What are end of lease repairs?
Quick answer: End of lease repairs are the fixes carried out before you return a lease car to bring it within fair wear and tear -- scratches, dents, scuffs, stone chips and kerbed wheels. Work ranges from paintwork correction and cosmetic repairs through to a full repair and repaint. The trick is knowing which damage will be charged and which will not -- because spending on the wrong repairs usually means paying twice.
It is perfectly normal for cars to collect scuffs, scratches, dents, bird mess etching, stone chips on body and windows, and chips on door edges, during its life. It is practically impossible for cars to not show some sort of wear and tear. It is also possible to add damage by accident -- a cheap hand car wash can introduce swirl marks and chemical burns that were not there before. However, that doesn't mean that the lease company considers this damage to be fair wear and tear as it can be repaired and should be, which is your responsibility.
There are very many companies who can repair these kinds of issues, and as they know they need to be addressed before you return your lease car, they will advertise that they do 'end-of-lease repairs'. And so they will. Before booking repairs, also confirm the car will meet the cleanliness standard the inspector applies -- see how clean does a lease car need to be.
However, as we keep saying, with think people overspend when it comes to returning lease cars. You aren't certain of what does, and does not, need to be done, so the temptation is to be safe and do everything. The smart repair companies usually don't know either, and they just want you to buy repairs. The result is that they spend money on the wrong things, and often get charged anyway.
An example might be that you spend money having dents and scratches removed from a roof or bonnet, which has bird mess etching on it, which they can do nothing about. Which means you would get charged the panel price anyway. Knowing which dents actually breach the BVRLA threshold is key -- see will I be charged for dents for where that line sits. Meanwhile, they miss an improper repair on a bumper which could have been easily rectified and brought them under the threshold of charges.
We would recommend getting an independent inspection done first before carrying out any repairs, and take advice on the best way to return your car for repair. Without those repairs, the decision passes to the lease company entirely -- see what happens if you don't repair your lease car for what that means in practice.