Are you flying home from your destination early in the morning or late at night? Then it is possible that the office of thelocal rental partner is not open. A drop off box or key box is ideal in that situation. You put your keys in a letterbox and off you go! You can read whether there is a key box at your destination in our specific rental conditions.

Returning car keys outside opening hours

The rental office is closed but you have to return your car because your flight is about to leave. What do you do then? At some destinations, you can use a key box outside opening hours in which you can deposit your keys. Such a box is not always present. If there is no key box it is sometimes still possible to return your car outside opening hours. If this is an option, there will be someone in the office to receive the keys. You often pay additional costs for this service.

How do you know if you return the car outside opening hours?

If you pick up or drop off the car outside opening hours, it will be indicated while you book your rental car online. If you don't see any indication, the office of the local car rental company is open at that time. In the specific rental conditions you will find all the information about returning the car outside opening hours and the possible costs.

Car keys in the drop off box

If you're going to drop off the keys via a key box, first check the condition of your car and take some photos. Also important: make sure you remove all items from the car. Once you have put your keys in the drop off box, you can't get to them anymore.

Do not just drop your keys in a drop off box, but only if you have agreed to do so and the office is closed. Do you put your keys in the drop off box while the rental office is open without the employee seeing it? Then it is unclear at what time you returned the car. You could be charged for an extra day's car rental and that would be a shame.

Then there is that friendly 'employee' who wants to receive your keys. It happened to a customer of Sunny Cars. The so-called employee then drove off with the rental car and all the customer's belongings. The customer ended up at the police station to report the crime. Another customer (who was in a big hurry), pushed the key of his rental car into the hands of the first man in uniform he encountered at the rental office and ran off to catch his plane. In this case, a postman who happened to be passing by, luckily knew where to put the key. But a lot of unpleasant things could have happened!

In short, always take the time to return the rental car properly. Check if everything is complete and if you have all your belongings and only then give the keys back. This way you avoid unnecessary hassle and you can fly back home with peace of mind.

Do I need to take photos of the rental car when returning it?

Just like at the pick up, we recommend taking photos of the rental car when you return it. This way, we can clearly see the condition in which you returned the rental car and quickly answer any questions from the local rental partner. Simply open Car check, take the photos and upload them straight away. No internet connection at that moment? No problem. In that case, take photos of the car yourself and upload them easily later as soon as you are back online.

You can easily use Car check via My Sunny Ride, your account or booking environment. Open the link in your voucher or personal environment and upload your photos.