Receiving Travellers upon their return and collecting your vehicle is no big deal if you have a Check-out Protocol set up.
A good Check-out Protocol starts the day before your Traveller's return date. Call them to check that all is well and confirm whether they'll arrive at the scheduled check-out time. Once the Traveller has unloaded their belongings, do a walkaround to inspect the campervan for damages and document the vehicle's condition.
Inspecting your vehicle
Checking your campervan's condition after a trip shouldn't be guesswork. That's why our Hosts use the rental agreement to inspect their vehicle and close out a booking properly.
Go through the process of checking the camper and filling in the rental agreement together with the Traveller. Agreeing on the vehicle's state at this stage helps you both avoid disputes later on. Be fully transparent with the Traveller, and communicate any findings clearly.
Take photos and detailed notes of any new damage, and have the Traveller sign the rental agreement. If you spot damage after the Traveller has already left, you can still file a claim, just make sure to report it to Indie Campers within 7 days of the vehicle's return, with supporting documentation to follow within 30 days.
Filling out the rental agreement
Fill out the rental agreement's "day of return" section while doing the vehicle inspection. Go through the document with the Traveller as you walk around the vehicle, checking its condition, mileage, and fuel level together. The rental agreement covers the following:
Check-out Protocol time
If a fee applies for late arrival, cleaning, mileage, or fuel, make sure it's clearly stated in your listing terms or rental agreement in advance, so the Traveller has agreed to it before the booking is confirmed.
If the Traveller arrives more than two hours late, you can apply a fee of half a night. If the delay affects another upcoming booking, you can apply a full night per eight-hour period, plus an administrative fee of €100.
Fuel
Check whether the fuel level matches what's indicated on the rental agreement's departure sheet. If it doesn't, you can apply the agreed charge per quarter tank, as outlined in your listing terms.
Mileage
Compare the odometer reading to the number recorded on the rental agreement's departure sheet to work out the Traveller's mileage. If it falls outside the agreed mileage package, you can apply the agreed charge per kilometre.
Cleaning
Check whether the Traveller has left the campervan in a reasonably clean state, including the exterior, interior, waste tank, grey water tank, and water tank. If they haven't taken proper care of the vehicle, you can apply a cleaning fee, provided it's listed in your terms.
Damage
The rental agreement includes two technical van drawings: one to note any existing damage before departure, and one to record new damage on the day of return. On the return drawing, use lines for scratches and crosses for damage, and use the accompanying fields to describe what you find.
Compare the departure and return sheets carefully, using photos to document the vehicle's condition before and after the trip, before estimating repair costs. Aim for a figure both you and the Traveller can agree on. If you can't reach an agreement, or if damage is identified after the Traveller has left, submit your claim and documentation to Indie Campers within the timeframes above. Indie Campers doesn't resolve disputes directly, so if both sides submit valid but conflicting documentation, the deposit is split between you.