Sajilai

Self-Drive Rental Pickup and Return Checklist for Nepal

A step-by-step pickup and return checklist for self-drive rentals in Nepal: photos, odometer and fuel, existing damage, spare tyre and papers, and your deposit.

Most disputes over a rental come down to one question: was that scratch there before? A careful handover answers it. Ten minutes at pickup and ten minutes at return protect you, protect the business and make the deposit refund simple.

This checklist works for cars, SUVs, motorbikes and cycles. Keep it on your phone and go through it every time, even with a business you have used before.

Before you arrive

A little preparation makes the handover faster.

  • Charge your phone. You will take a lot of photos.
  • Bring your licence, ID and anything else the business asked for.
  • Plan to pick up in daylight if you can. Damage is much easier to see.
  • Read the rental agreement beforehand so you know the fuel policy and return time.

At pickup: the walk-around

Walk slowly around the vehicle with someone from the business. Look at it panel by panel, not as a whole.

  • Take photos of every side, each corner, the roof and the bumpers. Take close-ups of any scratch, dent or crack.
  • Check the windscreen and windows for chips and cracks.
  • Look at all the tyres, including tread and sidewalls, and check the wheels for scrapes.
  • Open the doors and check the seats, dashboard and floor for tears, stains or burns.
  • On a motorbike, check the tank, mirrors, levers, lights and exhaust, and both tyres.
  • On a cycle, check the brakes, gears, chain and tyres, and any lock you are given.

Short videos help too. A slow walk-around video with the date visible on your phone is hard to argue with.

Make sure every piece of existing damage you find is written on the rental agreement, not just mentioned out loud.

Record the numbers

Two readings matter more than anything else: the odometer and the fuel level. Note both at pickup and take a clear photo of the dashboard showing them. If you have a daily kilometre limit, the odometer reading is what it will be measured against. If you have to return the vehicle with the same fuel, the fuel gauge photo settles it.

On Sajilai, the business records the odometer, fuel level, a checklist and photos at pickup and again at return, so both sides are working from the same record. Check what has been recorded before you drive off.

Check the safety kit and papers

It is easy to forget the things you hope never to use.

  • The spare tyre is present and inflated.
  • The jack and wheel spanner are in the vehicle, and you know where they are.
  • The bluebook copy and insurance papers are in the vehicle.
  • The pollution test sticker is on the windscreen.
  • You have the business's phone number and know what to do in a breakdown or accident.

Also try the basics before you leave the lot: lights, indicators, horn, wipers, brakes and, for a car, the air conditioning or heater if you need it.

During the rental

If something happens, record it at the time. Take photos of any new damage and the place it happened, and tell the business straight away. A problem reported on the day is much easier to deal with than one discovered at return.

Keep fuel receipts if your agreement involves refuelling, and keep a note of any warning lights that come on.

At return

Treat the return as a mirror of the pickup.

  • Refuel to the level agreed in the agreement and keep the fuel receipt.
  • Remove your belongings and any rubbish.
  • Walk around the vehicle with the business and compare it against the pickup photos.
  • Read the odometer and fuel gauge together and take a photo of the dashboard.
  • Agree in writing on any new damage before you leave.

If the business points out damage you believe was already there, show your pickup photos and the agreement. If you still disagree, stay calm and ask for the issue to be written down, so it can be looked at properly later.

How the handover protects your deposit

The deposit is there to cover fuel shortfalls, late returns, fines and damage that happen during your rental. When the condition at pickup and return are both recorded, there is little to argue about: the difference between the two records is what the deposit covers, and nothing else. On Sajilai, the deposit refund is settled at return, against what was recorded at pickup.

If you ever have a problem with a booking that you cannot resolve with the business, you can [contact us](/contact).

Whatever you rent, do the same checks every time, take more photos than you think you need and get everything written down. It costs you a few minutes, and it means a scratch you did not cause stays the business's problem, not yours. When you are ready, you can [find a vehicle](/explore) and put the checklist to use.