Terms checked
Rental car excess in Tasmania, sorted before you reach the desk.
What each Hobart and Launceston company can charge after a scrape, and what its counter cover leaves out. Then price your cover.
Companies
15
Every company with a Hobart or Launceston depot
Standard excess
A$5,200 to A$5,500
Standard car, where the company publishes it
Lowest you can buy
A$0
At the counter at 7 companies
Roof and underbody
10 of 11
Charge you for both, even with their top cover
Company by company
Excess and counter cover at each company
Bargain Car Rentals publishes its counter prices. The others quote them when you book: take that price from your quote into the calculator.
Some links earn us a commission. It never changes the order.
| Company | Standard excess | Counter options | Still yours with top cover | Gravel roads | Prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Car RentalsApex excess reduction coverApex terms | Depends on the car class |
|
| Sealed roads, or properly formed gravel roads. | See prices → |
| AvisAvis terms (PDF) | On your rental document |
|
| Not stated in the terms we read | See prices → |
| Bargain Car RentalsBargain terms and coverage options | A$5,500Bond: A$500 (A$1 with Platinum) |
| Nothing listed with Platinum Package | Graded, well-maintained gravel roads only. Never the Western Explorer Road. | See prices → |
| BudgetBudget terms (PDF) | On your rental documentBond: A$200 hold on Pay Now bookings |
|
| Sealed roads, or properly formed gravel roads. | See prices → |
| East Coast Car RentalsEast Coast booking termsEast Coast fees and charges | A$5,500 (A$6,600 for larger vehicles)Bond: Up to A$1,000 |
|
| Not allowed on unsealed roads. | See prices → |
| EuropcarEuropcar termsEuropcar deposit policy | On your rental agreementBond: A$200 hold for a standard car |
|
| Only with its Unsealed Road Cover, or under 500 m of graded road at 40 km/h or less to reach your stay or an attraction. | See prices → |
| HertzHertz rental terms (PDF) | On your rental agreementBond: On your rental agreement |
|
| Not allowed, apart from roads under repair and access roads to campgrounds or accommodation. | See prices → |
| RedspotRedspot damage cover optionsRedspot termsRedspot fees and charges | A$5,200Bond: Up to A$1,000 |
|
| Allowed, but your liability goes up by an unsealed road amount, and 2WD cars keep to 50 km/h. | See prices → |
| SIXTSIXT damage protection FAQ | On your rental agreement |
|
| Not stated in the terms we read | See prices → |
| ThriftyThrifty terms (PDF) | On your rental agreementBond: On your rental agreement |
|
| Not allowed, except in its 4x4 adventure vehicles. | See prices → |
| YesDriveYesDrive terms | A$5,400Bond: Up to A$1,000 |
|
| Not stated in the terms we read | See prices → |
Ace Rental Cars, Alice Car Rental, Drive Car Hire and Astra Car Rentals don't publish an excess in their terms: ask for it with your quote.
Amounts are for a standard car. Bigger vehicles can carry more, and your rental agreement has the final figure.
Calculator
Counter cover or a separate policy: what each costs for your trip
Pick your company to fill in what it publishes, then add the prices from your quotes.
Counter cover
–
Separate policy
–
No extra cover
A$0
Today. If the car is damaged, you owe up to the standard excess.
Add the counter price from your quote to compare.
Counter cover leaves out
Pick your company to see what its terms leave out.
With a separate policy
You pay the company first, then claim it back. The bond still goes on your card.
Factual information, not financial advice: it doesn't take your objectives, finances or needs into account. Read the rental terms and the policy's PDS before you decide.
Some links earn us a commission. It never changes the result.
Fine print
What counter cover still leaves you paying
10 of 11 companies charge you for both, even with their top cover. Bargain's Platinum Package covers them.
Sold as daily add-ons at Redspot and East Coast. Included in Bargain's Platinum Package.
East Coast Car Rentals, Hertz and Thrifty say no. Bargain allows graded roads, never the Western Explorer Road.
Bargain, East Coast, Europcar, Redspot and YesDrive allow it. East Coast won't cover damage on the ferry.
SIXT can add a fee at non-metro depots unless you take $0 Excess Protection.
Separate cover
How a separate excess policy pays out
- You pay the company first, up to the excess, then claim it back. Five of the companies above say so in their terms.
- The bond still goes on your card. DiscoverCars says Full Coverage doesn't remove the deposit, and each company's bond is in the table.
- Check the limit. DiscoverCars Full Coverage pays up to €5,000 in total. RentalCover covers the excess up to your policy limit.
- You may already have it. The ACCC notes that some travel insurance policies and credit cards include hire car excess cover.
RentalCover is sold in Australia by Cover Genius Pty Ltd (AFSL 490058), and the PDS comes with your quote.
DiscoverCars says Full Coverage is a reimbursement plan, not an insurance product.
Get a RentalCover quote for your dates or read how DiscoverCars Full Coverage works.
FAQ
Rental car excess FAQ
How much is the rental car excess in Tasmania?
For a standard car, A$5,200 at Redspot, A$5,400 at YesDrive and A$5,500 at Bargain Car Rentals and East Coast Car Rentals under their own terms.
Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, SIXT and Thrifty print it on your rental agreement, so you see it in your quote.
Bigger vehicles carry more: East Coast asks A$6,600 for its larger ones.
Do I have to buy excess reduction at the counter?
No. Every hire comes with a standard excess, and reducing it is an extra you choose: Redspot says its extra cover is optional.
You can take the counter option or a separate policy. Or keep the standard excess and drive as you are.
If I have excess insurance, will the hire company still charge me?
Yes, up to your excess, and then you claim it back. Europcar, Hertz, Redspot, Thrifty and YesDrive say so in their terms.
The company holds its bond on your card as usual.
Can I drive a hire car on gravel roads in Tasmania?
It depends on the company. East Coast Car Rentals, Hertz and Thrifty don't allow unsealed roads.
Bargain allows graded, well-maintained ones but never the Western Explorer Road.
Apex and Budget allow properly formed gravel roads, and Redspot raises your excess on them.
Read the rule for your company in the table before you plan a gravel detour.
Can I take a hire car to Bruny Island?
Yes, with Bargain, East Coast, Europcar, Redspot and YesDrive, whose terms name Bruny Island as allowed.
East Coast leaves damage that happens on the ferry itself outside its cover.
Does travel insurance cover rental car excess?
Some policies do, and so do some credit cards, as the ACCC notes.
Compare the policy limit with your company's excess, and check that it covers roof and underbody damage, which most counter cover leaves out.
What is a single-vehicle accident?
SIXT defines it as an accident with no other vehicle involved apart from a parked one, or where the other driver isn't identified.
SIXT can add a single-vehicle accident fee on top of the excess at non-metro locations, unless you take its $0 Excess Protection.
Sources
Where the numbers come from
- Each company's terms, linked in its row and read .
- Separate cover, read the same day: RentalCover and DiscoverCars terms.
- Your rights when you hire a car: ACCC, Car hire.