Table of contents
Quick answer
Check these before you sign: the total price and what it includes; the deposit, how it is taken (hold or charge) and when it is released; the insurance and excess; the mileage allowance and per-kilometre charge; the fuel policy; how Salik, tolls and fines are handled; delivery and collection; cancellation and late-return terms; and who is named to drive. Terms vary by company, so check your own contract. Then photograph the car, note every existing mark on the condition form, and keep a copy of everything.
Check the price and what it includes
This guide is about the paperwork, not the car. Contract terms vary from company to company, so treat each line below as a question for your own contract rather than something you can assume. The car's condition is a separate job, covered in our guide to checking a rental car before you drive off.
- The basics: your name, the rental dates, the pickup and return times and the car you booked. A mistake is easier to fix before you sign than after.
- The total price: ask for the full total for the whole rental, not only a daily rate.
- What is included: ask which items sit inside that total and which are charged on top. Our guide to hidden costs in car rental lists the extras to watch for.
- Your quote: compare the contract with the price or booking confirmation you were given. If a line has changed or appeared, ask why before you sign.
Not sure whether a figure is normal? There is no single standard, because terms vary by company. Real per-company fee data is in our fee transparency report, and our fees tool helps you work out the true cost of a rental.
Check the deposit and the insurance
- Deposit amount: check that the figure on the contract matches the one you were told.
- How it is taken: ask whether it is a hold on your card or an actual charge. The table below shows why the difference matters.
- When it is released: ask when and how the deposit is released after you return the car, and make sure that is written down. Our guide to car rental deposits covers how the card hold works.
- Insurance: ask what is covered and what is not. If any wording is unclear, ask the company to explain it and to show you where it is written.
- Excess: ask what the excess is, meaning the part of a claim you would pay yourself. Our guide to car rental insurance covers it in more detail.
| How it is taken | What it means | If it is not returned |
|---|---|---|
| A hold | What it meansAn amount is reserved on your card but not taken (not captured). | If it is not returnedA hold that has not been captured can simply be released. |
| A card charge | What it meansThe money is actually taken from your card. | If it is not returnedRaise it with the company first, in writing. You can then ask your bank for a chargeback. |
It varies by company, so check which one your contract describes.
Check mileage, fuel, Salik and fines
- Mileage: ask how many kilometres are included, and what each extra kilometre costs.
- Fuel: ask what level the tank should be at when you return the car, and what you pay if it is not.
- Salik and tolls: ask how Salik tolls are passed on to you, and when.
- Fines: ask how traffic fines are passed on to you, and whether there is an admin fee for handling them.
If a charge on the contract has no figure next to it, ask for the figure to be written in. A vague term is hard to check later.
Check delivery, cancellation, late return and named drivers
- Delivery and collection: if the car is brought to you and collected afterwards, confirm where and when, and whether there is a fee for either.
- Cancellation: ask what happens if you cancel or change the booking, by when, and what is refunded.
- Late return: ask when a return counts as late, whether there is any grace period, and what is charged if you are late.
- Who is named to drive: everyone who will drive should be named on the contract. If someone else might take the wheel, ask the company how to add them before you leave, and what its terms say about a driver who is not named.
The last steps before you drive away
- 1Read the whole contract, including the small print, before you sign. Ask about anything you do not understand.
- 2Tick off every item above against the page. If a figure is missing, ask for it to be written in.
- 3Anything the agent promises aloud, such as a waived charge or a flexible return time, belongs on the paper too. The paper is what you can point to later.
- 4Sign only when every line makes sense to you. If you feel rushed, slow down.
- 5Then photograph the car and note every existing mark on the condition form before you drive away. The full walk-round is in our guide to checking a rental car before you drive off.
- 6Keep a copy of everything: the signed contract, the condition form, your photos, your receipts and any messages with the company.
Handing the car back is part of the paperwork too. Our guide to returning a rental car covers the handover at the end.
If something goes wrong later
The paperwork you have just checked is what any complaint would rely on. If a charge or a refusal does not match what you signed, this is the route to follow.
- 1Raise it with the company first, in writing, quoting their own terms.
- 2If the deposit was taken as a card charge, ask your bank for a chargeback. A hold that has not been captured can simply be released.
- 3At the time of writing, a Dubai-licensed rental company answers to Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). You can file a Dubai Consumer complaint or call 600 54 5555, and the UAE government's consumer-protection page explains the steps.
For a deposit dispute specifically, our deposit-back tool gives you a letter generator and an escalation ladder. No route can promise an outcome, so keep every receipt, message and photo.
Frequently asked questions
Should I read the whole contract before I sign it?
Yes. Read it through, and ask the company to explain anything you do not understand or that differs from your booking. What you sign is what you can point to later, so check the price, deposit, insurance and excess, mileage, fuel, Salik and fines, delivery and collection, cancellation and late-return terms, and who is named to drive before you put your name to it.
Are the terms the same at every Dubai car rental company?
No. Contract terms such as delivery fees, cancellation terms and late-return charges vary by company, so check your own contract rather than assuming. If a term is missing or vague, ask for it to be written in before you sign.
Where can I see what companies actually charge?
Our fee transparency report shows real per-company fee data, and our fees tool helps you work out the true cost of a rental. Use them to compare, but terms can change, so your own contract is the document to check before you sign.
What is the difference between a deposit hold and a card charge?
A hold reserves an amount on your card without taking it, and a hold that has not been captured can simply be released. A charge actually takes the money, so getting it back means a refund from the company or, for a card charge, asking your bank for a chargeback. Check which one your contract describes, and when and how the deposit is released.
What if something I was told is not in the contract?
Ask for it to be written into the contract before you sign. What was said aloud is hard to point to later, and any complaint starts with quoting the company's own terms back to it. If the company will not write it in, treat the promise with caution.
Who needs to be named on the contract as a driver?
Anyone who will drive the car should be named on the contract. If someone else might take the wheel, ask the company how to add them before you leave, and ask what its terms say about a driver who is not named.
Does this checklist cover the condition of the car?
Only the last step: photograph the car and note every existing mark on the condition form before you drive away. The full walk-round is a separate subject, covered in our guide to checking a rental car before you drive off.
What can I do if a charge looks wrong or my deposit is not returned?
Raise it with the company first, in writing, quoting their own terms. If the deposit was taken as a card charge, ask your bank for a chargeback; a hold that has not been captured can simply be released. At the time of writing, a Dubai-licensed rental company answers to Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), so you can file a Dubai Consumer complaint or call 600 54 5555, and the UAE government's consumer-protection page explains the steps. For a deposit dispute, our deposit-back tool builds the letter and the escalation ladder for you. No route can promise an outcome.
Written by the TripReview team from our own price benchmarks and the rules published by UAE authorities, and updated 21 October 2026. Figures are ranges, not quotes — check the latest rules with the official source before you travel. How we rate companies
