MOT, Servicing & Maintenance for UK Hire Fleets: The Schedule That Works
- Every hire car needs a valid MOT from its third anniversary — book fleet MOTs a month early, on the calendar bookings live on.
- Tyre law is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters — hire cars should be swapped around 3mm.
- Hirer-miles age cars fast — schedule by odometer (severe-service intervals), and inspect for 5 minutes at every turnaround.
The MOT is a hire-fleet deadline, not admin
From a car’s third registration anniversary it needs a valid MOT every year — and hiring out a car without one is not a paperwork slip, it’s an illegal, uninsured hire waiting to become your worst week. Fleet rule: book every MOT a month before expiry, as a maintenance block on the same calendar your bookings live on, so the slot cannot be double-booked away. Check any car’s MOT history free on the government service — including cars you are about to buy for the fleet.
Tyres: the law and the hire-fleet rule
The legal minimum is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tread — but a hire car at 1.7mm is a liability argument you don’t want. Swap at ~3mm. Check pressures and tread at every turnaround; kerbed alloys and nails are what hirers leave behind.
Odometer-based servicing still rules
| Item | Interval | Skip it and… |
|---|---|---|
| Oil + filter | 5,000–8,000 mi (severe service) | Engine wear you meet at resale |
| Tyre check / rotation | Every turnaround / 6,000 mi | Uneven wear halves tyre life |
| Brake inspection | 10,000–12,000 mi | Discs turn a £180 job into £600 |
| MOT | Annually from year 3 | Illegal hires; voided insurance |
| Cam belt / major services | Per manufacturer | The four-figure surprise |
Intervals are guidance — the handbook’s severe-service schedule wins, and hire duty IS severe service.
The turnaround inspection
Between every hire, five minutes: tyres (tread, pressure, kerb rash), all lights, wipers and washer fluid, oil level, brake feel, warning lights, interior damage, fuel level vs agreement. Photograph anything notable — the same photos that protect your deposit captures feed your maintenance log.
Budget it like a real cost
Reserve £60–£120 per car per month (older cars trend higher). Maintenance arrives in lumps; operators without a reserve defer it, converting maintenance into breakdowns, breakdowns into refunds and reviews. CarCEO tracks mileage per vehicle, reminds at thresholds, and a maintenance block behaves exactly like a booking — Turo sync respects it too.