Lease Return Checklist: passing the DEKRA inspection without penalties
A complete checklist for returning an operating-lease car. Go through every point before the handover inspection and avoid a diminished-value re-charge.
- ✓ 5 areas to check
- 🛡 No needless penalties
- 📋 Ready for DEKRA
Normal wear versus a re-charged diminished value
When you return the car, the leasing company (Ayvens, formerly ALD, Arval, LeasePlan, Škofin or UniCredit Leasing) usually hires an independent expert, most often DEKRA. Using their damage norms, the assessor splits the car's condition into normal wear, which is part of the contract and costs you nothing, and unacceptable damage, which is re-charged as a diminished value (Minderwert). That difference decides how much you end up paying, and a well-ticked checklist can save you thousands.
Indicative penalty rates; they vary by leasing company. Body damage is valued individually as diminished value.
Documents and completeness
Body, paint and glass
Wheels and tyres
Interior and cleanliness
Timing and preparation
We fix dents with PDR before the DEKRA inspection
Dents and hail damage without broken paint can be repaired with PDR, that is, without respraying and keeping the original factory paint. Such a repair costs a fraction of the sum an assessor would list as diminished value. We handle it fast so you make your inspection deadline.
Frequently asked questions about lease return
What counts as normal wear?＋
Normal wear is the ordinary ageing of the car in line with its age and mileage; it is part of the operating lease and is not re-charged. It includes, for example, fine wash swirls in the paint or minor traces of interior use. Deep scratches through the paint, more pronounced dents or damaged glass, on the other hand, are assessed by DEKRA as unacceptable damage.
What is the penalty for a missing service book?＋
As a rough guide, some leasing companies charge around CZK 5,000 for a missing service book and up to about CZK 10,000 for a skipped scheduled service, on top of which a loss of warranty worth tens of thousands of crowns may apply. The exact rates differ by each company's price list, so always verify them directly in your contract.
Is it worth repairing dents before the DEKRA inspection?＋
In most cases, yes. Body damage is not charged at a fixed rate; the assessor values it individually as diminished value under their norms, and that amount tends to exceed the cost of the repair itself. A PDR repair before the inspection is therefore usually cheaper than a later re-charge.
When should I start preparing the car?＋
Ideally several weeks before the contract ends. That gives you time to photograph the car's condition, have dents and scratches repaired, complete missing documents and equipment, and comfortably book the DEKRA inspection. A time buffer is the best insurance against a needless last-minute penalty.
Let us prepare your car for the lease return
Send us photos of the damage via the form on the lease-return page. We will advise you free of charge on what is worth repairing before the DEKRA inspection and prepare the car so you pay as little as possible.