CVS Van Hire

CVS Van Hire: van and minibus hire in London

CVS Van Hire is a family-run vehicle hire company based in London, founded by Des Frost in 1961. It began as a van sales business and over time has established itself as a provider of van and minibus hire in the British capital. The company operates from three branches: Tottenham, Enfield and Kentish Town, and also has a sister company, H&H Van Hire, with which it has merged fleets and resources.

Available vehicle fleet

The CVS Van Hire fleet is split between its Tottenham and Enfield branches and consists of vehicles between one and two years old, with regular servicing and an in-house technical team at its body shop. The range includes:

• Small vans, with two seats and three doors, manual transmission.
• Medium vans, with three seats and three doors, manual or automatic transmission.
• Large vans, with three seats and three doors, manual or automatic transmission.
• Extra-long wheelbase vans, with three seats and three doors, manual transmission.
• Luton vans with tail-lift, with three seats and three doors, manual or automatic transmission.
• Luton low loader vans, with three seats and three doors, manual transmission.
• Refrigerated vans – Group 2, with three seats and three doors, manual transmission.
• 9- and 12-seater minibuses, with three doors and manual transmission.
• Crew vans with 6 seats, with three doors and manual transmission.

The entire fleet is compliant with London's ULEZ zone. Vehicles are serviced every 5,000 miles and repairs are handled by the company's technical team.

Hire options and additional services

In addition to standard hire, CVS Van Hire offers short- and long-term hire, European hire, moving van hire, van hire for bands and weekend van hire. The company also offers a discounted four-hour hire option, designed for quick jobs and short trips, available Monday to Thursday in two slots: 8:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00.

Alongside hire, the company maintains other lines of business: van sales, van insurance, body shop and ULEZ charge management. It also offers minibus hire.

Hire conditions

The company applies a £100 deposit as a pre-authorisation, so the amount is not charged unless necessary. Each day of hire includes a 125-mile allowance; excess mileage is charged at 12p plus VAT per mile (15p). There is an option to halve the insurance excess for £10 per day. The vehicle can be returned at any time of day within the paid period.

To hire, the driver must be at least 25 years old and present on the day of collection a full UK or EU driving licence, a recent proof of address, a licence check code generated on gov.uk and the bank card used to make the booking. The process begins with choosing the van type and requesting a quote; the company confirms the date and price, and on collection a team member checks the vehicle with the customer, who may photograph its condition.

Pricing policy

CVS Van Hire states that it will match or beat any previous quote the customer provides. The company describes its pricing policy as competitive and transparent.

History and structure

Founded in 1961 by Des Frost, the company remains family-run. After more than fifty years operating under the CVS Van Hire brand, the company has merged with its sister company H&H Van Hire, combining both fleets and resources. The company maintains a blog with content on van hire and driving this type of vehicle.

Branches and locations

Tottenham branch: 72 White Hart Lane, London, N17 8HP

Enfield branch: 5 Lumina Way, Enfield, EN1 1FS

Kentish Town branch: 107e Bartholomew Road, Kentish Town, London, NW5 2AR