The short answer
This is a free, editable Word template for a car rental agreement, written for independent operators in Australia. It covers the parties and vehicle, term, rent, bond, kilometres, fuel, tolls and fines, insurance, excess, additional drivers, rideshare use, ending the rental and signatures. It is a starting point, not legal advice: have an Australian commercial lawyer review it before you use it.
When we looked at what comes up for this search in Australia in October 2026, the results were a sample contract PDF dated 2010, a printed pad of hire terms sold by an industry association, a few operators’ own terms pages, and residential tenancy pages that have nothing to do with cars. There was no editable template written for a weekly car rental business. So we wrote one.
Download the car rental agreement template (Word, .docx)
It is not legal advice. It is a starting point. Rules differ by state and by the kind of rental you run, so have an Australian commercial lawyer review it before you put it in front of a renter. The same notice sits at the top of the file.
What is in the template
The agreement has 19 clauses. The ones operators ask about most:
- Parties and vehicle. Operator and renter details, registration, VIN, odometer and fuel level at pick-up, and a condition report with photos signed by both sides.
- Term, rent and payment. A fixed return time or a week-to-week rental, what a late return costs, and what happens when a payment fails.
- Bond. What it covers, how you itemise a deduction and show the evidence first, how long the renter has to dispute it, and when the rest comes back.
- Kilometres and fuel. The allowance, the price of extra kilometres, and refuelling charged at actual cost with a receipt.
- Tolls and fines. The renter pays what falls inside the rental dates, and you can pass a fine on to them. The clause flags that the transfer process differs by state.
- Insurance, damage and excess. A dollar cap on what the renter pays, fixed at signing, with any exceptions listed in plain words, plus the accident steps.
- Additional drivers, a clause for trackers and immobilisers, and how the rental ends, including what you do if the car is not returned.
The rideshare clause is separate on purpose
Many independent operators rent by the week to Uber and DiDi drivers. Ordinary hire insurance often excludes commercial passenger work, so that use is its own optional clause (clause 12). It asks the driver for their platform approvals, lets you set a separate rate, bond and excess, and ends the agreement if the platform removes them. If you do not rent for rideshare, delete it and the ban in clause 11 stands. Our guide to renting cars to Uber drivers covers the market side.
How to use it
- Open the file and fill in every blank in [square brackets].
- Read each italic drafting note, do what it says, then delete it. Several ask you to check something with your insurer or your lawyer.
- Delete the clauses that do not fit your rentals, and renumber.
- Send it to a lawyer before first use.
- Attach the schedules: the condition report with photos (Schedule A) and your insurance policy summary (Schedule B).
On the money terms, our guide to deposit, excess and GST in Australian rental contracts goes deeper, and security deposits done right and paired photo inspections cover the bond and condition report steps.
If you would rather not chase signatures
A Word file works when you have a handful of cars. Once you are printing, emailing and filing a contract for every renter, a system does it for you. In Carz, drivers onboard from a link and sign digitally. The template is free either way.
This template is general information, not legal advice, and we do not guarantee it suits your business or your state. Have an Australian commercial lawyer review it before you rely on it.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this car rental agreement template legal advice?
- No. It is a starting point. Rental rules differ by state and by the kind of rental you run, so have an Australian commercial lawyer review it before you use it with a real renter.
- Can I edit the template?
- Yes. It is a Word (.docx) file. Fill in the blanks in square brackets, delete the italic drafting notes, and remove the clauses you do not need. The rideshare clause is optional and marked as its own clause.
- Does the template cover rideshare drivers?
- It has an optional clause for Uber, DiDi and delivery use, kept separate so you can delete it if you do not rent for that work. Check with your insurer in writing whether your policy covers commercial passenger or delivery use before you keep it.
- Does it cover who pays tolls and fines?
- Yes. The clause makes the renter responsible for tolls and infringements from pick-up to return, and lets you pass a fine on to them. How a fine is transferred differs by state and territory, so the template tells you to check the current rules with your lawyer or the issuing authority.
Cristobal Galilea
Co-founder, Carz
Cristobal builds Carz alongside the operators who use it — fleet software for independent car-rental businesses leasing weekly to gig drivers in Australia.