Zenith to insure peer-to-peer car and van rentals

Zenith has been named as the official insurance provider of peer-to-peer car and van rental service EasyCar Club.

EasyCar Club was launched in February after a year-long trial in London and is backed by Lastminute.com founder Brent Hoberman and EasyGroup founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou.

The company encourages car owners to rent out their cars when they’re not using them, and has just launched a similar service for vans.

Markerstudy-owned Zenith is backing the scheme with an insurance package that protects the owner’s vehicle and a no claims discount for the period of the rental.

A deposit is paid by the driver to cover the excess on a fully comprehensive policy for up to a maximum liability of £20m (£5m for third party).

The policy replaces the owner’s existing policy while the car is being hired, and any claim, repair or replacement car is handled by Zenith.

Markerstudy group underwriting director Gary Humphreys said: “We’re very proud to be working with EasyCar Club in helping it to deliver its unique service. Owners can make thousands of pounds a year from renting out their car or van and for renters it’s an extremely cost-effective and convenient way to hire a vehicle.

“With hundreds of car owners across the UK and thousands of registered renters, EasyCar Club has already made waves in the market and the new van offering is likely to prove just as popular.”