Fuel is the one part of a rental that is always the renter’s, and the only argument is about how much is in the tank at each end.

The standard convention

Most Hanoi rentals hand over the bike with a small, noted amount of fuel and expect it back at a similar level. Note the level at handover - it goes on the contract or into your handover photos. Return it where you found it and nothing is owed. Some shops hand over a full tank and expect a full tank back; agree which convention applies before you ride.

What petrol costs and where to get it

Petrol in Vietnam is inexpensive by global standards, and filling a 100-125 cc underbone or scooter from near-empty costs tens of thousands of dong - a rounding error against the rental itself. Petrol stations are dense in Hanoi; on a rental you will pass several a day. In the far provinces stations thin out on small roads, but any route of consequence has fuel.

The fuel type

Common rental bikes take regular unleaded (RON 92 is the standard grade at Vietnamese pumps; RON 95 is also sold). A rental underbone or scooter is not fussy - the standard grade is what shops and owners use. Do not experiment with anything labelled for two-strokes or racing fuel.

Practical habits

  • Fill when the gauge hits the last bar rather than pushing your luck; walking a dead bike to a station in 35-degree heat is a self-inflicted problem.
  • Note the odometer at handover; on long rentals the fuel spend tells you if the bike is running right - sudden thirst is an early sign something needs the shop’s inspection.
  • Keep fuel receipts on delivery-day rentals so the return-level conversation is short.

Who pays for what

Fuel is always the renter’s: it is consumption, not damage, and no shop refunds the petrol left in the tank at return. The reverse applies too - nobody itemises the half-litre you left in there. The convention exists to keep both sides honest with the minimum of arithmetic.

The checklist article folds the fuel level into the handover walk-around; read it together with this one before you collect the bike.