Alex Cashman-Rolls faces a $500 cleaning fee from Hertz after returning a rental car he used with a registered service animal. Hertz claims the charge is for “excessive” hair, but Alex argues it’s unreasonable under federal law and lacks proof of actual costs. Will Hertz back down?

Question

I rented a Hertz vehicle recently, which I used for just 90 minutes with my registered service animal. After I returned the car, Hertz charged me a $500 cleaning fee, claiming I had left “excessive” hair in the car. 

The rental contract vaguely mentions pet hair fees but doesn’t define “excessive” or disclose costs upfront. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service animals are medical equipment, not pets, and reasonable debris is considered normal wear and tear. 

Hertz provided no time-stamped photos, detailed invoices, or proof of loss of use. Two employees admitted the charge seemed unfair, but lacked the authority to reverse it. I’ve disputed this for weeks. Can Hertz legally impose this fee? — Alex Cashman-Rolls, Rochester, N.Y.

Answer

Yes, Hertz can impose a cleaning fee, regardless of the cause. But should it? That’s another question, and I think the answer is no.

The ADA prohibits treating service animals as pets, and the bill you received mentioned excessive “pet hair” in the vehicle. But pet hair is just a term Hertz is using to describe animal fur of any kind, regardless of the animal’s purpose.

To be clear, you are responsible for cleaning up after your service animal — and Hertz can charge you a reasonable cleaning fee.

What I found more problematic was that the car rental company didn’t provide documentation that the $500 charge reflected its actual costs. When I reviewed the charge, it seemed arbitrary, an inflated version of its actual costs.

We’ve been seeing a lot of car rental cleaning cases lately. These fees may represent a significant source of revenue to some car rental companies, so it’s something to be aware of the next time you rent a car.

How do you avoid a cleaning fee? First — and obviously — don’t leave a mess. If you have a dog or cat that sheds, you’ll want to travel with a lint brush so that you can remove the fur, or vacuum the interior before returning it. And second, and equally important, you’ll want to always take a picture of the interior of your rental car before and after your rental. (Here is our best guide to renting a car.)

Although the ADA doesn’t necessarily protect you in this case, it’s a special circumstance, which is probably why the Hertz employees you spoke with said they thought the charges were not warranted. But you can’t demand a refund based on these conversations, so it’s always best to get a refund promise in writing.

You did the right thing by requesting a full explanation of the fee up front and citing ADA protections during your initial dispute. Always keep a paper trail, as you did, and escalate unresolved issues to executive contacts like Hertz’s customer care team. I publish the names, numbers and email addresses of the company’s executives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.  

I contacted Hertz on your behalf. The company reviewed the case and reversed the charge.