I'm Under 25. How do I rent a car?

powerss

Okay, for a bunch of reasons - I need to visit family in Cincinnati Ohio, business trips, and more - I need to rent cars now. Except, I'm 20. I turn 21 in March... and I keep hearing that I won't be able to rent a car unless I'm 25.

I find this bullshit.

Any ideas?

saint2e

It is bullshit. I know for a fact Hertz will rent you a car when you're under 25.

You will have to pay a fee because you're under 25, though.

powerss

I'm cool with paying fees, that's no problem.

Under 21 is a definite no-go, right?

taliosfalcon

The vast majority will rent you a car if your at least 21 for an extra fee like saint said, if you're under 21 you may have to do quite a bit of calling around first as there are a few, but most rental agencies have a firm no one under 21 for any reason policy.

mts

expect to pay roughly double of what you would pay if you were over 25. I rented a car from enterprise when i was under 25 and had to pay something like $25 a day extra.

Doc

mts wrote: »

expect to pay roughly double of what you would pay if you were over 25. I rented a car from enterprise when i was under 25 and had to pay something like $25 a day extra.

Just a heads-up:
There is almost nothing at car rental places that is at a fixed rate. It's almost entirely up to how busy they are on that day. I had the same deal at enterprise and I paid something like $5 a day extra. Their agents mostly set these prices on the spot.

Daenris

Hertz will rent you a car if you're 18-20 for an extra $50/day, and there are restrictions on what type of car they'll rent to you. For 21-24 it's like $30/day extra.

also, check if your company has a deal with any rental company. Since you said business trips, it's worth a shot.

powerss

Again, I don't mind a surcharge. But being outright denied the ability... that blows.

Anyway, thanks for the info. I'll be sure to call ahead!

devices

hertz will as long as you're at least 21.

its just a bit more expensive when you buy their insurance packages on it, i think.

i'm pretty sure budget and enterprise will also rent to you, as long as you're at least 21.

so yeah, 21 is pretty much the rule.

in some cases you can be 18, but from what i hear it not only depends on the company but also on the locale.

not sure if that's 100% true but it makes sense when you think about it.

edit:

Daenris wrote: »

Hertz will rent you a car if you're 18-20 for an extra $50/day, and there are restrictions on what type of car they'll rent to you. For 21-24 it's like $30/day extra.

beat'ed

firewaterword

Avis will too. Had to rent a van for business purposes. They even dropped the underage surcharge with proof of corporate identity (pay stubs, in this case). Car rental agents, in my experience, get a great deal of leeway when it comes down to getting you what you need. Just keep bugging them till you find someone who will help you out.

EDIT- Then again, the Budget some friends and I rented from in Vancouver refused to add an extra driver that was under 25. Your mileage may vary (pun most certainly intended).

Gdiguy

I think Thrifty didn't charge me an extra fee (though I was 23 at the time).. Enterprise is supposed to, but both times I rented from them they either waived it or didn't bother

embrik

Try something most don't think of: Car Dealerships. Some will rent cars, and a lot will rent to 18+. I had to rent one when my car was in the body shop (someone blew a red light and slammed into the side of my car). I was 20, and the dealership rented me a Ford Taurus, no problem.

Aurin

embrik wrote: »

Try something most don't think of: Car Dealerships. Some will rent cars, and a lot will rent to 18+. I had to rent one when my car was in the body shop (someone blew a red light and slammed into the side of my car). I was 20, and the dealership rented me a Ford Taurus, no problem.

Uh, most of those are outside rental places that rent cars. And if it was a loaner from the dealership, I highly doubt they're going to let him drive it around if he doesn't have a car in their shop. >.>

musanman

no related but where in cincinnati?

matt has a problem

National will rent to you. They don't even require a credit card, you can rent with a debit card or even cash, but you have to pay a deposit to use debit or cash(usually in the $400 range, more if your rent is long or a high-end vehicle). I believe there's a $25 "under 25 driver" charge per day too.

Pheezer

In parts of Canada where the age of majority is 18 you can rent a car at 18. They almost universally will want a credit card imprint, and they will universally charge you a surcharge on a daily basis for your rental. Once you're 25 you get out of the surcharge. Most places take an imprint no matter what, I think.

I'd have a hard time believing it's all too different in the US or other parts of Canada. If you can enter into a legally binding contract of your own accord, you can probably rent a car if you're willing to pay.

VThornheart

DrDizaster wrote: »

In parts of Canada where the age of majority is 18 you can rent a car at 18. They almost universally will want a credit card imprint, and they will universally charge you a surcharge on a daily basis for your rental. Once you're 25 you get out of the surcharge. Most places take an imprint no matter what, I think.

I'd have a hard time believing it's all too different in the US or other parts of Canada. If you can enter into a legally binding contract of your own accord, you can probably rent a car if you're willing to pay.

Aye, it's that premium that can be brutal. Some people are saying 25 bucks... and I wish I knew that when I had to rent a car before I was 25. It was years ago... but I think I rented from Dollar Rent-a-Car. And it may have changed since then, but I remember it being closer to 75 bucks per day for their "under 25 surcharge". Brutal.

So yeah, shop around for sure.

Limp moose

If you are in the military they usually wave the under 25 fee if you have your ID just FYI.

shutz

You might want to look for one of those "Rent-a-wreck" places, as you might be able to pay less, for a car that is likely in as good a condition as what you would get from other places. The name might not sell you, but the cars they rent have to be in a condition good enough for rental.

Also, when they take an imprint of your credit card, also be prepared for them blocking off a large amount on your card (measured in the hundreds, can easily go up to 1000$, depending on the car you rent.) You need to have that amount available on your card (so don't use a card that's all but maxed-out!) even though they won't charge it. Unless you don't bring back the car.

Doc

VThornheart wrote: »

DrDizaster wrote: »

In parts of Canada where the age of majority is 18 you can rent a car at 18. They almost universally will want a credit card imprint, and they will universally charge you a surcharge on a daily basis for your rental. Once you're 25 you get out of the surcharge. Most places take an imprint no matter what, I think.

I'd have a hard time believing it's all too different in the US or other parts of Canada. If you can enter into a legally binding contract of your own accord, you can probably rent a car if you're willing to pay.

Aye, it's that premium that can be brutal. Some people are saying 25 bucks... and I wish I knew that when I had to rent a car before I was 25. It was years ago... but I think I rented from Dollar Rent-a-Car. And it may have changed since then, but I remember it being closer to 75 bucks per day for their "under 25 surcharge". Brutal.

So yeah, shop around for sure.

Again, they will charge you whatever they think you will pay. It's not a fixed rate.

firewaterword

DrDizaster wrote: »

In parts of Canada where the age of majority is 18 you can rent a car at 18. They almost universally will want a credit card imprint, and they will universally charge you a surcharge on a daily basis for your rental. Once you're 25 you get out of the surcharge. Most places take an imprint no matter what, I think.

I'd have a hard time believing it's all too different in the US or other parts of Canada. If you can enter into a legally binding contract of your own accord, you can probably rent a car if you're willing to pay.

Yeah, I'm sure it wasn't a Canada thing (doubt it, anyway), more of a Budget policy or whatever. Anyway, I won't rent from them again - they pulled some serious chicanery over a minuscule scratch which I'm 99% certain was not our drivers fault. But that's a rant for another time. Also, Canada was awesome. Well, the bits we saw were anyway (Whistler & Vancouver).

Gihgehls

Enterprise has always been good to me and I've never paid more than 30 dollars a day and I've been renting since I was 21.

Quid

I didn't see this mentioned but make sure you have a credit card and not just a debit card. I've been rejected from some companies because they would only accept credit cards from 25 and under.