How to return your hire car outside of regular business hours

What happens if you need to drop off your hire car before sunrise or after closing time? While after-hours returns of rental cars are common right across Australia, too often drivers find themselves wondering just what the rules are, and this is totally understandable as not only can after-hour returns policies vary between rental car providers, they can also vary depending on the location of the rental car depot. Read on to learn the rules for after-hours returns at suburban, on-airport, and off-airport depots.

Why do after-hours returns matter?

When you return your rental car during business hours, you hand over the keys, a staff member might inspect the vehicle, you may need to settle any outstanding charges, and then you’re good to go. When you return a vehicle outside of business hours however, there’s no staff member to inspect the vehicle, to collect your keys, nor to look after any paperwork or supplementary charges. Instead this is all done the next business day, and as such you’re expected to follow specific instructions carefully in returning the vehicle without a staff member present.

Each rental car provider has its own procedures, and these can even vary between depots belonging to the same provider. Because of this, if you’re planning on an after-hours return, it’s important that you read your Rental Agreement and the provider’s Terms and Conditions for their specific instructions.

Before you book

If you know you are going to need an after-hours return — for example if you have a very early departing flight — it is essential that you check the after-hours policy of the provider you’re considering before you book your car. Likewise, if you’re considering an off-airport provider (see below), check the hours that their shuttle service runs, as if it isn’t running you’ll need to make your own way to the airport.

After-hours return quick tips

Regardless of the depot location, the following five tips will help your after-hours return run smoothly.

After-hours return to a suburban or CBD depot

Suburban and CBD depots are usually located in city centres or neighbourhood shopping areas, and more often than not this means they typically follow regular business hours with perhaps an extra hour or so at the end of the day. While some providers may be open longer hours, many might have hours something like 9 AM to 5 PM on weekdays with slightly shorter hours on weekends. Some of these providers may accept after-hours returns, but you should not rely on all doing so.

If the depot does allow after-hours returns, here’s what you’ll be expected to do:

Some depots are in open car parks, but others sit behind gates that close after hours, and if the gates are locked, the rental company should provide instructions.

After-hours returns to an airport depot

After-hours returns to airport rental car depots varies depending on whether the depot is on-airport or off-airport, with the key differences being location and how you get to the terminal after you return the car. We’ll go through each of these separately.

On-airport depots

On-airport depots operate within the airport precinct, and their return areas are usually clearly marked by “Car Rental Return” signs. On-airport depots usually follow the business hours of the airport — or at least the hours over which scheduled flights are arriving and departing, which are typically longer than the hours kept by a suburban depot. Better still, if your flight is delayed — and the rental car provider knows your flight details — they may well stay open to wait for you. Airport car parks are usually accessible 24 hours a day, making early-morning and late-night returns relatively straightforward.

With longer hours and clearly marked and designated vehicle return areas, on-airport rental car depots are generally the easiest for dealing with after-hours returns, and a typical after-hours return process would be something like the following:

Off-airport depots

Unlike on-airport depots, off-airport depots are located outside the airport boundary, often in industrial parks a short drive from the airport, and off-airport providers usually operate a shuttle bus between their depot and the airport terminal. After-hours returns to off-airport depots can require more planning for a few reasons. Firstly, they may not remain open as long as on-airport providers, and secondly the shuttle bus (if there is one) may have even more restrictive hours—meaning after returning your car you may need to make your own way to the airport if the shuttle bus has finished for the day.

Some off-airport providers allow after-hours returns but generally they require prior approval, while others only accept returns during business hours—this is why it is so important you contact the depot beforehand.

Assuming they do allow after-hours returns, the process is typically:

Plan ahead for a smooth drop-off

Returning your hire car outside business hours is usually a straightforward process — as long as you understand the rules of your depot and follow the provider’s instructions carefully. A little preparation goes a long way when it comes to finishing your trip smoothly.