A good rental company hands you the car and walks the checklist with you. Here is the one we use.
1. Photograph everything
Walk around the car and film a slow video, including the roof and wheels. Timestamped video ends every dispute.
2. Test the air conditioning
In Punta Cana this is not a luxury. It should be cold within two minutes.
3. Check the spare and the jack
Open the trunk. Confirm there is a usable spare tyre, a jack and a wrench.
4. Read the fuel policy
Ours is simple: you receive the car full and return it full.
5. Confirm what the insurance actually covers
Ask for the deductible amount in writing. We put it in the contract in plain English.
6. Check the tyres and wipers
Tropical rain arrives fast and hard. Tread and wipers matter.
7. Save a direct human contact
Not a call centre. A person. Every Jonathan Rent Car guest gets a direct WhatsApp line to our team, 24 hours a day.
If a company hesitates on any of these seven points, walk away.