Car Rental in Melbourne: The Complete Guide
Everything about renting a car, hybrid, 7 or 8 seater or van by the week from Dandenong South: prices, bonds, licences, Uber rules, long-term hire and how booking works.
Subhan Rental Services rents cars, hybrids, 7 and 8 seaters and vans by the week from one base in Dandenong South, serving Dandenong and Melbourne's south-east. Weekly rent starts from about $150 for an older petrol sedan, roughly $220 to $430 for a 2025 or 2026 hybrid, and from about $430 for a Kia Carnival 8-seater, plus a refundable bond of about $350 to $800 for cars (vans and minibuses $700 to $1,500). The minimum term is one month, billed weekly in advance; after that you keep the car at the same rate until you give two weeks' notice. We accept full Australian licences, red or green P-plates and overseas licences. Sending a request is free, and we confirm every booking by phone or WhatsApp.
This guide brings together everything in our other guides, so you can see how the whole arrangement works before you choose a car.
How weekly car rental works
You pay a flat weekly rent, charged in advance each week, and a refundable security bond, payable at pickup. Both are shown on the vehicle's listing before you send a request. You do not pay the minimum term as a lump sum.
- Minimum term: one month, unless we agree otherwise in writing.
- After the minimum: the same weekly rate continues with no fixed end date. Either side can end the rental with two weeks' notice.
- Requests: free, with no payment on the website. A request does not reserve a car; a rental starts when we confirm by phone or WhatsApp.
- No online payment: sending a request is free; the bond is paid at pickup.
- GST: the business is not registered for GST, so none is added to rent and invoices are not tax invoices.
What does car rental cost in Melbourne's south-east?
These are the ranges on our listings in October 2026. Prices change as the fleet changes, so the listing is the figure that counts.
| Vehicle type | Typical weekly rent | Category page |
|---|---|---|
| Older petrol sedans and hatches | From about $150 | Rideshare and budget cars |
| 2025 and 2026 hybrids | Roughly $220 to $430 | Hybrids |
| 7-seat SUVs | Varies by age and model | 7 and 8 seaters |
| Kia Carnival 8-seaters | From about $430 | 7 and 8 seaters |
| Vans | Shown on the listing | Van hire |
As arithmetic: a month is a little over four weeks, so a month on a $150 car is about $650 in rent and a month on a $300 hybrid about $1,300, plus the bond. There is no discount for longer rentals, and no surcharge for where you live within our service area. The Dandenong car rental cost guide goes into more detail.
What is included and what is not
Included: the vehicle is insured, kilometres are unlimited, roadside assistance is included, and scheduled servicing and repairs for wear and tear or a pre-existing fault are our responsibility. If the car is off the road through a fault that is not yours, we supply a comparable replacement where available or adjust the rent.
Not included: fuel, tolls, parking fees and traffic infringements; damage that insurance does not meet, up to the excess set out in the insurance documents provided with your booking; and a reasonable administrative fee, disclosed in advance, if we have to nominate a driver for an infringement.
How security bonds work
The bond is held as security for amounts you may properly owe; it is not a fee. Under our Rental Agreement v2.0, we refund the balance within 30 days of the car being returned, sooner if nothing is outstanding. We can deduct only actual, reasonable amounts for unpaid rent, damage beyond fair wear and tear, cleaning beyond ordinary use, fuel not replaced, and tolls, parking fees and infringements. Every deduction is itemised in writing with evidence, and a dispute can go to Consumer Affairs Victoria or VCAT. Read how rental bonds work for the full explanation and a checklist for getting the whole bond back.
Long-term and monthly car rental
Long-term rental is the same weekly arrangement, continued for as long as you need it. There is no lease, no finance application and no balloon payment, and the weekly rate does not change with the length of the rental. You hand the car back on two weeks' notice once the first month is up. It suits people between cars, new arrivals, drivers testing rideshare work, and businesses with an ongoing job. See the long-term car rental page, or our weekly vs long-term guide for a comparison with buying or financing a car.
Licences and documents
- Full Victorian or Australian licence: accepted.
- P-plates, red or green: accepted, as long as the vehicle is one a probationary driver may lawfully drive in Victoria. You must follow your own licence conditions.
- Overseas licence: accepted. If it is not in English, bring an accredited English translation or an International Driving Permit. VicRoads lets you drive on a current overseas licence if you live in Victoria for less than six months; after that you need to convert to a Victorian licence.
- At pickup: bring the physical card, not a photo. We check the front and back.
Renting a car for Uber, DiDi or Uber Eats
We rent cars for rideshare and delivery work, but the platforms set their own rules for drivers and cars, and they are stricter than ours.
- Uber driver rule in Victoria: an unrestricted full Australian or New Zealand licence held for at least six months. P-platers can rent from us but cannot drive Uber passengers, and an overseas licence alone does not meet Uber's Victorian rule.
- UberX vehicle rule: 15 years old or less, four doors, seating for four to seven passengers, and ANCAP 5-star rated or covered by Uber's exemption policy. Our 2025 and 2026 hybrids are well within the age limit; some of our oldest budget sedans are not.
- Tax: the ATO requires ride-sourcing drivers to have an ABN and be registered for GST before their first trip, whatever they earn.
- Approval per vehicle: rideshare and food delivery use is allowed only where we have approved it for your specific car, so say what it is for when you request.
Uber Eats and DiDi publish their own requirements, so check them during sign-up. Our Uber and rideshare guide covers this in full, and the rideshare page lists the cars.
Hybrid car rental
Our hybrids, including Toyota Aqua, Yaris, Yaris Cross, Corolla, Corolla Cross, Camry and Kluger models, use a petrol engine with an electric motor. They do not plug in and are not electric vehicles. They use less fuel than a comparable petrol car, especially in stop-start traffic, but usually cost more per week to rent. Whether that pays off depends on your kilometres: look up fuel consumption on the federal Green Vehicle Guide, work out weekly fuel cost for each car, and add it to the rent. The hybrid rental guide walks through the arithmetic, and the hybrid page lists current cars.
7 and 8 seater family car rental
For eight seats, we rent the Kia Carnival people mover, from about $430 a week. For seven, we rent SUVs such as the Toyota Kluger Hybrid and Mitsubishi Outlander. A people mover has sliding doors and an easier third row; a 7-seat SUV drives more like a large car but has a tighter third row. With every seat in use, luggage space is limited in both. We do not list child seats as an add-on, so ask when you request or bring your own. Because of the one-month minimum, these suit longer needs rather than a weekend away. See the 7 and 8 seater page or the 7 and 8 seater guide.
Van hire for tradies, couriers and small businesses
VicRoads requires a heavy vehicle licence only for vehicles with a gross mass of more than 4.5 tonnes, so a car licence covers light commercial vans. Our van range includes Toyota HiAce and Ford Transit vans. Vans have the same weekly terms as cars, including the one-month minimum, so they suit ongoing work rather than a one-day move. Courier and parcel delivery work is allowed in our vans (not in our cars), and because we are not registered for GST, there is no GST credit to claim on the rent. See the van hire page or our van hire guide.
Which vehicle fits which job?
| What you need | Where to start | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger rideshare (UberX) | 2025 and 2026 hybrids | Uber and rideshare guide |
| Food delivery or private use on a budget | Older petrol sedans | Cost guide |
| Lower fuel spend on high kilometres | Hybrids | Hybrid guide |
| Seven or eight seats | 7 and 8 seaters | 7 and 8 seater guide |
| Load space for work | Van hire | Van hire guide |
| A car for several months | Long-term rental | Weekly vs long-term guide |
Tolls, fines and insurance while you rent
Melbourne's south-east has toll roads, and you are responsible for every toll, parking fee and traffic infringement during the rental. If an infringement notice comes to us as the registered operator, the Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) allows, and may require, us to nominate the person who had the car at the time; we tell you when we do. Unpaid tolls and fines can be deducted from the bond, with the notice as evidence, which is the main reason bond refunds can take up to 30 days.
The vehicle is insured. The cover, the excess and the exclusions are in the insurance documents provided with your booking, so read them before you drive. Cover may be refused if the car is used in breach of the rental agreement, for example by an unapproved driver, while affected by alcohol or drugs, or for rideshare or delivery work we have not approved. In that case you could be responsible for the full cost of any damage.
Renting in Dandenong and Dandenong South
The fleet is kept and prepared at our base in Dandenong South, and every car is collected there. Renters come from Dandenong, Noble Park, Springvale, Keysborough, Cranbourne, Berwick, Pakenham and across Melbourne's south-east. We do not have a CBD or airport counter. Our hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and Saturday by appointment. See car rental in Dandenong, car rental in Dandenong South, or the pickup guide for what happens on the day.
How booking works, step by step
- Choose a car from the full fleet and check its weekly rent and bond.
- Send a free request with your name, phone number, licence type, how long you need the car, what it is for, and when you want to collect.
- We confirm availability, price and pickup time by phone or WhatsApp on 0432 639 096, and send the pickup address.
- Collect the car from Dandenong South with your physical licence, pay the bond, sign the rental agreement and check the car with us on a condition report.
- Drive, with rent charged weekly in advance.
- Hand it back on two weeks' notice after the first month, with the same fuel level. The bond balance comes back within 30 days, sooner if nothing is outstanding.
What happens when you want to finish?
Once the one-month minimum has passed, give us two weeks' notice by phone, WhatsApp or email and agree a return time. Bring the car back to the agreed place with the same fuel level it had at pickup, and in the same condition apart from fair wear and tear. We inspect it with you where practicable, which is the moment to compare it against the condition report from day one. Any rent you paid in advance for the period after the car is returned is refunded, and the bond balance follows within 30 days, sooner if there are no tolls, fines or damage to settle. If you return the car before the first month is up, rent already charged for the time you had it is not refunded.
Who weekly rental does not suit
- Anyone who needs a car or van for a day or a weekend. A daily rental company is the better choice.
- Travellers who need airport or CBD pickup.
- Drivers who want a manual car; our fleet is automatic.
- Anyone who needs a fully electric car; we rent hybrids, not EVs.
- Businesses that need a GST tax invoice.
- Groups that need more than eight seats.
Checklist before you sign
- Check the weekly rent and bond on the listing, and budget for at least a month of rent.
- If the car is for rideshare or delivery, check the platform's driver and vehicle rules first, and tell us the purpose on your request.
- Read the rental agreement and the insurance documents provided with your booking, including the excess.
- At pickup, insist on a condition report and take photos, as Consumer Affairs Victoria recommends for any car hire.
- Plan for fuel, tolls and parking, which are not included in the rent.
- Diary the two weeks' notice you need to give when you are ready to finish.
All our renting guides
- Renting a car for Uber and rideshare in Dandenong
- Weekly vs long-term car rental
- How much it costs to rent a car in Dandenong
- How car rental bonds work
- Hybrid car rental in Melbourne
- 7 and 8 seater family car rental
- Van hire in Melbourne
- Picking up a rental from Dandenong South
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to rent a car per week in Melbourne's south-east?
With us, weekly rent starts from about $150 for an older petrol sedan, roughly $220 to $430 for a 2025 or 2026 hybrid, and from about $430 for a Kia Carnival 8-seater, plus a refundable bond of about $350 to $800 for cars (vans and minibuses $700 to $1,500). Each listing shows its exact rent and bond.
What is the minimum rental period?
One month, billed weekly in advance. After that, the rental continues at the same weekly rate until either side gives two weeks' notice.
Can I rent a car on P-plates in Melbourne?
Yes, we accept red and green P-plates, as long as the vehicle is one a probationary driver may lawfully drive in Victoria. Note that Uber requires Victorian drivers to hold a full licence for at least six months, so P-platers cannot drive Uber passengers.
When is the bond refunded?
Within 30 days of the car being returned, sooner if nothing is outstanding. Any deduction is itemised in writing with evidence, under Rental Agreement v2.0.
Sources
We checked the rules and figures in this guide against these official sources on 3 October 2026. Rules change, so confirm anything critical with the source before you rely on it.