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A Clear Guide to Caring For and Returning Your Leased Van & Truck.
Follow this link to download a copy of this Fair Wear and Tear - LCV document.
This guide applies to light commercial vehicles (LCVs). When assessing a vehicle, Planet Leasing will consider its age, mileage, use, and whether it has been sufficiently looked after.
Fair wear and tear is the acceptable, gradual deterioration resulting from normal and careful use of a vehicle. Damage is deterioration resulting from a specific event or series of events, including impact damage, inappropriate loading or storage, harsh treatment, negligent acts or omissions.
The customer, driver and fleet operator are responsible for using, maintaining and looking after the vehicle, its equipment and accessories in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines and the lease agreement.
You must not alter, block or interfere with the vehicle’s odometer or mileage recording system. Report an odometer malfunction to Planet Leasing as soon as possible.
If the vehicle has a private registration plate, contact Planet Leasing 10 to 12 weeks before the end of the agreement. Where tachograph equipment is fitted, arrange recalibration before return where required.
Carry out a vehicle appraisal 10 to 12 weeks before return. Any repair work must be completed to a professional standard by a reputable repairer using OEM or OEM-equivalent parts. Major repairs require Planet Leasing’s approval before work begins.
The vehicle must be safe, legal and reliable, and capable of passing a relevant statutory test, including MOT and, where applicable, LOLER or other auxiliary-equipment testing. It must be sufficiently clean for inspection and returned with all supplied keys, documents, equipment and accessories.
At collection, visible wear, damage and missing equipment may be recorded. A final inspection may take place at collection or later at a nominated site. If charges are applied for excess mileage, damage or missing equipment, you should be advised no later than four weeks after collection or return. A charge breakdown and appropriate photographic, video or other documentary evidence should be provided.
Charges may apply where the vehicle, its equipment or accessories have not been used, maintained or returned in the agreed condition. Examples include missing keys, battery charging leads, tail-lift wander leads, wheel jacks, cab-tilt bars, tools and fitted accessories.
Planet Leasing will not charge for refurbishment needed solely as a result of normal fair wear and tear.
The LCV standard assesses condition by reference to three areas of the vehicle:
Blue Zone: exterior paintwork, cab, rigid body panels, painted bumpers, mouldings and other exterior areas not normally subject to heavy wear or contact with the payload.
Yellow Zone: working surfaces and load-contact areas, including body floors, load areas, steps, tailboards, drop-sides, wheel arches and tail-lift platforms.
Magenta Zone: the cab, driver, passenger and crew areas.
For small panel vans and car-derived vans, the rear step is Blue Zone unless it forms part of the loading area, when it is Yellow Zone. For a Luton vehicle with a tail lift, both platform surfaces are Yellow Zone.
There must be no rust, corrosion or discolouration on painted areas. There must be no cracks or deviation from the original shape or position of any panel or component. Professionally repaired damage may be acceptable where supported by a full warranty.
Customer-applied badges, emblems, labels, logos, wraps and advertising livery should be removed and the surface made good before return. Removal must be carried out professionally and with Planet Leasing’s written agreement. Damage caused by fitting or removing these items is not acceptable. Light shadowing caused by paint fade is acceptable. Original badges and emblems must remain on the vehicle.
Repairs to chips, scratches and dents outside the fair wear and tear tolerance are acceptable if completed to a professional standard by a repairer able to provide a full warranty. Flaking paint, preparation marks, paint contamination, rippled finishes and poorly matched paint are not acceptable.
Refer to the inventory supplied at the start of the agreement for additional equipment and tools supplied with the vehicle. All such equipment, components and panels must be returned present and fully functional.
Curtains and pelmets must be free from unrepaired holes and other damage. Curtains must run freely and be tidy in appearance. Curtain tracks must be undamaged and free from rust. Damaged pelmets must be repaired or replaced. Curtain repairs must be professionally completed and cosmetically tidy. Curtains must be replaced where patched repairs interfere with smooth running and operation. A curtain with a repaired split of 2 metres or more is not acceptable. Load-bearing curtains originally supplied to EN12642XL cannot be repaired and must be replaced.
All straps and tensioners must be present and operate correctly. Load-retaining brackets and straps originally supplied must be complete and fully functional.
Temperature-controlled bodies must operate satisfactorily and have current statutory certificates. The interior of box bodies and temperature-controlled vehicles must be clean and free from load or residue contamination. Roof and side panels must not be distorted or deformed, and there must be no damage caused by insulating water contamination. The refrigeration motor and any temperature-control or monitoring equipment must operate correctly. Load-restraining devices, brackets and straps must be present, undamaged and fully functional.
All specialised bodywork must operate satisfactorily and have current statutory testing and inspection certificates where required. Wings must be complete and free from holes. Spray-suppression flaps must meet legal requirements.
Fuel and AdBlue tanks must be uncontaminated, securely attached and free from leaks and damage. Components must be free of oil, fuel and coolant leaks. Seepage around seals or gaskets that leaves a surface residue is not considered a leak and is acceptable.
Impact damage to the vehicle undercarriage is not acceptable. Catalytic converters and other emissions-control equipment must be intact and fully functional. Additional equipment, components and panels must be present and fully functional. Tools, including jacks and cab-tilt bars where originally supplied, must be returned. Replacements require Planet Leasing’s permission and must be of a similar standard and specification.
Surface rust is acceptable on heavy-wear working surfaces only where corrosion does not compromise the integrity of a panel or component. There must be no distortion or deformation of a panel or component.
Damage caused to interior door linings, bulkheads or interior wheel arches by failure to secure a load is not acceptable. Load areas must be free from residue contamination. Vehicles used to carry corrosive or harmful materials must have received increased maintenance and any contamination or related damage must be made good.
Drop-sides, tailboards, tippers, platforms, shutters and doors must remain secure and operable. They must not have structural damage, holes, gouges, cracks, significant distortion or gaps through which a load could escape.
Cranes, tail lifts and other auxiliary equipment must be working and have current statutory certificates where required. Roof racks and ladders require Planet Leasing’s approval, must be correctly fitted and must not cause water ingress, corrosion or distortion to the roof, panels or gutter rail. High-security locks must be functional and all keys must be returned.
Where fitted, curtains, pelmets, straps, tensioners, box bodies, temperature-controlled bodies, specialised bodywork, wings, spray-suppression flaps, fuel and AdBlue tanks, electrical equipment and fitted tools must be present, undamaged and operate correctly in accordance with the LCV standard.
Curtains must operate freely, be tidy and have undamaged, rust-free tracks. A repaired curtain split of 2 metres or more is not acceptable. Load-bearing curtains originally supplied to EN12642XL must be replaced rather than repaired.
Oil, fuel and coolant leaks are not acceptable. Seepage around seals or gaskets that leaves a surface residue is not treated as a leak and is acceptable.
The cab upholstery, seats, headlining, arm-rests, interior trim and fittings must be clean and odour-free, with no burns, scratches, holes, gouges, rips, tears, staining or evidence of smoking. Replacement items must match the original specification.
Floor coverings and surrounding trims must not be torn or split. Carpets must not have holes. Footwells must not have holes penetrating the base metal or material.
All original cab equipment, controls and accessories must be present and fully operational. Items fitted, wired in or mounted on the dashboard must be removed professionally and any holes or damage repaired unless Planet Leasing agrees otherwise in writing. First-aid kits and fire extinguishers supplied with the vehicle must be returned intact or replaced with items of a similar standard and specification.
Tyres and spare tyres must be legal and meet the manufacturer’s requirements for type, size and load-bearing capacity. The minimum tread depth is the depth specified in the lease or contract and must be present across the full width and entire circumference of the tread.
Wheel rims and wheel trims must not be dented. Scuffs up to 50 mm in total around the wheel-rim circumference may be acceptable. Damage to wheel spokes, wheel fascias or alloy-wheel hubs is not acceptable. Alloy wheels must not have rust or corrosion.
There must be no damage to tyre sidewalls or tread. The spare wheel, including a space-saver where fitted, jack and other tools must be intact, correctly stowed and in good working order. An emergency tyre inflation kit, where supplied when new, must be serviceable and ready for use. A sealant canister that has been partially or fully discharged must be replaced.
All glass areas must be secure, watertight and fully operational. Damage above 10 mm in the driver’s line of vision or above 40 mm elsewhere in the wiper-swept area is not acceptable. The driver’s line of vision is a 290 mm-wide vertical strip centred on the steering wheel.
Mirrors must not be missing, faded, cracked or damaged. All mirrors, including adjustable and heated mirrors where fitted, must operate correctly.
All lamps, reflectors and beacon lights must be secure and fully operational. Aftermarket lamps, reflectors, lights or beacons must be removed and the surface made good unless Planet Leasing agrees in writing that they may remain.
Light scratching is acceptable only where it does not interfere with the driver’s line of sight, heating elements or Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). If a windscreen, other glass component, lamp or lamp unit affecting ADAS has been replaced, the system must be recalibrated in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. Repaired windscreen chips are acceptable where repairs are professional and warrantied. Windscreen wipers must be present, secure and in good condition, and the washer reservoir must contain sufficient fluid.
Lamp covers must not have holes, gouges or cracks. Minor lamp scuffs or scratches of 25 mm or less are acceptable. Any approved aftermarket lamps, reflectors, lights or beacons may remain in place only where Planet Leasing has agreed this in writing before return.
The vehicle driveline must be free from defects. The engine and brake management systems must not display warning lights relating to faults, including diesel particulate filter, tyre-pressure or oil-pressure warnings. A vehicle with an illuminated fault warning may not be driveable, and collection may be abandoned. Advisory alerts, such as a countdown to the next service, may be acceptable.
At the start of the agreement, Planet Leasing will explain the required return condition, the requirements for keys, fitted equipment and accessories, the vehicle inventory, and the maintenance and servicing expectations during the agreement.
If you are unhappy with an end-of-lease charge or the condition assessment, contact Planet Leasing in writing first. Explain what you believe is wrong, the evidence you have and how you would like the matter resolved.
In a dispute about vehicle condition or damage, you may pay for the documentary and photographic evidence to be reviewed by an independent qualified engineer agreed by both parties. The engineer must be independent of the original inspection. Their decision is binding on both parties. If the engineer finds in your favour, the reasonable cost of the examination will be refunded.
Planet Leasing is a member of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA). As a member, we are required to trade fairly and responsibly and to follow the BVRLA Code of Conduct. This Code promotes ethical trading, clear pricing, transparent terms and effective handling of customer complaints.
If you are unhappy with our final response to a complaint about an end‑of‑lease charge and we are unable to resolve the matter, you may be able to refer your complaint to the BVRLA’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service, where you are an eligible customer of a BVRLA member.
The BVRLA ADR service will consider the evidence from both parties and may require a member to refund unjustified charges. BVRLA members must comply with ADR rulings.
The following definitions explain some of the terms used in this guide.
Abrasion – Multiple marks or scores penetrating the base material, sometimes caused by contact with tree branches.
AdBlue – A non-toxic solution used in certain diesel vehicles to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.
ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) – An independent complaints service that considers disputes between customers and businesses as an alternative to going to court.
BVRLA Code of Conduct – The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association’s mandatory rules for members covering ethical trading, clear pricing, transparent terms, vehicle standards and complaint handling.
Chip – Removal of surface material from glass or paintwork in a small, defined area.
Damage – Deterioration caused by a specific event or neglect, such as impact damage, poor loading, misuse, missing items or poor-quality repairs.
Dent – Deformation of the surface structure, usually caused by impact.
EN12642-XL – The European standard for load-bearing curtain-sided bodywork; curtains built to this standard must be replaced, not repaired, if damaged.
Fair Wear and Tear – Acceptable, gradual deterioration that results from normal, careful use of a vehicle, taking account of age, mileage and proper maintenance.
LOLER – The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations, which require statutory testing of tail lifts, cranes and other lifting equipment.
OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) – The vehicle manufacturer or a parts supplier that meets the manufacturer’s original specification.
Scratch – A mark or score with raised edges in the surface material (glass or paintwork).
Scuff – Light scraping of the top surface that does not penetrate the base material.
Swage Line – A folded or shaped edge in a body panel where dents are particularly noticeable.
Tachograph – A device fitted to certain commercial vehicles to record driving time, speed and distance.
Tail Lift – Powered lifting equipment fitted to the rear of a vehicle to raise and lower loads.
Warranty – A written promise to repair or replace a component, or repeat work, if it is unsatisfactory within a stated period.
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