Can You Rent a Car for a Month?

Renting a car is a great way to keep your mobility and be able to commute to work after a car accident, if your car needs some work done at a shop, and for many other reasons. But in some cases, you might need a spare set of wheels for more than just a couple of days or a week. Is it possible to rent a car for a month?

Turns out, yes. However, there are some things you should keep in mind when shopping around for a long-term car rental contract.

Let’s break down everything you need to know about renting a car for long-term periods, such as a month or more.

Why You May Need to Rent a Car for a Month

Sometimes a short-term car rental for a couple of days just won’t cut it.

You might need to rent a car for a month or even more because:

• Your car was in a severe accident, and it may take a month or more for your car to be repaired or for your car dealer to ship you a new car. 
• You’re taking an extended trip. For example, maybe you are living somewhere else for the season or are in another country for a long-term business arrangement. Renting a car means you don’t have to pay for the cost of shipping your personal vehicle to your current location.
• Your car needs to be repaired, and a specific part must be ordered from another country or state, and it will take up to a month to arrive.

In all these cases and more, a long-term car rental can ensure that you’re still able to get around where you need to go and don’t have to worry about racking up tons of bills from Uber or Lyft, not to mention navigating the financial pitfalls of taxi companies in major metro areas!

How You Can Rent a Car for a Month

Luckily, the majority of rental car agencies will allow you to rent many of their most popular vehicles. This full range of vehicles can range from minivans to intermediate or standard SUVs, on a long-term basis, including up to a month or more.

You can usually rent a car long-term in one of two ways.

Rental Agreements with Discounts and Great Rates

Rental agencies typically allow customers with good credit or good standing with the company to rent a car for a month or more with discounted rental rates compared to renting a car on a week-to-week basis. In these cases, you’ll save more by renting a vehicle for a month or more than you would by renting it for a week, then renewing the rental over and over again until your personal vehicle is available.

However, these long-term rental agreements are only available to certain customers. You may not qualify for such a rental agreement if you have just walked through an agency’s door for the first time.

Subscription Services

Some rental companies may also offer subscription services. With a subscription service, you pay a flat fee every so often (usually every quarter or year) that includes options to drive various cars up to four times per month, to drive a single car for longer time frames of several months, and more.

Subscription services come with other bonuses and additional offers, such as vehicle maintenance, insurance coverage, and other free goodies. These can be a great choice if you are a long-term customer with a particular car rental company, as you may save money in aggregate by taking this deal rather than signing the paperwork for a traditional month-long rental contract.

But if you don’t usually rent a car from a specific company, a subscription service might be pricier than it’s worth. This is doubly true if you already have a comprehensive insurance plan for your personal vehicle. At that point, you’ll be better off going with a regular car rental rather than a subscription.

Do Long-Term Rentals Have Limits?

Yes. Any car-rental company that offers a long-term rental will include limitations on how long the car can be rented. You cannot rent a car in perpetuity. At the very least, you’ll need to switch the car you drive from time to time and swap it out with a different model or vehicle type from the same rental company if you want to keep renting a vehicle instead of purchasing a new car.

The limits for long-term rentals vary from place to place. They are usually around three months long (though they can be longer depending on the company you rent from). Your dealer or rentals may also require you to pay for all or most of the price upfront. This may prevent you from cutting your long-term rental contract short.

Be sure to review the long-term rental limitations for a rental car company before signing on the dotted line. 

Rental Details: Mileage Limits, Etc.

In addition to time limitations, most car rental companies also limit how far you can drive the rented car, where you can drive it, and more. These limits aren’t too different from the limitations present in most rental contracts, but you should still review them before signing your upcoming reservation just to be sure you know what you can use the car for.

Reviewing your contracts early will help you avoid being charged ancillary fees, extras, or penalties when your rental ends. 

Check for rules on additional drivers, if an underage driver is allowed,  and other things that might make those rental prices climb.

Leasing a Car vs. Renting a Car Long-Term

While renting a car long-term can be helpful, you may also have heard about short-term car leases. Why not sign up for a short-term car lease instead of a month-long rental when looking for your next rental car?

Simply put, because it’s hard to find short-term car leases. Most lending companies don’t agree to short-term car leases since long-term renting is already available. On top of that, short-term car leases may be seen as risky opportunities for lending companies.

Because of this, you’ll likely only be able to qualify for a short-term car lease if you have stellar credit and other high-quality financial factors.

Even if you do qualify, one-month or longer car leases have very rigid start and end dates and may even be more expensive than a long-term car rental. That’s because short-term leases include additional fees for leasing, ownership, and other factors. They don’t usually include insurance or other bonuses the way car-rental subscriptions or long-term rentals do.

Overall, if you need to borrow a car for a month or more, a long-term car-rental agreement is usually a better choice than a short-term car lease.

The Best Car

Have any upcoming reservations about renting a car long-term? Don’t worry; you’ll be able to rent a car for a month or more from a trusted car agency in your area. However, be sure to read the contract thoroughly to understand the accurate rental estimates, when the contract expires and what fees you need to pay in order to keep the car for longer than average.

Need to rent a car for a month or more ASAP? Advantage allows you to rent cars on your schedule – we offer flexible rates, discounted car deals, and much more. Even better, you can rent a car from Advantage and hop into your new vehicle straight from your major US airport.

See how we can help you today!

Sources:

What Is A Good Credit Score? | Forbes Advisor
Short-Term Car Leases: A US News Guide | US News & World Report
Common taxi scams, and how to avoid them | USA Today