Rental Terms & Cancellations

Effective 29 September 2026 · Version 2026-09-29-en-v1

1. Who provides the service

Rentacar.hikkaru.lk operates under the HIKKARU brand. The service operator is HIKKARU Pvt Ltd, registration number PV-00265249, Sri Lanka.

Office correspondence address: 23, S R Nanayakkara Mawatha, Hikkaduwa 80240, Southern Province, Sri Lanka. Visits are by appointment.

For bookings, changes and complaints: booking@hikkaru.lk; telephone and WhatsApp +94 77 150 0010; Telegram @hikka_ru.

A vehicle may be supplied by HIKKARU or a partner. Before booking confirmation, we identify the actual rental provider and the applicable terms. A partner's involvement does not remove obligations expressly undertaken by HIKKARU. Partner terms cannot silently replace the agreed price or other material booking conditions.

2. Booking and confirmation

Viewing a vehicle, obtaining a price or saving a draft does not itself confirm a booking. Before submitting, check the vehicle, dates, pickup and return locations, extras, total price and separate deposit.

An accepted request receives a booking number and status:

• Pending — your request is recorded; vehicle allocation still requires operator confirmation.
• Confirmed — a vehicle is reserved for the stated dates. Any outstanding meeting time or precise location is agreed separately.
• Cancelled — the active reservation has ended. Contact the operator about the reason, settlement or an alternative.

If the website response is interrupted, check the existing request or contact us. Do not create a new booking solely because a notification has not arrived. Messenger delivery may be delayed; the order page and operator correspondence help establish the result.

No advance payment is required to book a car. Confirmation does not mean that rental or deposit payment has been received. The vehicle handover and use agreement is signed at pickup after inspection. It records the agreed terms and condition; additional material obligations must be disclosed beforehand.

You may voluntarily pay an agreed amount in advance outside the website. This is optional and is not a booking requirement. Its purpose, currency, amount and refund terms are agreed before transfer; an advance received is credited against the final balance and is not charged again.

3. Dates, vehicle and passengers

Dates and times use Sri Lanka time, UTC+5:30. Rental days are calendar dates, including both the pickup and return date. Selecting a meeting time does not change this into hourly billing.

Catalogue capacity is the adult count used for vehicle selection. Luggage capacity is an estimate for size-L suitcases; hand luggage is not listed separately. These figures do not permit exceeding the vehicle's lawful seating or load limits or child-restraint requirements. Tell us about children and unusual luggage before confirmation.

We agree any material vehicle substitution with you. A substitution does not automatically permit a price increase or less favourable agreed terms.

The year of manufacture is included in the catalogue vehicle name using the source table. There is no single year range for the entire fleet; details of a replacement vehicle are clarified separately.

4. Price and additional charges

The final calculation depends on the vehicle, seasons, actual dates, delivery and return locations and selected services. Rental, delivery, collection, paid child seats, driving-document assistance and applicable additional protection are itemised. The refundable deposit is separate from the rental price.

The minimum charge is five days: a 1–4 day rental is charged as five days at the lowest ordinary daily rate within the actual rental dates. For vehicles offering the 20/30 package, 5–20 days are charged at the sum of actual daily rates; 21–30 days at the sum of the first twenty days' rates; from day 31, an additional two-thirds of the ordinary rate applies to each further day. Package availability is stated for the selected vehicle; where no package applies, ordinary daily billing applies with the five-day minimum. A minimum charge or package does not automatically extend the actual rental period.

The 20/30 package is determined by the season in which the rental starts. If available on the start date, it continues for the agreed rental period even if the next season does not separately offer the package. Each charged day still uses its own season's ordinary base rate: the first twenty days at the full rate, and days after the thirtieth at two-thirds. If the package is unavailable on the start date, ordinary daily billing applies throughout the rental.

Rental and selected services are added together and rounded once to the nearest whole US dollar, with half a dollar rounded upwards. Excess-mileage rates and the deposit are stated separately. Applicable rates and the calculated total are available before submission.

The rental price includes taxes. The total price and all mandatory additional charges are disclosed before confirmation. Optional services require your agreement. A later published rate change does not itself alter an accepted price. Changes to dates, vehicle, zone or services require an agreed revised calculation.

5. Pickup, return and delivery

Towns are sufficient for the initial request. The exact hotel, address and meeting time may be agreed later. Google Places helps identify a location; delivery pricing follows its actual delivery zone. Clarifying an address within the same tariff zone does not change the delivery price; a different zone requires recalculation and agreement.

Pickup and return may take place at different agreed locations. Flight details help arrange an airport meeting. Tell us promptly if your plans or flight change.

Delivery and collection charges depend on the selected vehicle's tariff and the zone of each location. Both HIKKARU and partner vehicles may offer free zones, as specified by their tariff. Each location's charge is shown in the calculation; zone boundaries follow the agreed map rather than merely a similar town name.

At pickup, inspect and test-drive the vehicle. With our representative, record damage, mileage, fuel, interior, keys and equipment in the handover record and photographs. Photograph all sides, including the roof and lower bodywork. For a night handover, supplement the initial photographs in daylight and report newly noticed defects promptly. Payment follows inspection, a test drive and signature of the agreement. On return, condition is compared with the initial record and photographs; previously recorded damage is not treated as new damage.

At handover, the agreement, mileage, rental payment received and security deposit must be recorded in a separate WhatsApp group for the order: amounts, currency and payment method, with agreed supporting photographs or receipts. Participants are the customer, operator and delivery driver or handover representative, so everyone has the same information. If WhatsApp is unavailable, agree equivalent recording with the operator before handover. Do not share banking passwords, verification codes or full card details. Unrelated customers are not added to the group.

The vehicle is supplied and returned with a full tank, or at the same agreed fuel level. The level is recorded at pickup and return. If less fuel is returned, you may pay the agreed cost of the missing fuel; the amount and calculation basis are recorded before payment.

You do not need to wash the vehicle or specially clean the interior before return: we wash and clean it before the next booking in any case. Ordinary road dust and normal-use marks do not attract an extra charge. If the whole interior is heavily littered with sand, crisps, crumbs or other food debris, additional cleaning costs USD 20. Severe contamination with dog hair and saliva, a persistent animal smell, vomit or spilled dairy products requires deep steam cleaning, including seat removal where necessary, at USD 50 plus one rental day. The same price applies to separately agreed deep steam cleaning of the interior; this describes the cleaning method and does not guarantee the absence of every allergic reaction. The additional day's price uses the vehicle's ordinary rate for the actual cleaning date. In a tropical climate, food and organic residue can attract insects, so this cleaning prepares the vehicle for the next customer. Inspection and photographs record the condition and need for additional work; the USD 20 and USD 50 charges are not added together for the same cleaning.

An extension requires available dates, an agreed return time and, where needed, an additional payment under section 4. Notify the operator as early as possible if delayed. A delay of a few hours that does not affect the next booking does not automatically attract a penalty; still agree the return time with us. Returning the following morning instead of the agreed evening requires separate agreement on timing and charges. If an unagreed delay disrupts or delays the next booking, additional payment and consequences are considered individually: the circumstances, supported expenses and calculation are explained to the customer. There is no single fixed penalty for that case; this clause does not authorise arbitrary charges or unsupported deposit deductions.

If you voluntarily return a serviceable vehicle early for your own reasons, paid rental for the agreed period is not refunded. This rule does not apply to the rental provider's failure to perform and does not limit mandatory consumer rights. The refundable deposit is settled separately under section 6.

If you leave personal belongings in the vehicle, notify the operator. Where possible, we will keep them pending agreed collection, hand them to an agreed person or send them by post. The method, address and timing are agreed separately; return and shipping expenses are borne by the customer. This does not promise indefinite storage or a carrier on a particular date.

6. Payment and deposit

The website does not collect online payments. Rental and deposit payment methods are agreed separately. A form selection records a preference, not a completed transfer. Only an agreed, legally permissible method is used; the amount, currency and any exchange rate are fixed before payment. Do not enter card details, banking passwords or payment verification codes on this website.

The refundable deposit is shown in the selected vehicle's specifications and calculation. It is an exact US-dollar amount from that vehicle's data and may differ between models. Passports and other original documents are not taken as security. The deposit is not payment for extras. For the own fleet it is not, by itself, a cap on damage liability; the separate partner-vehicle limit and its exceptions are set out in section 8.

If inspection finds no damage, unpaid agreed charges or other contractual claims, the deposit is returned immediately after inspection. For transfers, this means initiating the refund immediately; arrival depends on the payment channel.

The principal is returned in the same currency or agreed asset and by the same method, without compulsory conversion. Cash is returned as the same banknotes. Any applicable, previously disclosed return-transfer fee is paid separately by the customer and does not reduce the principal. If a method cannot support this arrangement, an alternative is agreed before the deposit is accepted.

If previously unreported damage is found at return and cannot be assessed on site, settlement is deferred until assessment. For a request received before 12:00 noon Sri Lanka time, assessment is completed within one business day. A request received at or after noon may carry over to the repair assessor's next business day. We provide a description, calculation and evidence, including comparison with handover condition. Immediately after assessment, we return the balance less the justified amount without waiting for repairs to finish. If the customer is flying out, the balance may be transferred instead of returned in cash by agreement. Currency and recipient details are confirmed in correspondence; immediate transfer means initiating payment immediately. A claim does not automatically justify retaining the entire deposit, and the customer may dispute a charge. The rental-payment non-refund rule does not apply to the refundable deposit. Mandatory consumer rights remain unaffected.

7. Driver documents and use

Before handover, present valid documents authorising you to drive the selected vehicle category in Sri Lanka. For foreign documents, the applicable recognition or local-permit process is checked. Selecting an assistance service does not mean a public authority has issued a permit. Documents, timing and assistance fees are agreed separately; an authority's decision is not guaranteed.

HIKKARU imposes no additional minimum age or driving experience beyond mandatory legal driving requirements. Every driver must hold valid documents for the selected category. Notify the rental provider of an additional driver in correspondence before booking and obtain acknowledgement that the information was received. An omitted name in the agreement does not by itself mean the driver is unauthorised if the rental provider was notified. Mandatory legal and applicable policy requirements remain in effect. Driving while intoxicated, unlawful use and allowing a driver of whom the rental provider has not been notified are prohibited.

The vehicle is supplied for personal tourist travel on paved roads. Racing, subletting, safaris, off-road driving and driving on dirt or gravel roads are prohibited. A vehicle may have a GPS tracker; its use for the particular vehicle, purposes and handling of location data are disclosed before rental in accordance with the Privacy Notice.

The operator has access to the GPS application; tourists are not given tracking access. GPS records and screenshots may be used as evidence of route and time. For a damage claim, they are assessed with inspection results, before/after photographs and a repair estimate. A map location alone does not automatically establish the cause of every defect or the repair amount. Damage caused by prohibited use, including off-road driving in a national park, is payable by the customer under a supported calculation.

For any fine, notice, warning or paper left under the windscreen wiper, first notify the operator and send a legible photograph. Do not decide whether payment is required from the paper's appearance or unfamiliar wording. We help identify the document, whether payment is required, where to attend and what action to take. It may be a warning requiring attendance at a police station without payment. Do not ignore stated deadlines or lawful officer instructions while awaiting a reply.

The driver is responsible for official fines relating to their use of the vehicle. Not every tourist has an app supporting GovPay; the operator can explain an available lawful procedure and payment method. Retain the payment basis and receipt. Contact us about any unofficial demand for money; bribery is not recommended and is not a contractual expense. The competent authority determines the offence and payment obligation; the operator helps interpret the document and procedure.

If vehicle keys, vehicle documents or a registration plate are lost, notify the operator immediately. The customer pays supported replacement expenses and necessary downtime while replacement is arranged, subject to the applicable partner-vehicle liability limit in section 8. Downtime uses the vehicle's rate for the corresponding actual dates; days already paid as rental are not charged again. With active HIKKARU Super Cover and none of its stated aggravating circumstances, HIKKARU pays for replacement and this downtime. This is separate from personal belongings left behind.

The total included mileage and excess rate are stated in your order. A daily allowance used in the calculation is not a separate daily driving restriction. Actual total mileage is checked on return.

For a child seat, provide the child's height and weight. A selected paid seat is included in the order and charged for actual rental days. Use it according to its instructions and applicable child-restraint rules.

8. Insurance, damage and additional protection

For HIKKARU-owned vehicles, the rental provider identifies Sri Lanka Insurance (SLIC), Commercial Use, as the insurance basis. General information is available from SLIC Motor Plus Commercial. The actual policy schedule and endorsements determine cover for each vehicle, including customer-driven hire, excesses and exclusions. Ask HIKKARU for the applicable vehicle insurance information before confirming your rental. A general product description is not evidence of a particular vehicle’s current cover and does not guarantee payment for every incident. Partner vehicles may have different policies; material differences must be disclosed before agreement.

For partner vehicles, the customer's contractual damage liability is limited to the deposit stated for the selected vehicle. Exceptions to that limit are tyres, rims, battery, consumables, fluids and the interior; supported expenses for those uncovered items may exceed the deposit. This limit is not a promise of an insurance payout and does not replace separately agreed rental and service payments. Ordinary wear, scheduled maintenance and faults attributable to the rental provider do not automatically become customer-paid damage.

The own-fleet terms place parking-manoeuvre damage, theft of parts, animal damage and damage to tyres, rims or the battery at the customer's expense. A separate USD 20 charge applies for calling out an insurance representative to handle a claim; it is not a cap on all incident costs. Neither the deposit nor provisional calculation figures imply an unconditional overall liability cap.

For repainting damaged body panels, chargeable downtime is:

The table states the ordinary chargeable downtime for the listed work, not a promised actual repair duration. In individual cases, repairs and chargeable downtime may be extended on the repair assessor's findings. For unlisted panel counts and other damage, a repair-shop assessment is used. The customer is informed of the basis, number of days and calculation for an increase; time spent at the repair shop alone does not justify an arbitrary charge. Each chargeable downtime day uses the selected vehicle's ordinary daily rental rate for that actual date. If downtime crosses seasons, each day's rate follows its own season; the rate at the start of the rental is not frozen for all downtime. Downtime days already paid as rental are deducted without charging the same days twice; the result cannot be negative. With active Super Cover and no aggravating circumstance, HIKKARU pays this downtime.

HIKKARU Super Cover is a separate paid own-fleet option. When selected, HIKKARU assumes covered vehicle damage, including tyres, rims, glass, battery and theft, replacement of lost vehicle keys, vehicle documents and registration plates, the insurance representative's callout and necessary downtime, unless a listed aggravating circumstance applies. The customer's contribution to these expenses is zero; the ordinary exclusions above do not override selected Super Cover. This is HIKKARU's contractual undertaking, not a replacement for the basic policy. It is unavailable for partner vehicles.

Following an accident, damage or breakdown, first ensure safety and contact emergency services where necessary. Contact the operator without delay with the location and circumstances; where safe, retain photographs, video and the registration numbers of involved vehicles. Comply with mandatory police-reporting duties and emergency-service instructions. Do not leave the scene contrary to those requirements; necessary action to protect people and your own safety takes priority over waiting for the operator.

Report an accident immediately from the scene before leaving: call the operator to arrange insurance handling and comply with mandatory police-reporting requirements. Leaving without reporting may make an insurance claim impossible. Do not expect a later report to be treated as a report made at the scene. If you must leave to protect people, escape immediate danger or follow emergency-service instructions, report at the first safe opportunity; consequences depend on the law and policy.

Do not continue driving an unsafe vehicle, including on a flat tyre. Obtain agreement before non-emergency repairs; urgent action necessary to protect people is considered separately. Intoxication, lack of required driving authorisation, concealment, a staged incident or breach of post-incident duties may result in refusal of cover under the policy and law. A police record alone does not guarantee an insurance payment.

If a technical failure is our fault, we arrange repair, replacement or an agreed transport alternative at our expense. Any other claimed charges require a stated basis and evidence, rather than an arbitrary deduction from the deposit.

9. Changes and cancellation

Contact the operator using the details above and quote your booking number to change or cancel. Do not create another booking instead of requesting a change. Deleting a Telegram message, closing a page or signing out does not cancel a reservation.

There is no separate fee for notifying us of cancellation. Where no payment or advance was made, a no-show or changed plans incurs no penalty or charge for rental not taken. Payments and voluntary advances already made are not refunded for a no-show, changed customer plans or using the vehicle for fewer days than agreed in the contract. This also applies to paid services and Super Cover in the order when declined for those reasons. The rule is disclosed before any voluntary payment. HIKKARU may agree an exceptional refund in correspondence in a rare individual case; this is not a guaranteed right for changed plans. Please still notify us in advance so the vehicle can be released. The rule does not affect the refundable deposit or mandatory remedies for the rental provider's failure to perform; those remedies do not depend on a discretionary exception.

If we cannot fulfil a confirmed reservation, we offer an agreed alternative or cancellation with repayment of sums received for services not provided. Other mandatory consumer remedies remain available. Declining a replacement does not constitute acceptance of new terms.

10. Contact, data and complaints

Telegram verification supports access to your own orders and service notifications. It does not verify an email address or another messenger's number and is not a marketing subscription. A separate WordPress account is not required. See the Privacy Notice and Cookie Notice.

Contact us immediately about urgent issues with an active rental; the ordinary complaint-response period is not a waiting period for incident assistance. In a complaint, identify the booking, circumstances and remedy requested. We send a response within 30 days of receiving the complaint to the agreed postal or electronic address. This is a dispatch deadline; postal delivery time is separate. We record when and how the response was sent. Any different mandatory legal deadline or procedure applies; personal-data requests follow their own applicable rules. Contacting us does not remove the right to approach a competent authority or court.

11. Applicable law and updates

Sri Lankan law applies to rental services in Sri Lanka, preserving any mandatory consumer protections applicable to the particular contract. These terms do not exclude liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or impose exclusive jurisdiction that removes such protections.

The version provided when your order was placed, together with separately agreed changes, applies to that order. A later website revision does not apply retrospectively.