In short
- Bring the licence of every driver and a way to pay what's left of the rent and the bond. Check the pickup time against the opening hours.
- Inspect the car inside and out with staff before you sign, photograph any existing damage, and make sure it is written on the record.[1]
- Take your own dated photos or a video of every panel, the wheels, the windscreen, the interior, the fuel gauge and the odometer.
- Before driving off, find out the fuel type, the lights and wipers, and what to do if the car breaks down or is damaged.
- Return it to the same place, in opening hours, with the fuel level it had at pickup. At Rentzy we inspect it within 48 hours and you have 72 hours to dispute any charge.
What should I sort out before pickup day?
Most pickup problems start before you arrive: a licence that doesn't meet the rules, a card that can't cover the bond, or turning up when the counter is closed. Go through this list a day or two before.
- Your booking details. The pickup date and time, the car or car type, and the return date. Have the confirmation on your phone.
- The licence of every driver. Each person who will drive must bring their own licence. At Rentzy: drivers aged 21 to 75 with a full licence held for at least 1 year (no learner or provisional licences). Overseas licences accepted; a licence not in English needs an International Driving Permit. We check licences at pickup. The full rules are on rental conditions.
- A way to pay. The rest of the first period's rent and the bond are paid at pickup, at the counter. The refundable bond is A$500. Amounts are on fees and charges.
- Notice. Bookings need at least 24 hours' notice, so a same-day pickup isn't possible.
- Opening hours. Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday. Also closed: Friday 25 December 2026 (Christmas Day). There are no after-hours pickups or returns.
- Getting there. Pickup is at 238 Nudgee Road, Hendra QLD 4011. There's no airport desk, shuttle or delivery; our guide to getting from Brisbane Airport to Hendra covers the trip.
The ACCC suggests asking a few questions before you hire: the total cost including extra costs, whether there's a deposit and when it could be kept, who may drive, whether an early return earns a partial refund, and when the company can charge your card and refund the security deposit.[1] The answers for Rentzy are on how it works and fees and charges.
What happens at the counter?
Every company runs pickup a little differently. At our Hendra location (see the location page) it goes in this order:
- Licence check. We check the licence you booked with. If it isn't valid or doesn't match the booking, we may refuse to hand over the car.
- The car, together. We go over the car with you and record its condition, kilometres and fuel with photos.
- The agreement. You sign the rental agreement by typing your name and ticking the consent box. It is made up of your booking details and the rental terms.
- Payment. The rest of the first period's rent and the bond are paid at pickup, at the counter. Then the keys are yours.
Read the agreement before you sign, not after. Check the dates, the car, the return time and the amounts against your booking. Under our terms, the booking details win if they conflict with the general terms (clause 1).
How do I check the car before driving away?
The ACCC's advice for hiring a car: before signing, inspect the inside and outside of the car for damage with a staff member, take photos (particularly of any existing damage), make sure any damage found is recorded in the contract and countersigned, and check that all mechanical and electrical components work.[1]
The company's record protects the company. Your own photos protect you. Take them in daylight if you can, with your phone's date and location stamp on, and work around the car in the same order every time:
- Front bumper, bonnet and grille, then each side panel, door and mirror, then the rear bumper and boot lid. Crouch for the lower edges of the bumpers, where scrapes hide.
- All four wheels and tyres: kerb marks on the rims, and tread and sidewalls.
- The windscreen, close up, for chips and cracks; then the other glass and the lights.
- The roof, if you can see it.
- Inside: seats (stains, tears, burns), the carpet, the boot, and the headlining.
- The dashboard with the engine on: the odometer and the fuel gauge in one shot, and any warning lights.
A slow video that walks around the car in one take, plus close-ups of any marks, is quick to take and shows the whole car. Keep it until your bond is back. If you find a mark that isn't on the record, show the staff member and have it added before you leave; our terms ask you to tell us about any undisclosed damage before you drive away (clause 6).
What should I learn about the car before I leave?
Five minutes in the car park saves a stressful first drive, especially in a model you haven't driven before.
- Fuel type. Ask, and look for a label inside the fuel flap. Our terms require the correct fuel, and wrong-fuel damage is one of the cases where the excess limit doesn't apply (clause 9).
- How to open the fuel flap, and which side of the car it's on.
- Lights and wipers. Headlights, high beam, indicators, front and rear wipers and the demister.
- Mirrors, seat and steering wheel, set before you move.
- Tyre pressures. Ask where the tyre placard is; our terms ask you to check oil, water and tyre pressures on long trips (clause 7).
- Warning lights. If one comes on during the rental, the terms say to stop and tell us.
- What to do in a breakdown or an accident. The ACCC suggests understanding the contract's procedures for both before you sign.[1] At Rentzy, call us first for a breakdown, and don't arrange repairs yourself without our consent (clause 8).
What do I need to do during the rental?
- Keep receipts for fuel and anything we approved you to pay for. Our terms reimburse approved minor costs on receipt.
- Report damage straight away. Tell us about any accident, damage, theft or vandalism immediately, don't admit liability, and collect the other driver's details (clause 9). Moneysmart lists what to swap: names, addresses and phone numbers, licence and registration, the insurer, and the car's make, colour and model; take photos of the scene if you can.[3]
- Tolls. The Queensland Government advises anyone renting a vehicle to check with the rental company about its tolling arrangements.[2] Ask at the counter how tolls work for your car. Tolls we pay for you are charged at cost plus A$5 each. Read tolls in a Brisbane rental car before your first motorway trip.
- Fines. Traffic and parking fines during the rental are yours. Fines we process are recharged, or nominated to you, plus an admin fee of A$55 each.
- Need it longer? Ask from your booking at least 24 hours before your return time; closer to it, call us. Our team approves each extension first; then you pay the difference before it takes effect. Extra time is charged at the prices you booked at.
How do I return the car without extra charges?
- Same place, in opening hours. Bring it back to 238 Nudgee Road, Hendra at the time in your booking. Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
- On time. Returns more than 30 minutes late are charged as extra rental time.
- Fuel at the pickup level. Fill up nearby and keep the receipt. Below the pickup level, fuel is charged at A$15 per eighth of a tank.
- Clear it out. Check the glovebox, door pockets, boot and under the seats, and remove rubbish.
- Photos again. The ACCC suggests photographing the car again on return, asking for a written note that it came back undamaged, and, if there was damage, agreeing the costs and procedure in writing before you leave.[1] Repeat the same walk-around and the fuel and odometer shot.
Your own photos from pickup and return are what make a dispute quick. If you're renting while your own car is fixed, see renting a car while yours is being repaired for the paperwork insurers ask for.
Sources
- Australian Competition and Consumer Commission: Car hire (read 23 October 2026)
- Queensland Government: Paying tolls (read 23 October 2026)
- Moneysmart (Australian Securities and Investments Commission): Claiming on your car insurance (read 23 October 2026)
Written by the Rentzy team at Rentzy Car Rentals. Rentzy prices, fees and rules in this guide come from our published terms and update with them; rules set by others (roads, tolls, licences, transport) are from the official pages above, as read on the dates shown. Something out of date? Tell us.
