I'm totally impressed with the quality of service rendered -- from their email communications to the rental itself. And the rates here just can't be beat! I'll be sure to tell friends about Rick and his exceptional business. read more

Top shelf in & out service,for years i have rented vehicles from all the major car rental places until i came across Rent a Relic & now i only deal with them 50stars in my book read more

What a gem of a company. We will always use them when we need to rent a car in the Bay Area. Very honest, straightforward, and reliable. The pricing is so much cheaper than other rental car companies. I would highly recommend them. read more

Excellent Notary service yesterday!! I've added this business to my contacts as I would return when I am back in Oakland to rent a car from them. I was impressed. The owner was very informative!! read more

Rent-A-Relic - Magnetic business card for my refrigerator!! - Car Rental Near Me - Oakland, California

I just rented a Corolla for a month and the car was perfect with about 6k miles on it. I told the owner that "Relic" was a disservice to his business. Good people, saved at least $600! read more

I rented a car for the third time from Rent a Relic yesterday. It's been amazing. They are fast and friendly! Rich got my paperwork done in a flash and Nick had my car ready to go as soon as I walked outside. My wife recently got a second job an having Rent a Relic as a resource has allowed us to have just one car and rent one as needed instead of buying a second car. Highly recommend, plus they gave me an awesome coffee cup as a bonus. Thank you Rent a Relic! read more

Rent a Relic has been such a blessing to have, especially as a student. I've rented cars twice now and both times they have been incredibly kind, accommodating, responsive, flexible, and thoughtful with their service and I couldn't recommend them enough to anyone who needs a rental. Prices are affordable especially when compared to quotes I've gotten from the major rental companies, and the cars are clean so it's comfortable to drive. read more

I've rented cars here for years and I can't recommend them enough. Great company, wonderful staff.

Rich and Todd and their efficient, friendly and courteous crew have never failed to get me out of a [transportation] pickle. A true community resource whose quality service and trusty relics have helped me for many years. read more

This business was a god send they are the best car rental company in the world. I will never rent a car from any other company. They will pick you up from BART and bring you to pick up your rent a car. Please use them they are real. Best customer service I have ever had all of my life. 5100 Telegraph Ave. 510 601 6560 Rich and Tood 30 stars read more

This was the third time we have rented a car from Rent A Relic during our stay in Berkeley. Showing up and renting a car takes about one minute. The cars are new and clean, the rates are hard to beat, and it feels good to support a very friendly and responsive family owned business that has been around for decades. We appreciated the pickup and dropoff at the nearest BART station on our way to and from SFO airport. read more

I had the best experience renting through these gentlemen. They worked with my budget and it was absolutely no hassle. I was getting my car fixed and my insurance only paid for up to a certain amount of days or amount. So I still needed a vehicle and I didn't want to hassle with traditional rental car places. I remember my friend renting through them.back in the early 2000s when they were located on Shattuck I believe. Not sure. I went online, called and asked if I could use 2 credit cards for the deposit...no problem! I was in and out in less than 20 minutes. They offer Toyatos and Nissans- compact cars and I believe vans. Please get the FasTrak option if they offer. I'll always use them for my rentals... read more

This is the best rental company I've ever had the pleasure of working with. They are incredibly flexible and accommodating of your needs. I faced some cash flow issues, and Rich and Todd placed their trust in me to settle the payment. I won't consider renting a car from anywhere else. Thanks, chaps. -Mfalme read more

Have rented here several times and always great price and service! Easy pickup from Oakland airport train or BART.

Completely satisfied and very impressed with their service and quality vehicle (which was a brand new car!) I rented from the company owners (who can say that?) who obviously care about their customers' experience and providing a quality product. Some cars are older but NOT relics! I know, because I drive a relic and their cars are all newer than mine. They offered a FastTrack which I took but didn't use. Gave me a car especially appropriate for my trip. Impeccably clean vehicle, drove beautifully (and now I know the pleasure of listening to Sirius for hours!) No attitude, no waiting around, no upsell, no feeding the big rental car companies, and especially no "we don't have a car but we can upgrade you to a truck" story. No choice of 27 models, but basically a couple or few curated reliable models that should satisfy what most of us are looking for. No drawn-out tedious pre-inspection of the vehicle looking for and documenting the tiniest of imperfections. I think they trust their customers to be ethical and take care of the vehicle. This small local, well-established company is more than 30 years old and maybe a hidden treasure. So happy Yelp led me to them, and I'll be back for future rentals. read more

Got something notarized and it was a very quick and easy process at Rent-A-Relic. Can't say enough about how much I appreciate efficiency. Thank you! read more

Fantastic service!! Todd helped notarize some documents I urgently had to send out. He was personable and really took care of me. Will definitely be back for any future notary (or car rental!) needs. read more

Excellent service and value. Friendly and helpful staff. Only one location but way cheaper than major brands

Amazing customer service and very welcoming. Very knowledgeable in notary and was able to answer all questions.

I was expecting to rent a "relic" and was surprised to receive a 2022 Toyota Corolla. The car ran really well, very smooth, with good pick up and acceleration. Unbeatable prices and excellent customer service! I definitely plan to return next time I need a car rental. Highly recommend! A++ read more

If you need to rent a car HASSLE FREE COME HERE. I was in and out in less than 10 min, great customer service, super easy and hassle free, nice clean car with all the technology perks for a very reasonable price. Easy drop off, park the car, drop the keys in the box (make sure the keys drop) and you are off!!! Very well organized business. Rich was a pleasure to do business with. I called a couple of different times before deciding to go with this business. Each time I called he answered my question efficiently and professionally. read more

Wow! This place is great! Professional, proficient, flexible, affordable- just a few words to describe our experience. We needed to rent a car for 3 weeks while my car got repaired. These guys made it seamless. They have notary service too!! A+ service all the way around! read more

I had a great experience with these folks. I received a low quote and made a reservation within minutes. Pickup and drop-off were lightening fast. The vehicle ran well and gave me zero problems. read more

Once again Rent A Relic saved the day ! They made the experience of having my car stolen sooo less stressful. My insurance company wanted me to rent from one of the BIG companies- but since I knew it was going to take a month to get my car back I decided to go through Rent A relic and make my rental car stipend LAST ! Excellent family run business - these guys are SO NICE ! read more

The staff here were great! I had work done on my car at the model garage up the street a little ways and they have a Partnership so if you're getting work done on your car there, they'll give you a discounted rate on a rental. They picked up up, the driver was super friendly and engaged in just enough conversation to make the ride delightful and they guaranteed a ride back to the shop once I returned the car. The rental staff were also kind and helpful. The only thing to know is that there is a mileage max of 100 miles per day, so don't plan any trips with a rental here and also (which is why I had to give 4 stars and not 5), my rental definitely smelled like cigarette smoke. I'm pretty sensitive to the smell, but I also had a friend in the car who also smelled it immediately upon entering the car. So if you have any issues with that, double check before you sign the rental agreement and drive away. Other than that, I will definitely rent from here again if **knock on wood** I need to keep my car at the shop. read more

The customer service here is just top notch. I went in a couple months ago for notary work (fast and efficient) and mentioned my mom had rented from them in the past. The guy said "oh, what's her name?" and I told them, and they said "ah yes, I remember her." I thought to myself, sure you do, nice of you to say though. My mom hadn't rented from them in about two years at this point, how could they remember? And then he said, "didn't she move to xx?" and he was totally right. I was extremely impressed! They're great as a notary and as a rental service, and I'll be danged if they didn't remember my mom after 2+ years, even though she only rented from them a few times. That's the kind of thing that really makes you feel like you're working with a local business, and I can't recommend them enough. read more

This place makes me wonder why independent rental companies are such a rarity. What a gem! Great prices, friendly staff, clean and modern car, super flexible, no wait, convenient location. I'm very impressed and completely satisfied. To illustrate the flexibility: I had a rental with Hertz and they wouldn't let me simply extend the rental because I had booked through a travel site with special pricing. So I would have had to return that car and make a new reservation. A hassle. I called Rent-a-Relic and said I needed a car the next day. They just asked me for my name. I come the next day and get the car very quickly. They didn't ask for a precise return date. I called to extend until the following week, only to be able to return it on Friday in the end. No problem at all for them. Also, nicely didn't count the last day because I brought the car two hours later than the day I took it. The one "downside" compared to big names: the inventory is limited. You don't get to pick between a compact, luxury, SUV, etc. with prices that vary slightly from one to the next. But the only reason I would care about that with big names was for the price: "if I could do with a compact, I'd save $7 a day, would it work? How many suitcases do we have?" But prices are lower here anyway! Also, the car I had was fairly basic though very functional (e.g., CarPlay, backup camera), while big names tend to have more splashy cars with all the bells and whistles. But I'm not renting a car to show it off, so this is moot. Definitely coming back next time I need a rental car in the Bay Area. read more

We needed to get paperwork notarized and Todd was efficient and accomodating. They have notarized documents for us before. I was impressed Todd went through the papers and quickly read the documents. He realized that the instructions were confusing. He notarized the three areas that clearly needed his seal. But, upon inspection, he added one extra one so the paperwork would go through. The experience and efficiency cannot be matched. The new location is much more convenient and more accessible. They do brisk business as another set of customers showed up for more notary work while we were seated. read more

These guys are great! I come into Oakland every six months and they take good care of me! They're always ready. A few minutes later and I'm on the road in a solid vehicle for a great price! I would never rent a car from anyone else! Thank you!! read more

The BEST (kept secret) car rental place. Friendly honest service. I concur with all these positive posts.

These guys have been awesome to my wife and I. We had some car trouble and needed a car for nearly a month until the new one arrived. Rental was easy, the car was actually pretty nice and I've used them multiple times since to Run errands and the guys who run the place are super friendly and easy going. As long as you're ok with maybe not the fanciest car, you'll love these guys! read more

I really appreciate their business. They're always cheaper than the big chains and super cool people to deal with. Easy and quick. Support your local business and it isn't a relic by the way. Their cars are totally new/almost new. Very flexible for people like me who are "running late" to return. About to make a rental for next week due to my terrible luck with my own cars. read more

I pick up the phone and my girlfriend is crying, hard. "They replaced the battery and now they say they need to replace the alternator too," she chokes out between sobs. "I've been here three hours." I get to the auto repair shop right around the time we were planning to be at the beach. Looks like we're going to miss our dinner reservation too, because our old crappy car from Rent-A-Relic has broken down 300 miles from Oakland. If you want your road trip vacation to come to a grinding halt and spend your birthday in a smoldering auto mechanic waiting room like I did, check out Rent-A-Relic! I wasn't going post such a negative review if they had fairly compensated us for this awful experience -- but when we returned the car they only offered to knock a single day off the rental price, which is such a stingy offer that it's almost insulting. Judging by the mostly positive reviews here, this is a fine company to use when you get lucky and everything goes right, but please be aware the risk you're getting into with these guys -- when things go wrong and one of their old cars inevitably suffers a mechanical failure, they can and will screw you over. read more

Rent-A-Relic - 300 miles from Oakland, this light came on in our car. We had to take it to the mechanic ourselves & lost a whole day of our vacation. - Car Rental Near Me - Oakland, California

I'm super impressed with these dudes. They run a great business - they don't bullshit, they're quick but still manage to be easy going. Their prices are super reasonable and they are very transparent about their policies. Love this local business! read more

After my car was hit I emailed rent-a-relic and had a quote the next morning. Very friendly, speedy service. And you can't beat their prices. 10/10 would rent from them again. read more

They were very easy to do business with, and gave me a great price for a long term rental!

I stopped by last week to get some documents notarized and it was so quick and easy at Rent-A-Relic. I was able to walk in without an appointment. It was the first time I had to go to a notary, and I was nervous that I didn't have everything I needed. However, Richard was very friendly and helpful, and he walked me through the process. The whole thing took about 5 minutes total, and each signature was $15. Definitely recommend for all your notary needs! read more

Great experience with these folks. Didn't have rental car coverage on my insurance and so needed something cheap and easy for a couple weeks while my car gets fixed. They provided a rate within an hour via email that was great, and were super flexible when I needed to extend the rental. The car was in fine shape, clean, and smelled totally neutral. Unless you desperately need a car at the airport or you really want something super new, I don't see why you'd go elsewhere. read more

I rented a car for two weeks while mine was in the shop. I just love these folks. They were able to give me a friendly ride from work when I went to pick up the car. They had reasonable cars at a reasonable weekly rate with no shenanigans or gotchas that the big guys pull. I only used the car around town, but it was excellent shape and far from being a "relic." It was clean, worked fine and was reliable. They were flexible about my timeline, I just let them know in advance what was going on. Turning it back in was super easy and they cheerfully gave me a ride to the mechanic near downtown Oakland. I mean.. super friendly folks, great rates, reasonable cars- what's not to like? read more

When I lived in Berkeley I used Rent-A-Relic at its old location occasionally, but they didn't rent for a day on Sundays, which is when I needed a car. They still don't, which is a pain, but after a week of dealing with them it's still a solid five stars. As the name implies, you aren't going to get anything close to the latest and greatest vehicles in pristine condition here. The cars are good, solid chunks of iron that will get you where you need to go, and cost around $10 a day less than the competition. Our beloved car, 230,000 miles and counting, finally moved to automotive heaven and my better half is an essential worker and needed wheels. She went to Relic and they set her up with a two-day rental, then extended it for a week when finding a new car got tricky, without charging her the extra. The monthly rates are very low, beating Hertz et al by miles (sorry). The rental was a standard Noughties sedan, did have a USB port and what I'm old enough to think of as the cigarette lighter socket. Spotlessly clean inside, a little dinged up on the outside, but they marked everything up before signature. She also said they didn't try and upsell her as hard on 'bonus' insurance as the chain renters had. The Berkeley location was much nicer, but the move to Telegraph does make sense in terms of getting there easily from the freeway, and they'll do a free pickup from MacArthur BART apparently. When we went to drop off the car she was in and out in five minutes with no issues. For short and medium-term rentals this is a great place to get low rates for a reliable vehicle. As a bonus it's a locals-run business, keeping money in the community. As a vacationer if your dream is to drive around California in a beautiful car this is not the place for you. But if you're not that bothered about the vehicle and more about the trip itself - and fancy saving a fair amount of cash - Rent-A-Relic should definitely be on your list. read more