A written contract, with a copy in the vehicle
Rental contracts must be in writing and a copy must travel in the vehicle. The contract has to name the company and its tax number, name you and record your driving licence number, identify the vehicle by plate and make, give the start and end of the hire, state the price with the taxes payable, and say what insurance the vehicle carries.
You get a copy, and they keep one
The operator must hand you a copy and keep one for a year. If you are asked to drive away without paperwork, that is not a shortcut, it is a breach.
The price should be broken down
The stamped price list separates the base price, the compulsory insurance and the taxes. In the Canaries the tax is IGIC, not VAT, and the rate depends on the vehicle — so a quote that lumps everything into one figure is worth questioning.
Signs something is wrong
No written contract. Cash only, with no invoice. A price quoted without tax. And, most clearly of all: a private individual offering you their own car or van. That last one cannot be lawful in the Canaries, whatever the reason given.
Telling us about a listing
Every listing on Canarionet can be reported, and a listing that appears to be trading without the authorisation it needs is a valid report. Use the report link on the listing itself. We publish the permissions an organisation declares, but we do not check them with the issuing authority, so what you notice is genuinely useful to us.