/ WEAR & TEAR POLICY
Wear & Tear Policy.
What counts as fair wear and tear vs. chargeable damage on an Easy Truck Rental hire.
Every vehicle picks up a small amount of wear through ongoing use — that's fair wear and tear, and it isn't charged to you. It's treated differently to damage caused by a customer, which is chargeable. The distinction between fair wear and tear and chargeable damage is set out in the Easy Truck Rental guidelines below.
Damage caused intentionally or by gross negligence is never considered fair wear and tear and is excluded from your damage cover — always refer to your Rental Agreement for the full exclusions that apply. We also offer a range of cover options if you'd like to reduce your excess in the event of an accident or damage — see our Damage Liability Options.
How we assess damage
Before every Easy vehicle goes out on hire, we record any existing damage — including fair wear and tear — with time-stamped photographs taken while the truck is prepared. If you notice any damage that hasn't been recorded, let a staff member know before you leave the branch.
What counts as fair wear and tear
Select a category below to see what's covered as fair wear and tear, and what's treated as chargeable damage.
Fair wear and tear — not charged
- Dents no more than 25mm in diameter (excluding bonnets and roofs), where the paint surface isn't broken and there's no paint removal, cracking or flaking.
Chargeable damage
- Hail damage.
- Dents of any size on bonnets, roofs, wheel arches, style lines, door sills or door edges.
- Multiple dents within a specific local area, regardless of size.
- Any damage affecting or penetrating the paintwork.
Fair wear and tear — not charged
- Isolated stone chips to any panel, up to 2mm in diameter.
Chargeable damage
- More than 5 stone chips to an isolated area.
Fair wear and tear — not charged
- Not more than 25mm long and 1mm wide.
- No paint surface penetration.
- Can be polished out.
Chargeable damage
- Any scratch where the metal, plastic or undercoat is exposed.
Fair wear and tear — not charged
- Scratches or scrapes under the front bumper that aren't visible when standing 2m back from the vehicle.
- Light scuffing or scratches with no paint penetration that can be polished out.
- Isolated stone chips up to 2mm in diameter.
Chargeable damage
- Any broken paint.
- Multiple scratches of any size.
- Dents 25mm or more in diameter.
- Any damage to a textured bumper.
- More than 5 stone chips to an isolated area.
Fair wear and tear — not charged
- Light scratches and scuffing up to 20mm in length.
Chargeable damage
- Wheel trims or hubcaps that are cracked, broken, missing, buckled, gouged, mismatched, or not the original.
- Alloy rims that aren't the originally supplied rim.
- Scuff marks more than 20mm in length.
- Tyre tread or sidewall damage that makes the tyre unroadworthy — cuts, bulges, gouges, abrasions, misuse, flat spots or burnouts.
- Replacement tyres that differ from those originally supplied.
No fair wear and tear allowance applies to these items. Scratches, chipping, cracks, holes or other damage to the windscreen, windows, lamps or external mirror lenses are always chargeable, as this kind of damage can affect the vehicle's roadworthy status and may worsen the longer the vehicle stays in use.
Fair wear and tear — not charged
- Light marks removable by vacuuming or general cleaning.
- Light scuffing, smears or everyday debris removable by general cleaning.
Chargeable damage
- Permanent damage caused by harsh or corrosive materials.
- Tears, cuts, scratches, holes or burns.
- Damage to the structure, shape or positioning of a seat.
- Pet hair.
- Excessive soil, mud or sand beyond regular day-to-day use.
- Evidence of smoking in the vehicle.
- Odours, foreign matter, or stains and marks that need steam cleaning or won't lift with general cleaning.
Fair wear and tear — not charged
- Minor cosmetic damage that doesn't affect functionality.
Chargeable damage
- Loss or damage to keys or the remote.
- Damage caused by incorrectly fitted accessories (snow chains, roof racks).
- Damage to aerials.
- Removal or damage to any item supplied with the vehicle — parcel shelf, tools, spare tyre, wheel trims, hazard triangle, first aid kit, GPS unit.