www.maybeiam.com

Based on the commonly held belief that individuals in their early 20s are more prone to risky behavior while driving, many vehicle rental corporations have restricted renting vehicles to individuals under the age of 25 for years.

But with increased competition in the vehicle rental market forcing corporations to re-evaluate many long-held assumptions, some vehicle rental corporations are relaxing their rules to allow drivers under 25 years old to rent vehicles.

Unfortunately, to many beginner renters, this comes at a cost.

During a four-day vacation with three friends to Miami, Eugene Minkin, 23, rented a vehicle from Alamo Rent A vehicle. Minkin was informed of a $30-per-person, per-day fee that he had to pay due to the fact that he and his passengers were all under 25. In addition, he had to purchase insurance and pay the usual four-day rental rate. The total for the rental came to over $650.

Despite the high cost, Minkin felt fortunate to be able to rent a vehicle, where in recent years such transactions would not have been possible.

However, for some corporations, renting vehicles to drivers under 25 is not a new development. For instance, at most of its rental branches, Rent-A-Wreck has welcomed beginner drivers for years.

"By the early '90s most of our locations were renting to drivers under 25 years of age," said Jason Manelli, director of public relations for Rent-A-Wreck. "We now think about ourselves to be the experts on rentals to beginner drivers, with many of our locations even renting to drivers 18 to 21 years old."

Typically, drivers under the age of 25 who are renting a vehicle from Rent-A-Wreck must have automotive insurance coverage, a credit card in their name and must make arrangements to rent a vehicle several days in advance so references and insurance coverage can be verified.

Some Rent-A-Wreck locations even run credit reports on beginner drivers and look at their driving records. These extra considerations help to weed out the drivers who have earned their 20- to 24-year-old counterparts a bad reputation in the rental vehicle industry, allowing responsible beginner drivers to get behind the wheel of a rental vehicle.