Skip to main content
National Careers Service

Beta How could we improve this service? Your feedback will help.

Warning The National Careers Service is changing from 1 October 2026. Find out more about the changes and how to get additional support after the change.
  1. Home
  2. Explore careers
  3. Car rental agent

Car rental agent

Alternative titles for this job include Car rental assistant, vehicle reservation agent

Car rental agents hire out vehicles to businesses and the public.

Average salary (a year)

£24,000 Starter

to

£30,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

40 to 45

You could work

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on shifts

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • applying directly

College

You could learn some of the skills needed for this role by doing a college course, such as:

  • customer service
  • contact centre operations
  • principles of customer service

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

More Information

Apprenticeship

You can apply to do an apprenticeship with a vehicle hire company, for example:

  • Customer Service Practitioner Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Customer Service Specialist Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship

These take around 1 year to complete and combine on-the-job training and time spent with a learning provider.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

More Information

Direct Application

You could apply directly to work as a car rental agent.

Employers will look for experience in customer service, office administration or sales work. They may also expect you to have:

More Information

Career tips

You may need to be over 21 for some jobs, for insurance purposes.

Further information

You can find out more about careers in the motor industry from the Institute of the Motor Industry.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • customer service skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • to enjoy working with other people
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • administration skills
  • the ability to sell products and services
  • active listening skills
  • maths knowledge
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

  • have a full driving licence

Foreign language skills could be useful if you want to work at airports, ports or tourist destinations.

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a car rental agent, you could:

  • answer customer questions about vehicle availability and rental rates
  • take bookings and explain lease agreements, including insurance
  • update computer records and process payments
  • record a car's condition and note any existing bumps or scratches
  • demonstrate any special features, like GPS systems
  • deliver and collect vehicles to and from locations when required
  • check mileage and inspect for damage on returned vehicles
  • gather feedback from customers about the service they received
  • provide ongoing sales support to regular business fleet accounts

Working environment

You could work in an office, at an airport, at a railway station or at a port.

You may need to wear a uniform.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

You could become a team supervisor, warranty administrator or a hire manager, with further training.

With experience in business leasing accounts, you could become an account manager or move into fleet management.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

Customer Experience Specialist Apprentice

  • Wage: £16,640 a year Annually
  • Location: Bishop's Stortford

BMW/MINI Parts Advisor Apprenticeship - Group 1 Worthing BMW

  • Wage: £15,600 a year Annually
  • Location: Rustington Bypass, Rustington, Littlehampton
Find apprenticeships near you

Courses In England

Customer Service

  • Provider: JUNIPER TRAINING LIMITED
  • Start date: Flexible
  • Location: Brierley Hill

Customer Service

  • Provider: LINCOLNSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
  • Start date: 01 November 2026
  • Location: Lincoln
Find courses near you

Jobs In the United Kingdom

The Find a job service can help you with your search for jobs and send alerts when new jobs become available.

Search further careers

Related careers

Skills assessment

Take an assessment to learn more about your skills and the careers that might suit you.

Speak to an adviser

You can call 0800 100 900 or use webchat to speak to an adviser.

We're open:

  • 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday
  • 10am to 5pm Saturdays and bank holidays

We're closed on Sundays, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Is this page useful?

Yes No

Thank you for your feedback.

Thank you for your feedback. Click here if you'd like to let us know how we can improve the service.