Guides

Start with the owner, then look at the car.

The owner

• Verified badges: a confirmed phone number is the minimum, a verified ID is better.
• The Quality Score and the reviews. Read the low ratings as well as the high ones.
• How quickly and how clearly they answer your first message.

The car

• Photos that show the whole car, inside and out, and match what you see in person.
• Tyres, lights, wipers, air conditioning and the spare. Try them all.
• The papers: vehicle licence, insurance and roadworthiness, in the owner's name or with a letter that explains why not.
• Fuel level and mileage at pick-up. Take a photo of the dashboard.

If anything does not match the listing, ask before you pay. A good owner will explain.

The price on a listing is where the conversation starts. You and the owner agree the final price between you.

• Compare first. Look at three or four similar cars in the same area, so you know what is normal.
• Say your dates and your route. Owners price a week differently from a day, and a trip out of town differently from city driving.
• Ask what is included. Driver, fuel, mileage limit, late return, cleaning. A cheap day rate with extras can cost more than a higher one without.
• Ask about the deposit. How much, how it is paid back and when.
• Longer is cheaper. Many owners take something off for a week or more. The price table on the listing shows it when they do.
• Put it in writing. Once you agree, send the terms back in chat or WhatsApp: price, dates, deposit, what is included. That message is your record.

Be polite and be ready to walk away. There are other cars.

MO-VO introduces renters and owners. The rental itself, and the money, are between the two of you. Even so, tell us when something is wrong, so we can act on the listing or the account.

1. Talk to the owner first. Most problems are misunderstandings and are fixed with one message.
2. Keep your evidence. Screenshots of the chat, photos of the car at pick-up and return, proof of payment.
3. Report it. Open the listing or the owner's page and choose Report. Pick the closest reason and describe what happened in a few sentences. The owner is not told who reported them.
4. For a crime, go to the police. Theft, threats and fraud are for the police. Report to us as well, so the account is looked at.

Our team reads every report. Safety and fraud reports are read first.

A car that is priced well is rented more days in the month, and that matters more than the daily rate.

• Look at your neighbours. Search your own area and category on MO-VO and see what similar cars ask.
• Know your costs. Insurance, servicing, tyres, cleaning and the days the car sits idle.
• Use price rules. A lower rate for a week or more, a different rate for weekends, and seasonal prices for December or Easter all show on your listing.
• Be clear about extras. Driver, fuel, mileage limit, out-of-town trips, late return. Surprises lose you the review.
• Start a little lower. Your first reviews are worth more than a few thousand naira. Raise the price once you have them.
• Review it monthly. If the calls stop, the price is usually the reason.

Renters decide in seconds. Make those seconds easy.

• Photos first. Wash the car. Shoot in daylight, from all four corners, then the interior, the boot and the dashboard. The first photo is your cover, so make it the best one.
• A title that says what it is. Year, make, model and area: "2020 Toyota Camry in Lekki".
• Say who it suits. Airport runs, weddings, a family trip, a week of meetings.
• Be exact about terms. Self-drive or with a driver, deposit, mileage, fuel, where pick-up happens.
• Mention the flaws. A scratch you describe is not a complaint later.
• Keep the calendar up to date. Block the days the car is not free. Nothing annoys a renter more than an "available" car that is not.
• Answer quickly. Fast replies raise your Quality Score and can earn the Super Responsive badge.

Most renters are fine. A few are not, and the best protection is what you do before the keys change hands.

Before the rental

• Check the renter's profile: verified phone, verified ID, and reviews from other owners.
• Ask for a valid driver's licence and a second ID. Photograph both.
• Agree everything in writing: dates, price, deposit, mileage, fuel, late return, where the car may go.
• Walk round the car together and take dated photos or a video.

During and after

• If the car is late, call first, then write. Keep the messages.
• Inspect the car together on return, before the deposit goes back.
• For damage, show the pick-up photos next to the return photos and agree a figure.

When it goes wrong

• You may refuse anyone, at any time before you hand over the keys.
• Tell MO-VO what happened, so the account is looked at.
• For theft, threats or fraud, go to the police with your evidence.