Damage and condition
Who bears what, and what RENTLI does and does not do · Version 1, 27 September 2026
RENTLI does not assess damage
This is the whole shape of this policy, so it comes first. RENTLI does not inspect cars, does not decide whether damage is new, does not put a price on it, and does not hold or deduct your deposit against it. Damage to a car during a trip is a matter between the guest and the host, settled between them. What RENTLI does is keep the record: the photographs taken at pickup and at return are stored against the booking and are visible to both of you, on the booking page, for as long as they may be needed.
The photographs are the record
At pickup and again at return, photograph the car together: all four sides, the wheels, the glass and mirrors, the interior, the odometer and the fuel gauge. Both of you can see these on the booking page afterwards, with the time they were taken. Damage that is not in the pickup photographs and is in the return photographs is treated as having happened during the trip. If you cannot complete them for any reason, say so in writing through RENTLI before driving away — an argument about a scratch is won or lost by whether anybody photographed it.
What the host bears
Periodic servicing, normal mechanical maintenance, ordinary wear and tear, and tyre replacement needed because of normal tyre life. A mechanical failure that happens without the guest being at fault is the host’s, as is the cost of recovering the car in that case. The host is responsible for keeping the car roadworthy and insured, and for disclosing anything material about it before it is booked.
What the guest bears
Damage arising from negligence, misuse, prohibited use, or letting somebody else drive. Ordinary puncture expense during the trip. Fuel used, tolls, FASTag, parking, and traffic fines. If a tyre punctures and you keep driving until the tyre is destroyed and the alloy is damaged, the resulting damage is yours — stop and call the host. A breakdown caused by how the car was used, rather than by the car, is also yours.
Pre-existing damage
Damage that was already on the car is not chargeable to you merely because somebody noticed it at return. The pickup photographs are what settles it. This cuts both ways: a host cannot bill for a dent that is visible in the pickup set, and a guest cannot deny one that is not.
Insurance
Every car on RENTLI must carry valid insurance, which is the host’s responsibility to hold and to maintain. RENTLI is not an insurer, does not sell a damage waiver, and cannot guarantee that any claim is accepted or paid. The policy’s own terms and exclusions apply — and most policies exclude driving by an unapproved person, driving under the influence, racing, off-road use and unlawful use, which is why those things are prohibited here too.
If there is an accident
Make sure everyone is safe and call emergency services if anyone is hurt. Tell your host immediately, and tell RENTLI. Report it to the police where the law requires it and get a copy of the report — an insurance claim generally cannot be made without one. Photograph the scene if it is safe to do so, and keep any witness details. Do not abandon the car, do not authorise repairs yourself unless the host asks you to in writing, and do not accept liability on anyone else’s behalf.
If the car is stolen
Tell your host and RENTLI at once and report it to the police, then send the FIR or complaint details through the booking. Hand over any keys and documents you still have. The host handles the ownership, insurance and legal side; RENTLI assists. The car may never be sold, pledged, mortgaged or handed to anyone else — if that is suspected the host may go to the police directly, and the account is permanently closed.
The deposit is not for this
Your deposit secures traffic fines and challans arising during your trip, and nothing else. It is not held against damage, fuel or distance. If no fine has arisen and no claim is open, it is returned automatically three days after the car comes back, reaching your account within 7 to 10 working days. A host raising a challan claim pauses that return until it is settled, and any deduction must be supported by the challan itself. The one other exception is a trip you abandon without returning the car or ending the trip, where the late hours you owe may be settled from it.
Mechanical failure, breakdown and towing
A genuine mechanical failure that happens without the guest being at fault is the host’s responsibility, including the cost of recovering the car. Stop using a car that has failed or become unsafe, and tell the host and RENTLI. A breakdown caused by how the car was used rather than by the car itself may be charged to the guest, and towing follows the cause of the incident. Do not arrange a repair yourself without the agreement of both the host and RENTLI, except an emergency measure genuinely necessary to protect life or safety or to prevent further damage: an unauthorised repair attracts a ₹1,000 platform charge and possible suspension.
Tyres, keys and documents
Replacing a tyre because it has reached the end of its normal life is the host’s. An ordinary puncture during the trip is the guest’s. Damage that follows from continuing to drive on a flat — a destroyed tyre, a damaged alloy — is the guest’s. A lost key or key fob attracts a ₹500 platform charge plus the actual cost of replacement, programming and towing. Losing the car’s documents attracts the reasonable cost of replacing them.
Wrong fuel, smoking, pets and the tracker
These are platform charges, applied by RENTLI in addition to anything owed to the host, and settled with you directly by support rather than taken from your deposit. Putting the wrong fuel in the car attracts ₹2,000 plus the actual cost of putting it right — stop driving at once and tell the host, because the damage from continuing is far larger than the mistake. Smoking in a car whose listing does not permit it attracts ₹1,000 plus cleaning. A pet in a car that is not listed as pet-friendly attracts ₹1,000 plus cleaning or repair. Removing, disabling or damaging the host’s tracking device attracts ₹1,000 plus the cost of replacing it, with possible suspension and legal escalation. Each is applied only on credible evidence, and any of them can be disputed through support.
What RENTLI keeps, and for how long
RENTLI retains verification records, booking records, payment records, condition photographs and video, chats, support records and incident records for as long as is reasonably necessary — for operations, for challans and legal notices that arrive later, and for fraud prevention, disputes, insurance, recovery, accounting and legal compliance. The condition record in particular is kept because it is the only impartial account of what the car looked like, and either of you may need it long after the trip. The Privacy policy explains this in full.
If you disagree
Talk to each other first — most of this is settled in the booking thread with the photographs open in front of both of you. RENTLI support can help you reach each other and can show what the platform recorded, but will not adjudicate the damage itself. Either of you may involve the insurer, the police or a court where that is appropriate.