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Counterwise

MLA · Report · November 2026

Malta Airport car hire report

Key numbers for the 17 car rental desks we rate at Malta International Airport (MLA), computed from our published data.

Data updated · reviewed by our editor on · Methodology

Desks rated
17
3,528 reviews analysed
Average score
5.3/10
median 5.3
Median starting deposit
€400
6 of 17 deposits known
No credit card needed
18%
3 of 17 desks, 1 not confirmed

Key findings

  • Counterwise rates 17 car rental desks at Malta International Airport (MLA): 2 Great (8 or more out of 10), 3 Mixed (6 to 7.9) and 12 Poor (below 6). The average Counterwise Score is 5.3/10.
  • The best-rated desk at Malta Airport is JS Car Hire (9.1/10); the lowest-rated is MOVIS Car Rental (2.2/10).
  • Where the deposit is known (6 of 17 desks), the typical starting deposit at Malta Airport is €400 (median), from €150 at JS Car Hire up to €3,000 at Avis.
  • 3 of 17 desks at Malta Airport (18%) do not require a credit card (debit cards accepted); the card rule is not confirmed yet for 1 desk.
  • 16 desks at Malta Airport are a short walk from the terminal (average score 5.5) and 1 are off-site, reached by shuttle (average 3.3).
  • The most common traveller complaints at Malta Airport are damage charges after return (13 of 17 desks), deposit or refund held back (11 of 17 desks) and booking not honoured or price changed (10 of 17 desks).

Score distribution

How the 17 desks split across our score bands.

Best and worst desks

Lowest rated

  1. 17. MOVIS Car RentalMany reviews in the last 12 months report disputed damage or post-rental charges, including scratches or dents travellers say were already there, and refunds of 500-2,700 euro deposits delayed by about 30 days or more.2.2 · Poor
  2. 16. AddCarA large share of reviews, including many from the last 12 months, report extra charges at the counter that were not shown at booking: a 15-25 euro airport or location fee, out-of-hours, holiday or early-return fees, young-driver fees and debit-card surcharges.3.1 · Poor
  3. 15. OK MobilityMany reviews, around 25 in the last year, say the deposit was taken as a full charge rather than a card hold, with amounts from 300 to 2,100 euros. They report refunds taking weeks to months and some needed a bank chargeback.3.3 · Poor

Deposits and card rules

Deposits

Lowest starting deposit
€150 (JS Car Hire)
Highest amount
€3,000 (Avis)
Median starting deposit
€400
Deposit known
6 of 17 desks

Not confirmed yet for 11 desks: left out of these figures.

All deposits, lowest first →

Credit card or debit card

No credit card needed (debit accepted)
3 of 17 · 18%
Credit card required
13 of 17 · 76%
Not confirmed yet
1 of 17 · 6%

Debit cards accepted at: JS Car Hire, Malta Car Hire, Sixt.

Desks without a credit card →

In the terminal or by shuttle

In the terminal
0
none
Short walk
16
avg score 5.5
Shuttle
1
avg score 3.3

Desks reached without a shuttle average 5.5/10; shuttle desks average 3.3/10.

Most common traveller complaints

Number of desks whose published red flags mention each problem. A desk counts once per theme; one red flag can touch several themes.

  1. Damage charges after return13 of 17 · 76%

    Charges for scratches, chips or dents that travellers say were already there or tiny. Desks: Aquarius Rent A Car, Green Motion, Avis, Budget, Autounion, Sixt, Cargini, Europcar, Surprice, Sicily by Car, Hertz, AddCar, MOVIS Car Rental.

  2. Deposit or refund held back11 of 17 · 65%

    Deposits, holds or refunds released late, only in part, or not at all. Desks: Green Motion, Avis, Autounion, Sixt, Cargini, Europcar, Surprice, Sicily by Car, OK Mobility, AddCar, MOVIS Car Rental.

  3. Booking not honoured or price changed10 of 17 · 59%

    Booked car not available, a smaller or different car, a higher price at the desk, or fees not clear at booking. Desks: Avis, Budget, Autounion, Sixt, Europcar, Surprice, Hertz, OK Mobility, AddCar, MOVIS Car Rental.

  4. Car condition problems10 of 17 · 59%

    Dirty cars, warning lights, worn tyres or breakdowns. Desks: Malta Car Hire, Aquarius Rent A Car, Avis, Budget, Sixt, Surprice, Sicily by Car, Hertz, OK Mobility, MOVIS Car Rental.

  5. Pressure to buy insurance or extras9 of 17 · 53%

    Hard selling of the desk’s own cover, upgrades or extras, or cover added without clear consent. Desks: Aquarius Rent A Car, Avis, Autounion, Europcar, Surprice, Sicily by Car, Hertz, AddCar, MOVIS Car Rental.

  6. Car refused over card, licence or flight rules9 of 17 · 53%

    Pickups refused or made conditional because of card type, licence or permit, or a missing flight ticket or boarding pass. Desks: Aquarius Rent A Car, Autounion, Europcar, Surprice, Sicily by Car, Hertz, OK Mobility, AddCar, MOVIS Car Rental.

  7. Hard-to-reach customer service7 of 17 · 41%

    Phone lines, emails or complaints unanswered for weeks after the rental. Desks: Avis, Sixt, Surprice, Sicily by Car, Hertz, OK Mobility, AddCar.

  8. Long queues or waits6 of 17 · 35%

    Long waits at the desk, for the keys or for the shuttle. Desks: Aquarius Rent A Car, Green Motion, Avis, Budget, Sixt, MOVIS Car Rental.

  9. Other fees after the rental4 of 17 · 24%

    Cleaning, admin, traffic-fine handling or late-return fees charged after the car was returned. Desks: Green Motion, Cargini, Surprice, MOVIS Car Rental.

  10. Fuel charges or fuel policy3 of 17 · 18%

    Refuelling fees despite a full tank, part-empty tanks at pickup, or a different fuel policy at the desk. Desks: Budget, Cargini, Surprice.

  11. Closed desk or late-arrival problems2 of 17 · 12%

    Desk closed for late arrivals, bookings cancelled after a flight delay, or out-of-hours fees. Desks: Hertz, AddCar.

  12. Rude or unhelpful staff2 of 17 · 12%

    Curt, dismissive or aggressive staff at the desk, at return or on the shuttle. Desks: Autounion, Sixt.

  13. Desk, shuttle stop or return hard to find1 of 17 · 6%

    Poor signs or directions to the desk, the shuttle pickup point or the car return area. Desks: Malta Car Hire.

  14. Toll device pushed or charged1 of 17 · 6%

    Toll transponders sold or charged without a clear explanation of the cost. Desks: Hertz.

The data behind this report

  • 3,528 traveller reviews analysed across 17 desks.
  • 3,830 recent reviews read; 302 (8%) excluded by our cleaning step as unreliable (mostly solicited staff praise: 259; duplicates: 23; other reasons: 13). How reviews are cleaned
  • Data collected on 13 November 2026; scores last updated 13 November 2026.
  • Summaries and red flags reviewed by our editor on 14 November 2026.
  • Complaint themes are counted with a fixed keyword list applied to each desk’s published red flags (no AI), so the same data always gives the same counts.
  • Unknown facts (“Not confirmed yet”) are left out of averages, medians and ranges, never guessed. Full methodology

How to cite this report

You are welcome to quote these figures. Please name Counterwise and link to this page. The numbers update with each data refresh, so mention the date.

Suggested citation

Counterwise (2026). Malta Airport car hire report, November 2026. Counterwise. https://counterwise.eu/airports/mla/report (data updated 13 November 2026).

Permalink

https://counterwise.eu/airports/mla/report

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