You land, grab your bags, pick up the keys, and you're off. Renting a car on vacation feels effortless — until you return the vehicle and suddenly find yourself responsible for a scratch you never made. It happens more often than you'd think, and the fix is surprisingly simple.
Travel journalist Lauren David, along with several car rental and insurance experts — including attorney Dr. James Roswold, Lourdes Losada (Skyscanner's US Regional Director), and Alex Villalobos (operations manager at a major rental company) — all told Travel + Leisure the same thing: the biggest mistake travelers make is failing to document the car's condition when they pick it up and when they return it.
The mistake almost every traveler makes
Car rental counters are busy places. There are queues, impatient staff, and a stack of paperwork to get through. In the rush, most people skip the single most important step: a thorough, documented inspection of the vehicle.
According to the experts, this small oversight can have serious financial consequences. If a pre-existing scratch or dent wasn't properly recorded, the rental company may hold you responsible for it when you return the car — and proving otherwise without evidence is an uphill battle.
Why photos and videos matter more than you think
Dr. James Roswold is clear on this point: visual documentation is one of the strongest forms of evidence in a rental dispute. Photos and videos don't just capture individual scratches — they create a timestamped record of the car's entire condition at a specific moment in time.
A timestamped photo or video makes it undeniable whether a dent or scratch was already there when you drove off — or wasn't.
That distinction can be the difference between walking away free and paying a hefty repair bill for damage you didn't cause.
How to document the car properly at pickup
Lourdes Losada is emphatic: walking around the car and glancing at it isn't enough. You need a systematic, deliberate approach.
Here's what the experts recommend:
- Film a continuous walk-around video of the entire exterior
- Take photos from every angle, including close-ups of any existing damage
- Document the interior — seats, dashboard, floor mats — not just the bodywork
- Pay extra attention to vulnerable areas: bumpers, mirrors, and alloy wheels
Losada also points out that video footage is especially useful because you can later extract still frames as precise evidence if a specific detail comes into question.
The most commonly forgotten spot: the roof
Dr. Roswold singles out one area that travelers almost always miss: the roof of the car. This is especially important in regions prone to hailstorms, where roof damage can appear seemingly out of nowhere.
Roof dents are rarely visible at eye level, which makes them easy to overlook at pickup — but easy for a rental company to flag at return. A single photo of the roof before you drive away can save you a serious argument later.
Don't stop at the bodywork
Alex Villalobos stresses that proper documentation goes beyond the exterior. Make sure you also capture:
- The odometer reading
- The fuel level
- The condition of the windshield and wipers
- The interior — upholstery, dashboard, and any stains or marks
- All required accessories (spare tire, warning triangle, etc.)
Missing equipment or interior damage can generate extra charges just as easily as a scratched bumper. Don't give the rental company any room to add surprise fees.
What happens if you skip this step?
The experts are unanimous: the biggest risk is being charged for damage that was already there before you ever got in the car.
According to Dr. Roswold, most disputes stem from inspections that were too rushed or incomplete at pickup. Without your own documentation, you're essentially relying on the rental company's word — and that's a position you don't want to be in when there's money on the line.
Does rental insurance actually cover you?
Many travelers assume that adding a CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) or LDW (Loss Damage Waiver) means they're fully protected. The reality is more complicated.
Lourdes Losada warns that these policies frequently exclude specific components — tires, glass, mirrors, and the undercarriage are often only partially covered, or not covered at all.
Insurance reduces your financial exposure, but it doesn't eliminate it. Your own documentation remains essential regardless of what policy you've purchased.
A few minutes that could save you hundreds
Renting a car is one of the best ways to explore a destination on your own terms — but it can quickly turn stressful if you're not careful. The experts' message is simple: photographing and filming the car isn't an optional extra. It's a basic form of self-protection that takes less than five minutes.
That short routine at the rental lot could prevent a costly dispute and keep your vacation exactly what it's supposed to be — stress-free.
