For UK lease & PCH drivers
Lease Return Charges? Check Before You Pay
LeaseChargeCheck helps motorists understand end-of-contract vehicle charges — damage, condition and excess mileage — and organise the evidence they may need if they want to question them.
What this service does
- Breaks your charges down by category
- Flags what's worth reviewing against your contract
- Gives you a plain-English evidence checklist
- Never claims a charge is automatically invalid
Received lease return charges?
You're not the only one who's confused by the invoice
When a lease or PCH car goes back, the leasing company inspects it against a condition standard and can invoice you for anything beyond normal wear and tear, plus any mileage over your contracted allowance. Those invoices often arrive with little explanation — a total figure, a few line items, and a short window to pay or respond. LeaseChargeCheck gives you a structured way to see what you're being asked to pay and what to check before you do. If you already know you want to push back on a charge, see our guide todisputing lease return charges.
What can be reviewed
Types of charges LeaseChargeCheck can help you organise
See our full guide to lease car damage charges for what's usually assessed in each category below.
Bodywork
Scratches, dents and paint damage charges.
Alloy wheels
Kerbing, scuffs and alloy wheel refurbishment charges.
Tyres
Tread depth, damage and mismatched tyre charges.
Glass
Chips, cracks and windscreen replacement charges.
Interior
Trim, upholstery, staining and odour charges.
Missing equipment
Missing manuals, locking wheel nuts or accessories.
Keys
Missing or damaged key/fob charges.
Cleaning
Valeting and excessive-cleaning charges.
Excess mileage
Charges for mileage beyond your contracted allowance.Calculate yours →
Know the difference
Fair wear and tear vs damage
Leasing companies are expected to allow for "fair wear and tear" — the gradual, reasonable deterioration you'd expect from normal use over the contract term — and only charge for damage that goes beyond that. In practice, where that line sits is often the whole disagreement. The industry body BVRLA publishes a Fair Wear and Tear Guide that many leasing companies use as a reference standard; we don't reproduce that guide here, but we encourage you to check your own lease paperwork and inspection report against whatever standard your leasing company says it applied. Read our full guide tofair wear and tear on a lease carfor more detail.
LeaseChargeCheck doesn't decide whether a specific mark counts as fair wear and tear or damage. What it does is help you lay out each charge clearly, alongside the evidence you have, so you're in a better position to ask an informed question or make an informed decision about whether to query it.
How it works
How LeaseChargeCheck works
Enter your charges
Add the charges from your lease return invoice — by category, with a short description and amount.
Get a preliminary breakdown
See your charges grouped into damage/condition, excess mileage and other, with a note on what's worth reviewing further.
Gather your evidence
Follow a plain checklist of the documents and photos that support (or undermine) each charge.
Before you respond
What evidence to keep
The strongest position starts with paperwork. Keep hold of:
- Your vehicle collection/inspection report
- Photographs of the vehicle at handover and at return
- Your original lease agreement and any condition standard referenced in it
- Any invoices, repair estimates or itemised charge breakdowns you're sent
- Your contracted mileage allowance and the excess-mileage rate
Please read before using this service
LeaseChargeCheck is an independent evidence-and-decision-support tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the BVRLA, any leasing or fleet management company, regulator or ombudsman. Using this service does not mean a charge is legally invalid, and we do not promise that any charge will be reduced or cancelled. The information provided is general guidance, not legal or financial advice. For advice specific to your situation, consider contacting Citizens Advice or a qualified professional.