Notice to Hirer Explained: Hire Car, Lease & Company Vehicle Tickets (2025)

If you received a private parking ticket in a hire car, leased vehicle, or company car, the rules are different from a ticket on your own vehicle. Parking operators must follow specific procedures under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 Schedule 4, and many fail to do so correctly.

This guide explains the "Notice to Hirer" process, the strict requirements operators must meet, and how to identify failures that could invalidate your ticket.

What Is a Notice to Hirer?

A Notice to Hirer is a special type of parking charge notice that must be sent to the person who was using a hired or leased vehicle at the time of the alleged parking contravention.

When does it apply?

The Notice to Hirer procedure applies when:

• Hire cars: You rented a vehicle from Hertz, Enterprise, Avis, Sixt, or any other car rental company
• Leased vehicles: Your vehicle is on a personal or business lease (PCP, PCH, BCH)
• Company cars: You drive a vehicle owned or leased by your employer
• Fleet vehicles: Vans or cars owned by a business but driven by employees
• Short-term rentals: Including car clubs and peer-to-peer rentals

Why is it different from a normal ticket?

Normally, a parking operator sends a Notice to Keeper to the registered keeper (the person on the V5 document). But when the vehicle is hired or leased:

• The registered keeper (hire company, lease company, employer) was not the driver
• The operator must obtain information about who the hirer was
• They must then send a separate Notice to Hirer to that person
• This Notice to Hirer has its own strict legal requirements

The Legal Requirements Under POFA Schedule 4

The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 Schedule 4 sets out exactly what operators must do. Here are the key requirements:

Step 1: Notice to Keeper (first)

The operator must first send a valid Notice to Keeper to the registered keeper (the hire company, lease company or employer) within the usual timeframes.

Step 2: Keeper provides hire information

Under POFA Schedule 4, the keeper (hire company) has 28 days from receiving the Notice to Keeper to provide the operator with:

• A signed statement confirming the vehicle was hired out
• A copy of the hire agreement
• A statement of liability showing the hirer accepted responsibility for parking charges

Step 3: Notice to Hirer (critical requirements)

Once the operator receives this information, they must send you a Notice to Hirer within 21 days of receiving the hire documents.

What the Notice to Hirer must contain

Under Paragraphs 13 and 14 of Schedule 4, the Notice to Hirer must include:

• All the information that would be required in a Notice to Keeper
• A copy of the hire agreement
• The signed statement from the keeper
• The statement of liability
• The date these documents were received from the keeper

Common Failures That Invalidate Tickets

Many parking operators fail to comply with these requirements. Here are the most common mistakes:

1. Missing the service deadline

One of the most common failures. Operators must serve the Notice to Hirer within the timeframe specified in POFA Schedule 4 after receiving the hire documents from the keeper.

How to check: Look at the date on your Notice to Hirer and compare it to when the operator says they received the hire information. If the notice was served outside the required timeframe, you may have strong grounds to challenge.

2. Missing documents

The Notice to Hirer must include copies of:

• The hire agreement
• The signed statement from the hire company
• The statement of liability

If any of these are missing, the notice is defective.

3. Incorrect or incomplete hire agreement

The hire agreement must clearly show:

• Your name as the hirer
• The dates of hire covering the parking event
• The vehicle registration

If the details do not match, or the agreement does not cover the relevant date, challenge it.

4. Statement of liability missing or unclear

The hire company's terms must have made you liable for parking charges incurred during the hire period. If this clause is missing or was not agreed to, the operator's case is weakened.

5. Never received a Notice to Hirer at all

Some operators send a charge to the hire company, who pay it and charge your credit card directly. This bypasses the Notice to Hirer process. You may be able to dispute this with the hire company or your card issuer.

How to Appeal a Notice to Hirer Ticket

Step 1: Examine the documents carefully

Check that all required documents are included and that the dates make sense. Look for:

• The date the operator received the hire information (should be stated)
• The date the Notice to Hirer was issued
• Whether the required service deadline was met
• Whether all documents are present

Step 2: Gather your own records

Collect:

• Your copy of the hire agreement
• Booking confirmation emails
• Any correspondence from the hire company about the ticket
• Credit card statements if the hire company already charged you

Step 3: Submit your appeal

In your appeal, clearly state:

• The specific procedural failure (e.g., "Notice to Hirer not served within required timeframe" or "missing required documents")
• The relevant paragraph of POFA Schedule 4
• Request the charge be cancelled due to non-compliance

Step 4: Escalate if rejected

If the operator rejects your appeal, escalate to POPLA (for BPA members) or IAS (for IPC members). Include full documentation of the procedural failure.

Special Situations

Company cars and fleet vehicles

If you drive a company car or fleet vehicle:

• Your employer (or their fleet manager) is the registered keeper
• The same Notice to Hirer rules apply
• Ask your employer for copies of what they sent to the operator and when

Lease vehicles (PCP, PCH)

Leased vehicles work similarly:

• The lease company is the registered keeper
• They should follow the BVRLA (British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association) code
• Check your lease agreement for clauses about parking charge liability

Hire company already charged your card

Some hire companies pay the ticket and charge your credit card automatically. If this happened:

• Check if you agreed to this in the terms and conditions
• Consider disputing with your card issuer if the charge was excessive
• You may still be able to appeal to the operator if the Notice to Hirer was defective

Don't Want to Check All This Yourself?

PCN-Beater has a built-in Notice to Hirer detector. When you upload your ticket photos, we automatically check for hire vehicle scenarios and generate an appeal letter that cites the correct paragraphs of POFA Schedule 4.

For £6.99, we:

• Identify whether Notice to Hirer rules apply to your situation
• Check for common procedural failures
• Generate a professional appeal letter citing Schedule 4
• Print and post it Royal Mail 1st Class
• Email you a copy for your records

FAQ: Notice to Hirer

Q: What is a Notice to Hirer?
A: A special parking charge notice sent to the person who hired or leased a vehicle. It has strict requirements under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 Schedule 4.

Q: What's the deadline for the Notice to Hirer?
A: Under POFA Schedule 4, the hire company has 28 days to provide documents to the operator, who then has 21 days to serve the Notice to Hirer. Failure to meet these deadlines weakens their case significantly.

Q: What documents must be included?
A: A copy of the hire agreement, a signed statement from the hire company, and a statement of liability. Missing documents can invalidate the notice.

Q: Can I appeal if the deadline was missed?
A: Yes. If the required deadline was not met or the notice was incomplete, the operator may not be able to hold you liable as the hirer. This is one of the strongest grounds for appeal.

Q: My company is chasing me for a ticket – what do I do?
A: Ask your employer for copies of what they provided to the operator and when. If the Notice to Hirer process was not followed correctly, you can appeal.

Disclaimer: PCN-Beater is a document-preparation and postal service, not a law firm. This guide provides general information about Notice to Hirer requirements under POFA Schedule 4. It is not legal advice. For complex cases, seek independent legal advice.