Planning a Trip? > Rental Car Insurance
If you need to rent or borrow a vehicle, it’s a good idea to think about the insurance protection you’ll need. Rental Car Insurance from Manitoba Public Insurance provides better coverage at substantially lower cost than most options.
There’s more to renting a vehicle than you might think. Driving an unfamiliar car in a strange place can make an accident more likely. Without the right insurance, you could wind up paying for damages and injuries from your own pocket. The financial risks of renting outside Manitoba are significant.
- First, others involved in the accident may claim against you, especially if the accident occurs in the U.S. You could wind up with a huge bill for injuries to others and damage to their property.
- Second, you’re personally responsible for damage to the vehicle you rent, whether or not you’re at fault. Most rental companies also charge “downtime” to compensate them for the time the car is off the road being fixed or replaced.
- Finally, if your first rental car is out of action because of an accident, you may need to rent another one at your own cost.
Major risks covered by our Rental Car Insurance
- Up to $5,000,000 for claims others may make against you.
- Up to $100,000 for damage to vehicles rented outside Manitoba.
- Daily allowances payable to you to rent a replacement vehicle and to cover “down-time” charges. (Subject to daily limits.)
- Covers rented or borrowed private
passenger vehicles and light trucks (4,540 kg or less GVW) in Canada or
the U.S
- A Rental Car policy cannot be purchased for a trailer. However, Third Party Liability coverage for an insured non-owned vehicle extends to trailers where the trailer is being used or operated in conjunction with the insured vehicle.
- For accidents outside Manitoba, call our Out-of-Province Claims office toll-free at 1-800-661-6051.
- In Manitoba, outside Winnipeg, call the claim centre nearest you.
- In Winnipeg, call 985-7000.
- The vehicle cannot be owned by, leased to, or registered in your name, or the name of any member of the household (including relatives).
Save up to $25 each day with Rental Car Insurance compared to choosing coverage from the rental company. The rate for Rental Car Insurance is based on where the vehicle is rented, not where it is driven. For example, a customer who rents a vehicle in Winnipeg to drive to California, pays the Manitoba rate, not the U.S. rate.
- Manitoba rate - $2 per day
- Canada rate - $4 per day
- U.S. rate - $7 per day
- All rates include a $15 policy fee, with a minimum of 3 days premium.
Check our Rate Calculator for an estimate.
Rental Car Insurance is only available to customers who reside in Manitoba:
- Applicants must be at least 16 years of age.
- Any applicant under the age of 18 years must have a parent or legal guardian co-sign the application form.
- The Rental Car Insurance policy and the rental agreement must both be in the name of the same person.
Rental Car Insurance covers you (the policyholder) and any other driver, provided the driver:
- Has your permission to drive the vehicle; and
- Is qualified or authorized by law to operate the vehicle (if the operator is not a Manitoba resident, they must be qualified or authorized by law in the jurisdiction where they reside).
Unlike most other policies, you are not required to list the names of other people who may drive the rented or borrowed vehicle. Only the policyholder’s name appears on the certificate of insurance.
The policy rules are much the same as the Autopac insurance on your own car, but you must not use the rental car for business deliveries.
Rental Car Insurance from Manitoba Public Insurance is your best choice, but other options are available:
- Rental Company Collision Damage Waivers (CDWs) or Loss Damage Waivers (LDWs): The cost is usually higher than Rental Car Insurance.
- Credit card coverage: Some credit cards automatically cover rental vehicles. Check with your credit card company to confirm if you have coverage and how it works. Coverage is usually less comprehensive than Rental Car Insurance and specific restrictions normally apply.
- Your own Autopac coverage: $1,000,000, $2,000,000 or $5,000,000 Third Party Liability optional coverage transfers to a rented or borrowed vehicle. However, this coverage doesn’t protect you against claims from the rental company for damage to their rental car or for down-time. In the U.S., it may not protect you fully against claims from other motorists. As well, transfer of Third Party Liability coverage to another vehicle is only effective for 30 days. Therefore, it’s best not to rely on this coverage when renting or borrowing a vehicle in the U.S.
When renting or borrowing a vehicle that’s registered and insured in Manitoba, the rented car’s Basic Autopac insurance covers you if you have a valid driver’s licence and you’re driving with the rental company’s permission.
For this reason, you’re only responsible for up to $500 of damage to the car you’re renting, which is the deductible under Basic Autopac. Buying Rental Car Insurance lowers your deductible to $100.
Rental companies can claim against you for lost revenue if their car is damaged and unavailable for rental. You could also face claims from others whose property you’ve damaged or for injuries you’ve caused that exceed the liability insurance on the rental car. Rental Car Insurance protects you against these financial risks too.
Questions? Check the Rental Car Insurance FAQs. If you need more information on Rental Car Insurance your Autopac agent will be happy to help you.
