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Lease return repairs in Stoke-on-Trent

Handing your car back? Don’t pay for damage you could fix for less.

When your lease ends, an inspector checks every panel. Anything beyond fair wear and tear goes on a bill at the lease company’s price.

✓Price agreed up front✓Same-day repairs on most vehicles✓Lifetime paint warranty
White Audi rear bumper after repair
✓ Lifetime paint warranty✓ JLR Level 3 qualified✓ Price in 4–5 hours✓ Workshop in Longton✓ Pay on collection
HOW LEASE RETURNS WORK

What happens at hand-back

At the end of a lease or long-term rental, the car is inspected against fair wear and tear standards. Most UK lease companies follow guidance based on the BVRLA (British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association) standard.

Anything outside those standards is added to an end-of-contract bill. You don’t choose who repairs it or what it costs.

Fixing marks yourself before the inspection, with a proper repair that matches the paint, is often cheaper and leaves nothing to argue about.

White Mercedes side view after bumper repair
FAIR WEAR AND TEAR

What’s usually fine and what usually gets charged

Limits vary slightly between lease companies, so check your own return guide too.

Usually fine
✓Scratches up to 25mm with no primer or metal showing
✓Dents up to about 15mm, no more than two per panel, with paint unbroken
✓Small stone chips with no bare metal showing
✓Light alloy wheel scuffs
Usually charged
✕Scratches through to primer or metal
✕Dents over 15mm, more than two on a panel, or any on the roof
✕Scuffed, cracked or split bumpers
✕Poor earlier repairs: colour mismatch, flaking or rippled paint
2pThe 2p coin check. A 2p coin is about 25mm across. If a scratch or chip is longer than the coin, or you can see grey primer or metal, it’s likely to be charged.
YOUR COUNTDOWN

When to get it sorted

16 weeks beforeWalk round the car in daylight and photograph every mark.
25 weeks beforeSend us the photos. We’ll tell you what’s likely to be charged and what isn’t.
33–4 weeks beforeBook the repairs. Most are done the same day.
4Hand-back dayReturn the car with nothing left for the inspector to charge you for.
GOOD TO KNOW

Lease return repair facts

£368
Average fair wear and tear charge at the end of a lease in 2024.
Source: Nationwide Vehicle Contracts
25mm
Typical longest scratch allowed, if no primer or metal shows.
Source: BVRLA-based lease guides
15mm
Typical largest dent allowed, paint unbroken, max two per panel.
Source: BVRLA-based lease guides
OUR WORK

Lease return repair before and after

White Mercedes A200 rear bumper scuff before repair
BEFORE
White Mercedes A200 rear bumper after scuff repair
AFTER
Mercedes A200 · rear bumper scuff
Red MG3 front bumper scuff before repair
BEFORE
Red MG3 Hybrid front bumper after 3-stage pearl paint repair
AFTER
MG3 Hybrid · 3-stage pearl · front bumper scuff
QUESTIONS

Lease return repair questions answered

See all FAQs →
Is it really cheaper to fix it myself?
Often, yes. Send us photos and we’ll price the repairs so you can compare them with the lease company’s charges.
How early should I book?
Send photos 4–6 weeks before your hand-back date so there’s time to fit you in.
Will the inspector notice the repair?
Not if it’s done properly. Poor repairs get charged, which is why we match your paint code and blend it in.
Do you do rental and company vehicles too?
Yes. The same fair wear and tear principles apply to most rental and company car returns.
What will the leasing company charge you?See how hand-back charges work, and how much you can save by fixing marks with us first.
See the numbers →
FREE, NO-OBLIGATION PRICE

Get your lease return check

Send photos of every mark, plus your hand-back date. We’ll reply by email or WhatsApp within 4–5 hours with a price and a date.

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Service: Lease return check
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Other repairs we do

Bumper Repairs→Dent Repairs→Scratch Repairs→SMART Repairs→Panel Resprays→Driving Instructor Vehicles→Sales Work→

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