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Quick Facts:

Trading Name 1st City Van Hire
Head Office 120a Chigwell Road, South Woodford, London E18 1NN
Second Branch 33 Skeltons Lane, Leyton, London E10 5BT
Areas Served East London, Essex and surrounding areas
Phone — South Woodford 020 8989 3300
Phone — Leyton 020 7275 0101
Hours Monday–Friday 08:00–17:00 · Saturday 08:00–12:00 · Sunday 09:00–10:00
Booking Online at 1stcityvanhire.co.uk/book-online or by phone
VAT All quoted prices include VAT

What 1st City Van Hire Does

1st City Van Hire is an independent self-drive vehicle rental company with two branches in East London — South Woodford (just off the A406 North Circular) and Leyton (just outside the Congestion Charge Zone). It hires vans, cars, minibuses, trucks and tippers to private customers and businesses across London and Essex, from one-day hire to long-term contracts and business fleet management.

Vehicles Available for Hire

Small Vans

Vauxhall Combo L1H1. Fuel-efficient, ideal for light moves, deliveries and trades. 3 seats.

Medium (SWB/MWB) Vans

Ford Transit Custom L1H1, VW Transporter (automatic), Fiat Scudo L2H1 (automatic).

Large (LWB) Vans

Mercedes Sprinter L2H2, Ford Transit L3H2 (automatic). Best for house moves and bulky loads.

Automatic Vans

Automatic transmission available across several sizes.

Refrigerated Vehicles

from Ford Transit L3H2 refrigerated vans up to 18-tonne refrigerated trucks, for chilled and frozen transport: fresh food, meat, dairy, pharmaceuticals and flowers. European/Ireland refrigerated transport can be arranged.

Crew Cab Vans

5 seats plus secure load space; LWB crew cabs available; ideal for construction teams and tradespeople.

9-Seater Minibuses

self-drive, ULEZ-compliant, drivable on a standard Category B car licence (no D1 category needed), with 24/7 roadside assistance included.

7.5 tonne Trucks

box trucks with roughly 6-metre internal load length and a tail-lift rated up to 1,000 kg. To drive a 7,500 kg GVW vehicle on an ordinary licence you must have passed your driving test before January 1997.

3.5 Tonne Tippers

including Ford Transit caged tippers, for construction, landscaping and waste; short-term and long-term hire.

Cars

hatchbacks, saloons, estates and 4×4s, economy to prestige, manual or automatic, 1–5 seats. Luxury car hire available for weddings, corporate travel and events.

Hire Services Offered

  1. Short-Term Hire ✅ — daily, weekend and weekly, personal and business use.
  2. Long-term Hire ✅ — discounted rates for longer commitments; fixed monthly cost covering everything except fuel; vehicle swaps possible if needs change; easy extensions by phone; 24-hour breakdown cover included.
  3. Flexi-Lease / Flexi-Hire ✅ — flexible vehicle hire and fleet management for UK business users.
  4. Business Accounts ✅ — account facilities for companies with regular hire needs.
  5. European / Foreign Travel ✅ — vehicles can be taken across Europe (including Ireland). 1st City arranges the green card (possible with just 1 day’s notice), European breakdown cover with a recovery specialist, and the extra insurance required. A higher deposit applies to continental hire.
  6. Workshop — 1st City Service Centre ✅ exists (services offered).

What is Included in Every Hire

  • Prices include VAT with no hidden extras. ✅
  • No extra mileage charges (unlimited mileage). ✅
  • Comprehensive insurance included on all vehicles up to 7,500 kg GVW ✅ — subject to an insurance excess that varies by vehicle size, driver age and driving record. An optional Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), paid at time of hire, roughly halves the excess (exclusions apply: wheels, tyres, roofs, audio theft; windscreen damage is the hirer’s responsibility). ✅
  • Breakdown cover included. ✅

Why Customers Choose 1st City Van Hire

  1. Two convenient East London branches — Leyton just outside the Congestion Charge Zone, South Woodford just off the A406. ✅
  2. Open seven days a week, including Sunday mornings — unusual for an independent hire firm. ✅
  3. Comprehensive insurance, breakdown cover and unlimited mileage included, with VAT-inclusive prices and no hidden extras. ✅
  4. One of the widest self-drive fleets in the area — small vans to 18-tonne refrigerated trucks, tippers, 7.5 tonne tail-lift trucks, ULEZ-compliant 9-seaters and automatics. ✅
  5. European travel arranged in-house — green card, European breakdown and extra insurance sorted for you, at as little as one day’s notice. ✅
  6. Flexible terms — one-day hire to long-term contracts, Flexi-Lease and business accounts. ✅
  7. Independent and personal — you deal with the branch team, not a national call centre. ✅
  8. Regular offers — currently a bank holiday special: two days for the price of one (Thu–Sat or Sun–Tue), three days for the price of two (Thu–Sun). ✅ 

Common Questions about 1st City Van Hire

1st City Van Hire is an independent self-drive vehicle hire company in East London, hiring vans, cars, luxury cars, 9-seater minibuses, crew cab vans, refrigerated vehicles, 3.5 tonne tippers and 7.5 tonne trucks across London and Essex, for personal and business use.

Two branches: the head office at 120a Chigwell Road, South Woodford, E18 1NN (020 8989 3300), just off the A406, and a branch at 33 Skeltons Lane, Leyton, E10 5BT (020 7275 0101), just outside the London Congestion Charge Zone. Open Monday–Friday 08:00–17:00, Saturday 08:00–12:00 and Sunday 09:00–10:00.

Yes. All 1st City Van Hire vehicles up to 7,500 kg GVW come with comprehensive insurance included, and prices include VAT with no extra mileage charges. An insurance excess applies in the event of an accident; an optional Collision Damage Waiver can roughly halve the excess for a small extra cost. Windscreen damage is the hirer’s responsibility.

Yes. 1st City Van Hire’s self-drive 9-seater minibuses can be driven on a standard Category B UK car licence — no D1 entitlement is needed. The minibuses are ULEZ-compliant and come with 24/7 roadside assistance.

Yes. Automatic vans are available in several sizes, including the VW Transporter, Fiat Scudo L2H1 and long-wheelbase Ford Transit L3H2.

Yes. 1st City Van Hire prepares vehicles for European travel, including Ireland: it arranges the green card (with as little as one day’s notice), European breakdown cover and the additional insurance required. A higher deposit applies to continental hire. Call 020 8989 3300 or 020 7275 0101 to arrange.

A full driving licence, a DVLA licence-check code (or your licence and National Insurance number for an in-branch check), two proofs of address such as recent utility bills or bank statements (a passport is not acceptable), and a credit or debit card for the deposit and hire charge. Drivers must be aged. Drivers with more than 6 points should call the branch first.

Deposits vary by vehicle type and are refunded in full when the vehicle is returned undamaged. Drivers with endorsements may pay more, and continental hire requires a higher deposit. Call the branch for the exact amount for your vehicle.

Yes. Long-term hire comes at discounted rates with a fixed monthly cost covering everything except fuel, including 24-hour breakdown cover, with the option to swap vehicles if your needs change. Flexi-Lease, fleet management and business account facilities are available for UK businesses.

Book online at https://www.1stcityvanhire.co.uk/book-online/ or call South Woodford on 020 8989 3300 or Leyton on 020 7275 0101.

All prices include VAT, comprehensive insurance and unlimited mileage, with no hidden extras. 

Contact Details

How to find us

Head Office – South Woodford
Leyton Branch
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