A free walkthrough of everything a lease return inspector checks against the fair wear and tear standard, area by area, so you know what's likely to be recharged before collection. Read our full guide, How to Inspect Your Car for Fair Wear and Tear, for the detail behind each step.
A scuff up to roughly 50mm of total circumference on the rim face is commonly treated as acceptable wear, but any damage to the spokes, fascia or hub is judged far more strictly, sometimes regardless of length. Check each wheel with the car clean, not dusty: brake dust hides scuffs that jump out the moment the wheel is washed.
Tyres have a legal minimum of 1.6mm, but most lease companies apply a stricter internal figure closer to 2mm. Check the sidewalls too, not just the tread: a bulge, cut or repair patch there is treated as a safety issue regardless of tread depth. Some lease companies also specify the exact brand and model of tyre that has to go back on, not just an equivalent size and rating, so check your own agreement before replacing anything.
Check tread depth across the whole width, not just the centre; uneven wear usually means a tracking or suspension issue, not just age.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Light scuffing on the rim edge is usually acceptable; damage that reaches the spokes or a crack is not.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Interior condition is a judgement call, not a ruler against a mark: free from stains, tears, burns and persistent odours, with normal soiling accepted as ordinary use. The problem is your own nose stops registering a smell you live with every day, so if you have carried pets, smoked in the car, or transported anything that leaks, assume an inspector will notice what you no longer can.
Check every dashboard control and fitted accessory actually works, not just that the seats and carpets look presentable. A functioning fault is chargeable the same way physical damage is.
Fabric and leather can't be polished out like paint; a stain or small tear usually means a smart repair, not a wipe-down. Check under the seat runners too.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Only relevant if the car has powered seats: try every direction of adjustment, including memory buttons if fitted.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check for child-seat buckle scuffs and stains down the sides, not just the seat base.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Gouges from loading tall or sharp items are easy to miss: run a hand along the roof lining, don't just look.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Holes under the pedals from heels are the most common carpet charge: lift the mats and check underneath, not just what's visible.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Look for scuffs from shoes climbing in and out, and cracked plastic around door pulls and switches.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
The recess where the door meets the body: seatbelt buckles chip the paint here when a door's slammed carelessly.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check for cracked trim around the gear selector and cup holders, and that dash buttons/screens respond normally.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check the jack, wheel brace, and any tools are all present, not just that there's something in the compartment.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Pull each belt out fully and check for fraying or cuts along its length, and that every buckle clicks home properly; a damaged belt is chargeable regardless of how tidy the rest of the seat looks.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
The UK figure that comes up again and again for scratches is around 25mm, provided the mark has not gone through to primer or bare metal, but treat that as a planning number rather than gospel. Dents sit in a rougher range, commonly 10 to 15mm, with swage lines and body creases treated more strictly almost everywhere, and some lessors hold bonnets and roofs to a tighter standard than doors and wings.
Chips are the tightest-agreed figure, commonly cited around 2 to 3mm, with a cap on how many per panel before they add up to a chargeable cluster. Bumper and grille plastic needs a different eye to paint: cracks matter more than scratches, since a cracked corner does not polish out.
Check close to the windscreen scuttle and around the badge; both easy to miss on a quick look.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Look for cracked mesh or missing clips; common after minor front-end knocks, even low-speed ones.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Push gently to check for looseness as well as looking for cracks: a loose light usually means a broken mounting bracket.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Cracked, faded, or an incorrect font/spacing plate can fail an MOT as well as a lease inspection.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
A scratch through to bare metal or primer, or over 25mm long, is the usual fail threshold.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check around the number plate recess and any parking sensors for chips and scuffs.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Scrapes from speed bumps and steep driveways live here: get down and look, don't just glance.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Same thresholds as the offside: check both even if one looks obviously worse.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check the front badge, any grille emblem, and the badge on the boot lid; missing or damaged badges are a genuine chargeable item, not just cosmetic.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Same rules as the front of the car: scratches around 25mm, dents in the 10 to 15mm range with swage lines and creases judged more strictly, chips around 2 to 3mm. Sills are the single most commonly missed panel on the whole car: get down and check the underside, not just what you can see standing up. The wing mirror housing is plastic, not paint: a crack there matters more than a scratch, since it will not polish out.
Check the leading edge closest to the wheel arch; a common stone-chip zone.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check the housing and glass together, and if it's power-fold or heated, test that it still works; note it separately if not.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check the lower edge and handle surround: the two spots keys and rings catch most often.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Get on your hands and knees for this one; sills are the most commonly missed panel on the whole car.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check for child-door scuffs low down and pushchair/buggy knocks at handle height.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check for bird-mess etching and hail dimples, both easy to miss from ground level; use a step if the car is tall.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check around the fuel filler flap and wheel arch lip for scuffs and chips.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Same thresholds again: scratches around 25mm, dents 10 to 15mm, chips 2 to 3mm, with panel location mattering as much as size. Bumper undersides and the boot lid edge near the spoiler or wiper are common spots that get missed on a standing walk-round. On the bumper plastic itself, a crack matters more than a scratch: it will not polish out the way a paint mark can.
Check the corner closest to the kerb: the most common spot for parking scrapes.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check the number plate recess and any reversing sensors or camera housing.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check for grounding damage from steep driveways or kerbs when reversing.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Same as the nearside: check both corners even if one looks obviously worse.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check for cracks and condensation inside the lens, and that both brake and indicator functions work.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check the number plate recess and the top edge near the spoiler or wiper; both bird-mess magnets.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Same checks as the front plate: cracks, fading, or an incorrect font/spacing can fail an MOT as well as a lease inspection.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Same rules as the nearside: scratches around 25mm, dents 10 to 15mm with swage lines and creases judged more strictly, chips around 2 to 3mm. Check the sill underside here too, it is missed just as often on this side of the car. The wing mirror housing is plastic, not paint: a crack there matters more than a scratch, since it will not polish out.
Check around the fuel filler flap and wheel arch lip for scuffs and chips.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check for bird-mess etching and hail dimples; use a step if the car is tall.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check for child-door scuffs low down and pushchair/buggy knocks at handle height.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Get on your hands and knees for this one, same as the nearside sill.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check the lower edge and handle surround: the two spots keys and rings catch most often.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check the housing and glass together, and test power-fold/heating if fitted.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check the leading edge closest to the wheel arch; a common stone-chip zone.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Glass is one of the few areas where "a bit under the threshold" thinking does not reliably hold. A chip in the driver's direct line of sight is judged more strictly than the same chip out in the swept area at the edge of the windscreen, and several lease standards treat any windscreen damage as automatically chargeable regardless of size. A stone chip left to spread into a crack is an avoidable escalation: a same-day repair is often cheap or free under many insurance policies.
A chip near the tax disc holder or rain sensor is easy to miss; most are repairable free on insurance if caught early.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Where fitted, check for cracks and chips just like the windscreen; a cracked panoramic roof is one of the most expensive surprises an inspection turns up.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
This is the single most consistent finding across every standard we have compared, UK and international: missing paperwork or missing kit triggers a charge on an otherwise perfect car. None of it requires a repair, just finding the item, so it is the easiest category to fix if you catch it early rather than the morning of collection.
Worth checking here too: any aftermarket fitments like tow bars, roof bars or tinted windows. Manufacturer-fitted or approved accessories are usually accepted as-is, but unapproved aftermarket work can be chargeable to remove and restore to standard spec.
Check every service is stamped, not just that a book exists: a single missing stamp is one of the most common charges.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check for both keys, including any credit-card-style spare some manufacturers issue separately.
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Confirm the adaptor is present as well as the nuts themselves: one without the other still counts as missing.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
One of the most common items people forget entirely; check it is in the car, not still in the garage.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Check the main handbook and any supplementary manuals (infotainment, towing) that came with the car are all present.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Some agreements expect the V5C to travel with the car rather than being held by the lease company; check which applies to yours before assuming it is not needed.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Only relevant once the car is old enough to need one; if it does, have a valid certificate ready to show at handover.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Only relevant on electric or plug-in hybrid cars; check the cable that came with the car is still with it, not left at home.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Delete your home address and any saved details from the sat nav, then run a factory reset so paired phones, contacts and app logins do not carry over to the next driver.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Tow bars, roof bars, tinted windows, body kits, and aftermarket alarms all count. Manufacturer-fitted or approved accessories are usually fine; unapproved aftermarket fitments can be chargeable to remove and restore.
At the end you can email this report to yourself. Due to the limitations of email, you can only upload 5 photos.
Rather have us do this for you? See our end-of-lease car inspection service, or read more in our End-of-Lease knowledge base.