If you are thinking of renting a u-haul, it may be important to know whether or not you can smoke in a u-haul rental. This could be a deal-breaker if you are a smoker and plan on needing to smoke in your U-Haul.
With many places not allowing smoking, it is a good idea to find out U-Hauls policy on smoking before renting one of its vehicles. To find out if U-Haul allows smoking in its u-hauls, keep reading.
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Can You Smoke in a U-Haul Rental?
There is no policy that directly states that customers cannot smoke in a u-haul rental, though it does mention cleanup. If you smoke in a u-haul, you should plan on keeping it very clean otherwise you could be charged a cleaning cost.
Smoking can be a very dirty habit and leave a truck looking old and dirty. This is why it is generally discouraged but not entirely prohibited.
Even if U-Haul did not allow smoking, there is not much it could do to stop it, even if it wanted to. Once you rent the vehicle, you can do just about anything that you want to.
You will want to be careful, however, and keep the u-haul as clean as possible. If your rental is dirty or smells like smoke, you will want to tell U-Haul about this.
You don’t want to be later held responsible for these things if it wasn’t you who was smoking in the u-haul. This is generally a good tip whenever you are renting from U-Haul.
What Happens If You Smoke in a U-Haul?
Nothing will happen if you smoke in a u-haul and keep it clean and inconspicuous. There may be a lingering smell, but that oftentimes can’t be helped if you have smoked inside.
U-Haul will only ever do anything about it if you have made the inside of the rental dirty by smoking. This could include a filled ashtray, burn marks, cigarette buts, or ashes.
If there is a very strong smell, U-Haul may also charge you with a cleanup fee as this can be hard to remove. That is why it is important to report if the vehicle smells like smoke when you rent it.
Generally, U-Haul does not charge a cleanup fee as long as it is not very dirty from smoking. As long as you still keep the u-haul clean and clean up after yourself, you shouldn’t need to worry.
You can also air out the vehicle for 30 minutes to an hour if you are worried about the smell of smoke. You can also make sure to only smoke with all of the windows down for better ventilation.
It is a good idea to sweep through the vehicle to check for ashes and cigarette butts just to be safe. Some areas may crack down harder on these details than other areas.
It is better to do a quick clean-up rather than be charged with an extra cleanup fee.
Can Employees Smoke in a U-Haul?
In most states within the U.S. U-Haul employees can no longer smoke when they are in the vehicles. U-Haul locations in 21 states officially stopped hiring smokers in 2020.
This change in policy does not affect those who use tobacco products, only those who smoke or use nicotine products. This has made it significantly harder for smokers to get jobs in these areas.
This was a personal change in policy that many other companies have also reflected over the years.
This means that you shouldn’t get any u-hauls that have been smoked in by any U-Haul employees. If the u-haul has been smoked in, that is from another customer having smoked in it.
Are you Allowed to Smoke in a U-Haul?
Customers are allowed to smoke in u-hauls as there is no policy that is strictly against doing this. There is a policy that states that it must be done responsibly, however, with minimal damage or cleanup being left behind.
If you choose to smoke in a u-haul rental, it is your responsibility to do so safely and responsibly. You should be very careful to avoid leaving behind any burn marks inside of the vehicle.
You should also remove cigarette butts and clean out the ashtray before returning your rental. As long as you clean it up, you should not face any issues when it comes to smoking in a u-haul.
U-Haul does have the right to hit you with a cleaning fee if it finds the vehicle to be messy from smoking. This is generally a $25 fee that is added to your bill if the vehicle requires a clean-up before it can be rented again.
This is not a huge fee, and it is not frequently given out, but it is still a good idea to clean the vehicle before returning it. Some U-Haul locations may be much stricter about this and could give you an extra fee if you do not clean up.
An excessive cigarette smoke smell can also put you at risk of getting a cleanup fee. This is why it is a good idea to air out the vehicle before returning it.
You can easily do this by leaving the doors or windows open for 30 minutes to an hour to air out the vehicle. This should at least diminish the worst of the cigarette smoke smell before you return it to U-Haul.