "excess" means

In car hire, the excess is the part of a damage bill the renter pays before the rest is covered. Car hire firms around the world use the word, and it is often hidden in small print, or set so high it is close to the value of the car. We call ours the Excess Fee for Damage and write the figure into your agreement, so you know your worst case before you set off.

How ours is worked out

• It is 10% of the car's agreed value.
• The agreed value is written into your rental agreement before you drive, and every car's Excess Fee for Damage is listed on our prices page.
• It applies to self-drive hires. With our chauffeur driving, there is no Excess Fee for Damage and no security deposit.

Worked examples

Take a car with an agreed value of KES 4,000,000. Its Excess Fee for Damage is KES 400,000.

• A scrape on a bumper that costs KES 50,000 to repair: you pay KES 50,000, the real repair cost.
• A cracked mirror that costs KES 25,000: you pay KES 25,000.
• A serious accident with a repair bill of KES 1,200,000: you pay KES 400,000, and we cover the rest.
• The car is stolen and you have followed the rules (kept the keys safe, reported it to the police at once): you pay KES 400,000.

What it never covers

The limit does not apply when the damage comes from breaking the rules you agree to in the rental agreement, for example:

• Driving off tarmac without our approval (we approve murram roads to family homes), except game drives in our Land Cruiser Safari.
• A driver who is not named on the agreement.
• Driving after drinking or taking drugs.
• Taking the car out of Kenya.

Fines, tolls and fuel are always yours to pay in full, on top. Our rental terms in plain words list every case.

How we handle damage fairly

Surprise bills after you have handed the car back are what renters fear most, so we work to a written fair damage promise:

• We film the car with you at handover, and again at return.
• A mark on the handover video is never charged to you.
• You leave with a written return receipt: "no new damage", or a list of anything new, with the video to show it.
• If something is owed, we take off only that from your deposit, with a written list.

After an accident

• Make sure everyone is safe, then call or WhatsApp our 24/7 line.
• For an accident involving anyone else, or a theft, report it to the police and get a police abstract (the official police report) within 24 hours.
• Photograph the damage, the scene and the other party's details, including their number plate.
• Do not admit fault, or agree any payment, with anyone else involved.

Does my credit card cover it?

Often not. Card cover for hire cars is usually secondary, many cards exclude luxury or high-value vehicles and unpaved roads, and some stop after 15 or 31 days. UK car insurance does not cover hire cars in Kenya. Check with your card issuer before you travel.

The excess and the deposit

They are different things. The Excess Fee for Damage is the most you can pay for damage. The security deposit is money held while you have the car, and it is refunded immediately after the return handover inspection. Our guide to the security deposit explains it.

Why not just buy extra cover?

Some firms sell extra cover on top of a high excess, at the desk, when you are tired and in a hurry. We keep it simple instead: the limit is included in every self-drive hire at no extra cost, and it is written into your agreement before you drive, so there is nothing to decide at handover.

Lower risk, lower worry

A smaller, everyday car has a lower agreed value and so a lower Excess Fee for Damage: the Toyota Axio and Mazda Demio are the lowest. Or add a chauffeur and remove the excess altogether. Every figure is on our prices page, and how to book shows where it appears in your booking.