How to Choose a Car Rental Company in Dubai: 7 Checks Before You Pay

There is no official ranking of the best car rental company in Dubai, and no authority publishes one. What Dubai does publish is a set of rules every rental company has to follow: who may rent cars out at all, how a deposit must be taken and when it has to come back, and what a company may not charge you for. Those rules turn the question of which company to pick into a short list of checks you can run before you pay anyone.

We run a rental fleet in Dubai as an RTA-authorised dealer and agency, so this page does two things and keeps them apart. Each check starts with what the rules or the news reports say and ends with how it works at Urban Go.

The short version

1. Licence. Renting out vehicles in Dubai needs a permit from the RTA, and consumer complaints can only be filed against a company with a Dubai trade licence.

2. Contract. Get a written contract before you pay, and read it.

3. Deposit. It should be held on your card, not charged, and released within 30 days of the car coming back.

4. Price. Ask what the quoted price includes: VAT, insurance, maintenance, kilometres and delivery.

5. Insurance. Ask what the excess is on that car and what optional cover changes it.

6. Running charges. Ask how kilometres, fuel, Salik and fines are charged, in writing.

7. Payment. A surcharge for paying by card is not allowed, and nobody should keep your passport.

1. Check that the company is licensed to rent cars

Dubai's Executive Council Resolution No. (47) of 2017 forbids anyone from renting out vehicles without a permit from the Roads and Transport Authority. Gulf News reported in 2018 that the permit is valid for a renewable term of one year. Khaleej Times reported in January 2022 that Resolution No. (2) of 2022 amended those rules, keeping the permit mandatory and its one-year term, with warnings, suspension or cancellation of the permit for companies that break them.

The trade licence matters too. Gulf News notes that a consumer complaint can only be filed against a company holding a valid Dubai trade licence. With an unlicensed seller, that route is closed. Check that the contract and the payment go to the same company name as the licence.

Our guide to renting a car safely in Dubai covers the warning signs in more detail.

At Urban Go: we are Urban Go Car Rentals L.L.C, an RTA-authorised dealer and agency with an office in Port Saeed, and every rental is made on a signed Urban Go rental contract.

2. Get the terms in writing before you pay

When Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism closed three rental companies for breaking consumer protection rules in March 2024, its director of consumer protection, Ahmed Ali Mousa, told Khaleej Times that customers should get a clear contract from the provider and read it carefully. The same report said fines start at AED 10,000.

A WhatsApp message with a price is not a contract. Before any money moves, ask for the terms that decide what the rental really costs, including what happens if you cancel.

At Urban Go: you can build a quote on any car's page before you message us, and the cancellation and date-change terms are published on our cancellation and replacement policy page.

3. Ask how the deposit is taken and when it comes back

In March 2024 the Dubai Corporation for Consumer Protection and Fair Trade sent Circular No. (1) of 2024 to the emirate's rental companies. Khaleej Times reported its main points, and Gulf News reported the same 30-day limit:

• A credit card security deposit must be held, not processed as a purchase.

• Deposits must be released within 30 days of the car being returned, where nothing is outstanding.

• A customer without a credit card can pay the deposit in cash or by debit card, and a cash deposit is refunded by bank transfer at the rental company's cost.

• A surcharge for paying by credit card or through a payment app is not allowed.

Ask whether the amount is being held or charged, when it will be released and what can come out of it. Our car rental deposit guide goes through what may and may not be deducted.

At Urban Go: the deposit is AED 1,500 refundable on most cars, and a few larger and premium cars carry a higher deposit shown on their page. It is refunded on request within 30 days of return, once traffic fines and Salik have cleared, by bank transfer to an account in your name. If you would rather not tie the money up, an optional zero-deposit plan is available on every car for a monthly charge shown on its page.

4. Find out what the price actually includes

Gulf News makes the point that an advertised rental price does not paint a clear picture on its own. It may include the base rate, VAT and basic insurance, and may leave out fuel, extra insurance and add-ons such as a child seat.

Ask for the total for your dates, not a daily headline figure, and ask whether delivery, collection, an additional driver or a child seat is extra.

At Urban Go: every price is VAT-inclusive and includes comprehensive insurance, registration, routine maintenance and 24/7 roadside assistance. Delivery is from AED 100 depending on the location, centred on Downtown Dubai and nearby communities with other areas on request, and collection at the end is AED 25 more. Live prices for every car are on its own page, and the monthly car rental page compares them.

5. Ask about the insurance excess, not only the insurance

A quote that says insurance is included tells you the car is insured, not how much you pay towards a repair after an accident that is your fault. That amount, the excess, is the number to ask for, along with what each optional cover does to it.

At Urban Go: comprehensive insurance is included on every car, the excess is set per car, and the optional CDW, SCDW and Ultimate Cover upgrades change how much of it is yours. The details are on our coverage page. A police report is needed for every accident, including a minor scratch, and our guide to an accident in a rental car sets out the steps.

6. Kilometres, fuel, Salik and fines

These are the charges settled at or after the return. Gulf News advises asking about the mileage limit and what you pay for going over it, and checking the fuel policy before you drive away.

• Kilometres: how many are included a day, a week or a month, and the rate for each one over.

• Fuel: the level the car must come back at, and how a shortfall is charged.

• Salik: whether tolls are passed on at cost or with something added, and whether the statement is itemised.

• Traffic fines and parking charges: how they are billed to you, and whether you will see each one.

At Urban Go: 3,500 km a month is included on most cars, and the extra-kilometre rate is on each car's page. Fuel is same-to-same: we record the level at handover and you bring it back at that level. Salik is recharged at cost plus AED 1 per crossing, itemised, and traffic fines are billed to you, itemised. Our Salik guide explains how tolls work.

7. How you pay, and what you should never hand over

Circular No. (1) of 2024 bars a surcharge for paying by credit card or through a payment app, so a card fee added at the end of a quote is worth questioning. Gulf News reported in 2018 and again in 2019 that rental companies may not keep a customer's passport or Emirates ID as a guarantee. Both reports are several years old, and our guide on whether a rental company can keep your passport explains where that rule stands now.

At Urban Go: you can pay by card, secure payment link, cash on delivery or Tabby. There is no credit check, salary certificate, guarantor or down payment, and documents are checked on WhatsApp before delivery. If you have no credit card, our page on renting without one covers your options.

Renting a car in Dubai?

Every price on our site includes VAT, comprehensive insurance, registration, routine maintenance and 24/7 roadside assistance, with 3,500 km a month on most cars. The deposit is AED 1,500 refundable on most cars, and the zero-deposit plan is optional. Fuel is same-to-same, Salik is charged at cost plus AED 1 per crossing, and traffic fines are billed to you, itemised. Delivery and collection are around Downtown Dubai and nearby, and the rest of Dubai on request.

We are Urban Go Car Rentals, an RTA-authorised dealer and agency in Port Saeed, Dubai, and every rental is made on a signed Urban Go rental contract. For today's prices, see our monthly car rental and cheap car rental ranges, or a car page such as the Toyota Corolla or the Hyundai Accent. You can also message us on WhatsApp on +971 50 500 3965 and a person will answer.

Sources

• Khaleej Times - Renting a car in Dubai? New circular spells out payment rules, banned practices (March 2024)

• Khaleej Times - Minimum Dh10,000 fine: Dubai shuts down 3 car rental firms for violating consumer rights (March 2024)

• Gulf News - Dubai car rentals: your security deposit should be returned within 30 days

• Gulf News - Road transportation and car rental activities in Dubai regulated (2018)

• Khaleej Times - Up to Dh10,000 fine: New Dubai resolution issued on vehicle rentals (January 2022)

• Gulf News - What should you ask your dealership before you rent a car in the UAE? (December 2024)

Last reviewed 6 November 2026.