Almost every motorbike rental in Hanoi runs on a cash deposit. Understanding the deposit is understanding the whole transaction.

Typical amounts

Deposits commonly run 2,000,000-5,000,000 VND, scaled to the bike and the rental conditions - a simple underbone sits at the low end, a newer scooter or a longer rental can sit higher. The deposit is held in cash for the rental period and returned when the bike comes back in the agreed condition. Alongside it you pay the rental price up front, by cash, bank transfer or QR payment.

What the deposit actually covers

The deposit is the shop’s security against the risks that are genuinely yours on a rental: crash damage, theft of the bike, loss of the key, and disappearing with the vehicle. It is not a fee and it is not rent. Mechanical failures through normal use are not your problem - oil changes, chain adjustment and routine inspection are the owner’s maintenance responsibility.

How to protect your deposit

  • Photograph the bike at handover from four angles, including existing scratches.
  • Check lights, horn, brakes, mirrors and tyres before you ride; note anything broken on the contract.
  • Return with the same fuel level as agreed, on time. Late hours are charged by the hour.
  • Keep the contract until the deposit is back in your hand.

How the return works

At return, the shop checks the bike against its handover state - normally a quick visual walk-around and a brake check. If the bike is as it left, the deposit comes back in full, in cash on the spot. Damage beyond fair wear is settled from the deposit at an agreed repair price; theft or loss is the bigger conversation, covered in the theft-responsibility article.

Passports and deposits

Some shops historically held passports instead of cash. Handing over a passport for days or weeks is a bad trade for you - it is your primary identity document abroad. A cash deposit achieves the same thing for the shop.

Deposits at Nguyen Tu follow standard Hanoi practice: cash, returned at the end of the rental. Contact us to confirm current availability and the exact deposit for the bike you want.