What counts as fair wear and tear on a lease car?
Fair wear and tear is deterioration from normal, careful use over the vehicle's age and mileage — light polishable scratches, small stone chips, faint scuffs. It is not damage: anything that has broken the paint film, dented a panel, torn trim or cracked glass is normally chargeable. Most UK funders follow BVRLA-style guidance and judge each item by size, depth and location, then price it from their own damage matrix.
Wear and tear vs damage: the actual test
Inspectors ask three questions about every mark: how big is it, how deep is it, and where is it? Size is measured against fixed thresholds (commonly 25mm for scratches and rim scuffs). Depth decides whether it can be polished or needs paint. Location matters because a mark on a swage line, a bumper corner or the driver’s view through the windscreen costs far more to put right.
If a mark can be removed with polish and has not broken the paint film, it is almost always fair wear and tear. Once primer or metal is visible, it becomes damage.
Fair wear and tear thresholds by item
| Item | Usually fair wear and tear | Usually chargeable | Typical charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paint scratch on a panel | Under about 25mm, paint film not broken, polishes out | Longer than ~25mm, or through to primer/metal, or rusted | £85–£250 per panel |
| Dent on a panel | Up to ~10–15mm, shallow, paint intact, not on a swage line | Larger, creased, paint cracked, or on a feature line | £70–£180 (paintless) / £180–£400 (repaint) |
| Stone chips | Small chips on the bonnet/front edge, spread out, no rust | Dense clusters, chips with corrosion, chipped-through paint | £0 up to £300–£600 for a bonnet respray |
| Alloy wheel kerbing | Scuffs up to ~25mm on the rim edge only | Longer or deeper gouges, buckling, damage to the wheel face | £75–£150 per wheel |
| Windscreen | Chip smaller than ~10mm outside the driver's line of sight | Any crack, or a chip in the swept driver's view | £90–£400+ (ADAS screens far more) |
| Tyres | Even wear above 1.6mm across the tread | Below the legal limit, sidewall damage, mismatched budget tyres | £80–£220 per tyre |
| Interior trim and seats | Light soiling that cleans, minor shine on bolsters | Tears, burns, permanent stains, cracked plastics | £60–£350 per item |
The five things that catch people out
- Missing items. Locking wheel nut, spare key, charge cable, boot floor, parcel shelf and load cover are all chargeable at main-dealer prices — often £150–£400 each for a key.
- Service history. A missed or late service can be charged, and it hits the vehicle’s value too.
- Aftermarket changes. Wraps, tints, towbars, tuning boxes and non-standard wheels must usually be removed and the vehicle returned to original condition.
- Smoke and pet damage. Odour, burns and embedded hair are treated as damage, not soiling, and attract valeting charges.
- Washing the car first. Dirt hides nothing — an unwashed car gets inspected badly, and you lose the chance to see what is actually there.
What to do before hand-back
- Wash and dry the car in daylight, two weeks before collection.
- Photograph every panel straight on and at an angle, all four wheels, all glass, the interior and the boot floor. Date-stamped photos are your evidence.
- Measure anything borderline with a ruler in shot, and compare against the table above.
- Get independent quotes for the items that fail. Smart repair is normally a fraction of a funder’s matrix price.
- On collection day, complete the condition report yourself, note every disagreement in writing, and photograph the car after the driver has loaded it.
Frequently asked questions
- What is fair wear and tear on a leased car?
- Fair wear and tear is deterioration caused by normal, careful use over the vehicle's contract term and mileage — for example light polishable scratches, small isolated stone chips and minor rim scuffs under about 25mm. Damage, by contrast, is anything caused by an impact, neglect or misuse: dents, broken paint, torn upholstery, cracked glass or missing parts.
- Is there an official fair wear and tear standard in the UK?
- There is no law setting it out. Most UK leasing and contract-hire companies apply the BVRLA Fair Wear and Tear Guide or their own near-identical standard, and your contract will name whichever one applies to you. Ask your funder for the exact guide they use before hand-back.
- Does age and mileage change what is acceptable?
- Yes. Inspectors are expected to allow more cosmetic deterioration on a four-year-old car with 60,000 miles than on an 18-month-old car with 9,000 miles. Age and mileage are one of the strongest arguments when challenging a charge.
- Who decides whether damage is fair wear and tear?
- An inspector employed by or acting for the finance company, usually at collection or at the auction site afterwards. Their assessment is not final — you can dispute it with the funder, and escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service if they will not budge.
- How can I check my own car against the guidelines?
- Photograph every panel, wheel, glass surface and the interior in daylight, then compare each item against the size and depth thresholds above. Snapfixly's End of Lease Damage Check does this from your photos and flags what would likely be charged.
Related guides
Charge figures are indicative UK ranges compiled from published finance-company damage matrices and Financial Ombudsman Service decisions. Every funder uses its own matrix, so your invoice may differ. Snapfixly is not affiliated with the BVRLA, the Financial Ombudsman Service or any leasing company, and nothing here is legal or financial advice.