It’s no new thing that most car rental companies don’t allow smoking on their vehicles and would fine you heavily if you’re caught violating their policy.
But is there an exception to this? Are there rental cars that allow smoking? By the end of this article, you should have proper knowledge about this.
Why do car rentals not allow smoking?
Among the policies of most rental companies, smoking is obviously one of the predominant, considering the violation fee, and how strictly companies check for it.
But, why? Is that important? Why are car rental companies so concerned about smoking in their cars?
Well, there are several reasons for this. In the following section, we’d take a quick look at these reasons:
It’s risky:
While it doesn’t happen often, smoking could ignite a fire in a car.
Cars are mechanical and electrical products filled with flammable material, which could be lit up in the presence of a little streak of fire.
On the other hand, we have smokers who are fond of throwing the remnants of their smoke anywhere they find themselves. This could mean both on the car’s floor, on the engine, etc.
Aside from this, smoke kept carelessly could also ignite a fire.
Not everyone can bare it
Car rental companies can actually begin allowing smoking if they want. Of course, they have the capacity.
The problem, however, is that not every renter can bare the smell of smoke.
Most smokers can’t tell, since they’re already accustomed to the smell of smoke. However, the smell of smoke is very detectable, which, as a matter of fact, is not pleasing.
The worst part of this is that it takes time for this smell to go out. It could even stay in permanently.
But then recall, we have renters allergic to smoke, renters who are ready to quit a rental contract if they find a car unbearable, renters who are renting with their families and children, etc.
It could cause Damage to the car
One easy way car rental companies use to detect smoke is by looking at the carpet of the car.
Since smokers are already accustomed to the typical smoking lifestyle, they’d usually throw the butts of their smoke on the car’s carpet, which could cause a yellow burn on the car.
On an estimate, this would cost hundreds of dollars to fix.
Apart from the burnt, those ashtrays and remnants are usually a load of work to clean.
Are there rental cars that allow smoking?
Regardless of all this, are there still car rental companies that allow smoking?
Unfortunately, no. There are no traditional car rental companies that allow smokers.
We’ve heard stories that Hertz formerly allowed people to smoke in their cars, however, not now, since they now implement a no-smoking policy.
Generally, if this policy is violated, it would cost within the range of $250- 400 from the defaulter’s pocket. This is not limited to Hertz, but to every other car rental company, you know of.
Read also: Enterprise smoking policy
At the time, if a car rental company should allow smokers, they’d have to dedicate a fleet of cars to them. While this is feasible, selling the cars would have a poor ROI, since most buyers avoid cars with smoke detection.
This is because most car rental companies have a system of selling cars, after a while, to maintain a fleet of newer models of cars.
Can you Smoke in a car without the car rental knowing?
It’s generally not a good idea, considering the violation fee and policy. It’s just not worth the stress. However, there are ways you may use to bypass smoking policies.
Without much ado, below are the ways to do this:
- Smoke Responsibly – While smoking in a rental, you shouldn’t act the way you’d act in your personal car or anybody’s car. Avoid littering the butts of your cigarettes on the floor. You might also want to only smoke close the window of your car while it is opened. This would allow a good percentage to go out.Better still, you could get out of the car to smoke, and then come back later, after smoking.
- Take the car to professional cleaners – Depending on how messy the car is after you’ve smoked, you might want to take the car to professional cleaners to get the car properly cleaned up. This would cost you a maximum of $100, a lot better than having to pay over $400 to a car rental company for a smoking violation.
- Air out the car – When the car is cleaned up, best practices suggest that you air the car by opening the doors and trunk of the car. While doing this, make sure to stay close by, to avoid the car from being stolen.
Generally, this is a lot more work than having to follow the company’s policy; of not smoking in a rental car.
Also, it’s worth mentioning that this is not advice. There’s no guarantee it would work since companies would have dedicated measures for detecting smoking. This is just a generic approach.
Final Thoughts
There are almost no traditional car rental companies that allow smoking. The only exception to this would be local car rental companies, which would also need to exclusively allow you before you can smoke in their car, otherwise, you’d also be charged.
