# What should I do before my lease car is collected?

Appraise the car against the fair wear and tear standard 10 to 12 weeks before it goes back, repair anything outside it, and photograph every panel, wheel and the odometer on collection day. Be there for the collection, read the condition report before you sign it, and never sign a blank one.

Last reviewed 13 November 2026. Published by Handback Check (https://damagereclaim.co.uk), an independent UK service that checks lease return bills. Canonical page: https://damagereclaim.co.uk/guides/lease-return-inspection-checklist/

## Ten to twelve weeks before

1. Wash the car, let it dry and inspect it in good daylight, panel by panel. [1]
2. Measure every mark against the [limits](https://damagereclaim.co.uk/guides/bvrla-fair-wear-and-tear-standard/): 25mm scratches, 15mm dents, 3mm chips, 50mm of scuffing per wheel.
3. Check every tyre, including a spare, for cuts, cracking and tread.
4. Find both keys, the service record, the locking wheel nut and anything else that came with the car.
5. Get quotes for anything outside the limits. See [repairing before return](https://damagereclaim.co.uk/guides/repair-before-returning-lease-car/).

## The week before

1. Book any outstanding service.
2. Valet the interior. A car too dirty to inspect can be refused. [1]
3. Print or save the digital service record.

## On the day

1. **Photograph everything.** Each panel, each wheel close up, the interior, the windscreen and the odometer. Date-stamped photos are the evidence the ombudsman asks for. [2]
2. **Be there.** The BVRLA advises attending the collection. [1]
3. **Point out damage yourself** so it is recorded accurately.
4. **Read before you sign.** One customer signed a blank box on the driver's device, and another found a signature on a report he had refused to sign. [3] [4]
5. **Ask for a copy** of the collection report there and then.

Remember that the driver's opinion is not the final word. Companies often inspect again at their own site, and the ombudsman has said the company decides the charges, not the agent. [3]

## Afterwards

A BVRLA member must tell you about any charges within four weeks of return and send a breakdown, how it was calculated and the photographs. [1] If a bill arrives, [check it line by line](https://damagereclaim.co.uk/#check) before you pay.

## Quick answers

**Do I have to be present when my lease car is collected?** No, but the BVRLA advises it. Being there lets you agree the recorded condition and get a copy of the report.

**How long after return can a leasing company bill me?** BVRLA members must notify charges within four weeks of the vehicle's return. If your bill arrives later, ask the company to explain the delay.

## Sources

1. [BVRLA, Returning your leased vehicle](https://bvrla.co.uk/resource/returning-your-leased-vehicle-new.html)
2. [Financial Ombudsman Service, Car finance complaints: what we look at](https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/faqs/all/sort-complaints-motor-finance)
3. [Financial Ombudsman Service, decision DRN-5714458 (Volkswagen Financial Services)](https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/decision/DRN-5714458.pdf)
4. [Financial Ombudsman Service, decision DRN-6074117 (Novuna Vehicle Solutions)](https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/decision/DRN-6074117.pdf)